South Africa-based international project management company Planning & Cost Engineering (PaCE) Services and quantity surveying and construction-cost consultancy Basson & Close Quantity Surveyors (BCQS) have entered into a strategic partnership to expand their footprint and client base in Africa.
PaCE CEO Nic Bennett says the companies often work with the same clients, and this creates an opportunity to improve service delivery by functioning more efficiently. Their clients then suggested a partnership, which both companies embraced and recognised as an opportunity to provide the best possible project management and costing solution to their mutual clients.
The agreement also stemmed from the need to expand each of the entities’ essential services – quantity surveying and contract management, and project controls – while retaining a key focus on their respective core areas of expertise.
Therefore, although both companies will merge their respective knowledge and skills to provide a cohesive service for their clients, both will retain their independence in the partnership.
“With this partnership, the discipline of project control is taking place under one umbrella, making it easier to engage with clients who need assurance that they get a cohesive service. This partnership effectively creates a more efficient and more engaged mutual platform from which to service our clients and work on joint projects”.
“We each understand how the other company operates and, by having this relationship, we improve client efficiency. “We both have specialist skills and, in time, we will improve our staff skills through knowledge exchange,” he states.
BCQS director Ben Basson says the com- panies complement and enhance each other’s skills, making this partnership ideal for both entities to expand their client base into Africa.
“We are excited. Both companies are proudly South African and we have embraced the spirit of Africa within our mutual operational ethos. To do business successfully in Africa, you need an African approach and understanding. Logistically, we are well placed to service projects in Africa. Through our synergistic partnership, our clients will [be enabled] to understand and anticipate the future costs of their projects,” he explains.
Bennett states that blending the expertise of quantity surveyors with that of cost engineers enables clients to work accurately with their budgets and predict the future costs of their projects.
“Cost predictability is our role. We want to get those skills across to ensure projects perform better. The industry has a need to . . . develop Africa and, through this partnership, we hope to develop African cost engineers and quantity surveyors through relevant skills transfer,” he enthuses.
Basson agrees and says both companies are strong and well placed to service the requirements of potential clients in Africa, where there are “fantastic” opportunities in sectors such as oil and gas, sustainable energy, infrastructure development and mining development.
The collaboration with PaCE ensures that clients deal with the least amount of administration when acquiring the services of the partnership.
PaCE and BCQS also share a strategic vision of developing improved integrated software systems to enhance their joint service offering.