Case Study: Kajima Construction Europe (U.K.) Ltd

Wooldale Centre for Learning

• Location Wootton Fields, Northampton, UK
• Construction cost £ 21.5 million
• Area 19 hectares
• Project schedule 20 months
• Completion September 2004
• End user Northamptonshire County Council
• Client Wooldale Partnerships
• Architects/engineers BDP
• Main contractor Kajima Construction Europe (U.K.)

brief

Kajima Europe, a leading design, engineering, construction and development company, is enjoying significant growth in its UK operations.

The expansion of Kajima'>s UK business calls for robust processes and systems. Driven by its goal to be at the forefront of technology, Kajima selected RIB Software's powerful cost management system - RIB CSuite - for the control of planning, estimating and cost management activities on all of its major projects.

RIB CSuite is bringing significant cost management benefits to a pioneering new PFI (Private Finance Initiative) project for Northamptonshire County Council.

Kajima Construction was appointed to carry out the building construction for the new £ 21.5 million Wooldale Centre for Learning, the country's first purpose-built 'through school', designed to meet the needs of children, young people and adults from the local community.

The green-field project, which will provide facilities for 1,800 pupils, includes a new secondary school, a sixth form centre, a primary school, a nursery and childcare centre, a lecture theatre, indoor and outdoor sports facilities, a learning resource centre, a public library and a cyber café.

solution

A disciplined and structured approach was crucial to the success of planning, estimating and cost management activities on the project.

During the conceptual phase, RIB CSuite facilitated the process of developing a detailed cost model based on the client's brief. At the tender stage, bills of quantities and material take-offs were prepared for the speedy and accurate generation of the project budget estimate. The benchmarking of equipment and material costs against similar projects provided additional cost benefits to Kajima.

Also during the tender stage, many subcontractors and suppliers bought into the e-bidding process. The direct import of data realised significant order of magnitude time savings.

RIB CSuite allows data and information to be entered in standard formats, significantly reducing the potential for error. The system is available across a shared community and can be accessed remotely. Project data and information are fully visible from all relevant locations and day-to-day communications throughout the project team have been significantly enhanced.
The flexibility of RIB CSuite's management reporting allows Kajima to respond instantly to specific requests and to continually simplify, improve and enhance report formats.

With more than 50 software modules fully integrated with financials, accounts and procurement, the system produces real time management information and reports that accurately track project performance through all phases of development.

result

"I am convinced we made the right decision to invest in RIB CSuite. We are very impressed with its robust structure, its stability and RIB's significant financial commitment to its continuing development. It is a product that has the potential to develop as we grow.

"We are also reaping the benefits of RIB CSuite on many of our other education projects for schools in Ealing, North Tyneside and Haverstock. That's where the real benefits are for our business. We are 100% committed to making the system work for us."

Neil Bignall
Commercial Director, Kajima Construction Europe (U.K.) Ltd

"RIB CSuite has actively promoted learning throughout our organisation by drawing together key data, information and knowledge."

"Now, through a fully integrated set of common processes and systems, we have successfully implemented a cultural shift that allows us to work in real time cost management and estimation and to move away from the historic, manual reporting systems of the past."

John Mansfield
Commercial Information Systems Manager, Kajima Construction Europe (U.K.) Ltd

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