Early Contractor Involvement, or ECI, is when the commercial project team is brought together at from the beginning of the project, when all the important decisions are being made. ECI is the procurement method that defines and underpins the ‘Trigg Way’. Clients, architects and planners work in partnership with the contractors from the very beginning, before the plans are drawn up. This enables benefit from the wealth of knowledge and expertise contractors and the wider team bring to any commercial build. We believe strongly that transparency of process is essential to a successful commercial build – for all parties concerned. When you get your commercial build team together right from the start, everyone is on the same page; adding value at every step of the build process.
ADDING VALUE TO YOUR COMMERCIAL BUILD
Conventional procurement models see your front end commercial project team put together individually, bringing the contractors in post design when the major decisions have been made. On the face of it, this may seem logical – you bring contractors in as and when you need them, you give them the plans, they do their job. But what’s missing from this equation is the unique and valuable perspective experienced contractors like Trigg can bring to the planning stage and, ultimately, the finished project.
With over 25 years’ experience, we ensure that your commercial project is fit for purpose and meets budget. An essential part of our process is to identify the fixed points of a project. By identifying the things that cannot be changed, we create opportunities to be fluid and inventive with other aspects of the project. The client and architect can benefit greatly from our input during the planning stage, as we can help make decisions easier for them because we know the reality of constructing your building and therefore can reduce the risk of the project. When we talk directly to the client, we can develop an understanding of what they want to achieve with their commercial project, right from the beginning.
We call this starting from the finish line first. In many cases, we can come up with solutions that save time and money, without compromising on the quality, timeframes and budgets of the finished project.
ECI IN ACTION
One recent example of ECI adding value to a commercial build can be seen in the award winning Waipu Celtic Barn. This was a community project with 100% of project costs raised to freehold the building once completed. Trigg worked with the client and design team to understand what the requirements were for the building, coming up with some innovative ways to meet the budget and scope of the building. Not all of the funds were available to complete the building when construction began, so Trigg worked backwards from the finished project and identified areas to save money, which included highlighting items that could be finished later. This allowed the project to start, eliminating any further rises in cost and overall the client ended up with more building for their money.
You can read about our other projects for more information, or you can contact us to discuss how Trigg can help you get your commercial build off the ground.
