Re-imagining Quantity Surveying

Gervase Cunningham1, Sharon McClements2, Mark McKane3 and Bronagh Duggan4

Belfast School of Architecture and Built Environment Ulster University, Belfast, County Antrim E-mail: 1g.cunningham@ulster.ac.uk 2s.mcclements@ulster.ac.uk 3m.mckane@ulster.ac.uk 4b.duggan@ulster.ac.uk

Abstract As with all major global events, life will never be the same. The Covid pandemic has created the opportunity for us all to engage in new way of working. For most this has meant a rapid transition to digitalisation for all key aspects of our work.

Timing will be everything for those students newly graduating, in the next few years, from professional built environment programmes. Why so? Industry 4.0 - Society has accepted the digital future.

Accepting the digital future is going to challenge the age-old way of producing buildings ranging from design, to procurement, to construction and then delivering a built asset to clients/end users as well as managing the built asset throughout its life cycle. However, the biggest challenge will not be the attainment of a new skill set, but more importantly it is about creating a sense of identity.

This sense of identity nexus permeates all aspects of society, from reimaging our cities, to workspaces to homes and communities. Therefore, must we re-imagine our professional roles, not within the industry but within society.

Societies emerging post pandemic will be influenced in part by the physical and built environment. These physical and built assets will be shaped, in part, by new emerging clients. Clients such as Google andAmazon where technology is intrinsic with their being, together with the drive for sustainable resilient cities and high streets, ergo creating a global and digital industry in which our profession must compete.

Yet the focus should not be on technologies but on a re-imaging, what is going to impact on society first. Thinking, behaving, and acting beyond our traditional construction industry remits creates an opportunity for diversification. The construction industry’s role within society means that the professional will require diverse skills sets beyond those of traditional technical competencies. This creates challenges for providers of construction professional programmes. Initial challenges will be to ensure programmes are instilling the broader adaptable skills including digitalisation, data driven competencies and flexibility.

This study considers these wider skills sets of undergraduate quantity surveying students at Ulster University. The study seeks to determine the student perception of their role within societies emerging post pandemic and their readiness to embrace Industry 4.0.

Keywords Industry 4.0, Quantity Surveying, Digitalisation, Profession

I INTRODUCTION Industry 4.0 (I4.0) originated in Germany, in a 2011 project about high-tech strategy promoting the computerisation of manufacturing. High-tech has also been advancing the construction industry. The adoption of digital tools has transformed many of our practices in the industry. As the technology advances, data driven solutions develop to enhance industry performance and client satisfaction, have become increasingly important. However, there are many difficulties to embracing I4.0 Some industries are embracing the changes whilst others are experiencing difficulties, particularly in relation to recruiting competent and high-quality staff. This is a key challenge to the construction industry, particularly the professional sector. The lack of commitment to attaining I4.0 diverse and digital skills will result in a ‘have and have not’ sector within the construction industry. The professionals who embrace a more diverse and digital skill set will work in a without boundaries industry, not in the geographical sense, but in relation to traditional professional boundaries. Diversification brings growth, through increased opportunities in new markets, with new clients in new and emerging industries. Those with the I4.0 skills will succeed and those who do not attain I4.0 skills will fade. The aim of our research is to examine the current levels of diverse and digital skills attained by graduating students on the BSc. Hons Quantity Surveying programme at Ulster University (UU). This study examined four distinct areas of diversification and digitalisation, namely soft skills, mind skills, process skills and technology skills. In doing so this research seeks to understanding how UU provides graduates, from the programme, an I4.0 professional identity.

II SOFT SKILLS

According to Durkheim (1992), the term professional originates from the guilds in Ancient Rome that existed as a tribe or big family engaging in a particular industry. The Oxford English Dictionary (2008), concurs and defines professionalism as “belonging to a profession, worthy of a professional person; skilful or competent”. Thus, the term professionalism can be applied to persons with a particular competency, which can be further refined by their affiliation to a specific profession.

Furthermore, the ideology of professionalism, according to Carr-Saunders (1933), ‘is the application of a specific skill competently delivered by highly educated people’. Construction industry clients depend upon this service and the quality of the service has a direct impact on project performance, (Ling, 2002). These specific skills and knowledge pertaining to professional quantity surveyors include understanding costs and construction technology, managing projects and ascertaining risks, measurement, procurement and contracts. These skills are considered technical competencies by the professional body, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). However, to deliver a project successfully requires competent soft skills. Soft skills are essential as according to RICS (2020) the best quantity surveyors are not just technically competent, but they are good leaders who are able to challenge the design teams constructively. They must also be able to communicate, and report clearly and accurately, with both informed and less-informed clients. Traditionally the key skills of a quantity surveyor (QS) are construction, economics and management and controlling of costs within projects, involving the use of a variety of management procedures and technical measurement tools. However, the work of the quantity surveyor also includes making sure that projects are completed on time, coordinating all the people involved and acting as a link with the client and the other design team members (Hardie et al., 2005, Temple, 2006 and Ashworth and Hogg, 2007). Badke (2006) cautiously concludes that although quantity surveyors currently are seen as indispensable to construction and strategic advisers, but they will need to keep reinventing themselves to continue to provide high value services to meet the evolving needs of clients.

Therefore, the soft skills competencies of quantity surveyors are considered essential in providing a professional service to clients. Soft skills refers to a broad range of people with personal communication attributes, such as leadership, teamworking, decision making, problem solving, motivation and negotiation.

III MIND SKILLS Mind skills refers to a collection of professional character attributes which are concerned with the ability to adapt, commit and act with integrity and to be accountable for your actions. These mind skills represent the very best of all the professional competencies. Quantity surveyors are ‘governed by a controlled entry within a code of ethics and a monitor of self-discipline’, (Jeffers, 1999), which enhances their ability to successfully deliver a professional service. However, the practical application of ethics in the business context is ‘the degree of trustworthiness and integrity with which companies and individuals conduct their business’. Essentially these skills are required to protect the client who is viewed as vulnerable in the client –professional relationship and for quantity surveyors to do as they say they will.

IV Process Skills

Process skills refers to enhancing solutions through robust predictions of risk. The construction industry requires modern professionals to be flexible, lean and efficient which is contradictory to the “paternal, hierarchical and conservative” construction industry identified by Smith and Love (2001). Shohet and Frydman (2003) add that the management of complex construction projects is less of an architectural and engineering issue and more of a managerial one. Smith et al., (2004) suggest that construction professionals are required to have design functionality combined with management and technological skills, which are now considered as ‘critical determinants of successful professional practice’, (Le Roux et al, 2004). Managing ever increasing complex projects requires quantity surveyors to demonstrate their ability to be creative and innovative. This can be construed as finding solutions to economic, environmental and social value pressures.

V TECHNOLOGY SKILLS I4.0 is a digital revolution. The advances in digitalisation and technology will forever change the way we live and work. I4.0 will impact on the professional role of quantity surveyors, who will have to acquire new skills and competencies pertaining to a range of digital tools and practices. This rapidly advancing revolution requires quantity surveyors to be proficient in the application of robotics, data analytics, BIM and cloud-based remedies to provide clients with high quality services. According to McKinsey (2020) BIM will transform the construction industry in three key ways namely, Collaboration, Forecasting and Safety. The acquirement of these technology skills embeds resilience into the quantity surveying profession. Given that projects require collaboration, the digitalisation of the project will improve productivity by enhancing the quantity surveyors’ ability to make decisions, assess and mitigate risks, reduce waste, improve performance and ultimately contribute to a more sustainable society. The benefits of the digital revolution will be great, but also challenging. For Quantity surveyors, whilst putting these new skills to practice is important, what is vital to the success of digitalisation is a shared commitment to changing the approach. I4.0 will change the skills profile of quantity surveyors as it presents them with an opportunity to diversify into industries such as pharmaceutical, automation and digital. However, the challenge for training providers and learning institutions is to provide an underpinning knowledge, understanding and application of the new and emerging digital skills. This will secure the future and relevance of the profession and attract diverse talent.

VI RESEARCH METHODOLOGY A quantitative approach was adopted using an electronic survey to elicit data from graduating students on the BSc. Hons Quantity Surveying Programme at Ulster University. The survey was issued to 65 students, during the final month of their study at the university. A pilot survey was conducted, and no issues were identified. The survey consisted of four closed ended question. Each of the four questions, examined the students perceived ability pertaining to soft skills, minds skills, process skills and technology skills. Students were asked to rank their abilities for each question on a five-point Likert scale, with 1 representing having No ability, 2, having Basic ability, 3- having the ability to Demonstrate, 4 – having Proficient ability and 5 –having Expert ability. The results of the survey are presented as follows.

VII TABLES

Fig. 2.0 Student’s Perception of Mindset Skills

Fig. 1: Students’ perception of Soft Skills ability

With regard to the soft skills of communication, organisation, teamwork and the ability to accept responsibility and to also solve problems the majority of respondents indicated that they were proficient with the remainder indicating an ability to demonstrate these skills.

The ability to work to deadlines recorded a proficient ability level from all respondents, but the closely linked soft skill of being able to work under pressure generated a more mixed response. Again, the majority of respondents recorded that they had proficient ability, but a small proportion of respondents indicated that they had expert ability and a slightly larger proportion indicated that they considered only having the ability to demonstrate this skill.

The other soft skills of self-motivation, leadership, decisiveness and the ability to negotiate generated a mixed response. Once again, the majority of respondents indicated that they had a skill level that was proficient or they had the ability to demonstrate these skills. However, it was interesting to observe that a small number felt they possessed expert ability, but correspondingly a small proportion felt that they had only basic ability in these skills.

This indicates varying levels of confidence and self-determination across the respondents as these would be seen as very important skills in leadership, management and engaging with others.

The responses to abilities in mindset skills recorded that the majority of respondents indicated that they were either expert or proficient when it came to commitment. In contrast the responses to abilities in trustworthiness and honesty were more mixed with trustworthiness generating responses of either being expert or proficient whereas honesty had a number of responses indicating that they only had the ability to demonstrate this skill.

This was similar to the responses to the ability to demonstrate adaptability, accountability and flexibility, although the majority of responses indicated proficient ability in terms of adaptability and flexibility in particular there were a number who felt expert, but also a number who indicated that they only had the ability demonstrate each of these skills.

This is significant as the quantity surveyor of the future will need to embrace the need for continuous improvement and widening their skills and expertise through being adaptable and flexible in their approach. This includes the adaptability and flexibility to move to other sectors such as pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, renewable energy, automation etc as well as working in other jurisdictions and geographic locations.

Fig. 3.0 Student’s Perception of Process Skills

The responses to abilities in process skills generated a wide range of responses in many instances. The responses to analytical thinking indicated that a majority felt that they only had the ability to demonstrate this skill whereas the remainder felt proficient.

With regard to active learning, problem solving and continuous improvement the majority of respondents felt proficient with the remainder indicating only an ability to demonstrate this skill. The process skills of critical analysis, creativity and sustainability again generated responses indicating an ability to be proficient or to simply be able to demonstrate these skills, but there were a small proportion who indicated that they considered they only had a basic ability.

However, when questioned about the process skills of innovation, data driven decision making, robust data governance and lifelong learning an increasing number of responses indicated that they felt that they had only a basic ability. In the response to the question on the process skill of ethical reasoning, despite the majority indicating either being proficient or simply having the ability to demonstrate this skill a number of respondents surprisingly indicated having no ethical reasoning skills.

Fig. 4.0 Student’s Perception of Technology Skills The final section of the survey examined technology skills. Interestingly the ability in using digital tools and practices generated responses indicating proficiency or the ability to demonstrate these skills.

With regard to big data, artificial intelligence and predictive analysis, robotics and automation, additive manufacturing techniques as well skills in producing BIM based cost estimates and BIM models there was a wide range of responses ranging from being proficient, to the ability to be able to demonstrate, to a basic ability level, to those who indicated no ability in these skills.

Prefabrication and off-site construction responses ranged from those indicating expert ability, to the majority of respondents indicating a proficient ability with the remainder surprisingly recording no ability in these skills.

Ability in the internet of things generated responses indicating a majority having proficient ability with the remainder of responses spread evenly across ability levels of being able to demonstrate, having a basic ability and having no ability.

The remaining technology skill of cloud-based remedies indicates that the vast majority of respondents have only a basic ability in this skill or consider that they are proficient with the remainder indicating an ability to simply demonstrate this skill.

IXCONCLUSIONS In conclusion as construction continue to move into the digital age with the digitalisation of all processes it will necessitate the development and provision of new knowledge-based competencies in quantity surveying programmes to attain these skills. Thus, we must commence the reimaging of quantity surveying education if we are to embrace I4.0. We must produce graduates with a greater breadth of mind and process skills as well as digital skills , whilst not reducing the provision of soft skills learning.

Therefore, education also needs to adapt to meet the evolving changes with greater emphasis on providing learning to develop digital skills and challenge students to develop creativity and innovation as well as adaptability and versatility. If this doesn’t happen, potentially the role of the quantity surveyor and their professional contribution will diminish.

Tertiary education providers need to work in collaboration with industry to enhance these graduate skills and attributes to embed this in learning. In so doing they must also attract students from diverse backgrounds creating opportunities not only for school leavers but for graduates from other sectors, arts and sciences to bring their learning and skills as well their diversity of knowledge and experience.

The survey indicates that respondents generally feel confident about their abilities in the soft skills and mindset skills, but this still needs to be improved, but there appears to be a greater range of abilities in process and in particular the skills associated with the application of technology. This clearly shows a general lack of confidence and in many instances indecisiveness and lack of selfmotivation to continually improve, diversify and ultimately embrace I4.0

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