Currently, cost management in construction projects primarily revolves around cost planning, cost control, cost accounting, and cost analysis. Cost planning is used to keep project expenses in check. To manage material usage, a quota issuance system is implemented, along with batch or quota accounting methods to monitor discrepancies in material consumption during production. Labor costs are controlled through tools such as labor quotas, attendance rates, and minimizing non-productive hours. Additionally, breaking down cost indicators to each responsible unit enables effective cost control by leveraging accountability, which helps reduce losses and lower overall expenses. Despite these measures, the current cost management approach has some limitations:
(1) There is a stronger focus on cost control during or after project execution, while cost forecasting and planning during the early stages are often overlooked. This makes it challenging to manage costs proactively from the beginning.
(2) Efforts are mainly directed toward reducing costs in isolated parts of the project, leading to a weak overall awareness of comprehensive cost control.
(3) Short-term cost savings are prioritized over long-term financial benefits.
In China, prefabricated construction projects are rapidly expanding, with competition in the market becoming more intense than ever. To boost efficiency, it is essential to shift from traditional cost control methods—focused on labor, materials, and machinery costs—to an integrated approach that includes pre-forecasting, real-time control during construction, and post-project review and improvement.
Extending cost management throughout every phase of prefabricated building projects—before, during, and after construction—BIM technology offers significant advantages. In the pre-construction phase, BIM aids in preparing bidding and tender documents to maximize economic benefits. It facilitates dividing interfaces and quickly generating quantities during bidding, while also leveraging historical project data to benchmark and forecast costs by comparing similar projects. This approach replaces the outdated practice of relying solely on final financial reports from accounting departments, which often results in delayed cost control.
By using BIM, it is possible to calculate labor, material, and machinery consumption indicators before construction begins. This allows for cost savings by evaluating on-site construction plans and techniques, ultimately setting target costs. Additionally, BIM models can detect potential issues in project progress early on, enabling timely optimizations and preventing losses caused by manual calculation errors.
During the construction phase, BIM technology supports real-time tracking of work quantities and actual costs, allowing for prompt cost adjustments as needed.
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up