Navigating volatility: The changing role of cost management in delivering infrastructure value in New Zealand
Every day, I see how smart, proactive cost management can transform the trajectory of a project — helping clients turn uncertainty into opportunity so that vital infrastructure is delivered for the communities who need it most.
What I enjoy most about my role is connecting with specialists across our business, spotting emerging cross-market trends, learning from diverse project outcomes and sharing practical strategies that genuinely make a difference.
In volatile periods, when costs are unpredictable and risks are heightened, these insights become even more valuable. They empower our clients to make confident decisions, safeguard their investments and deliver lasting benefits for people and places.
Quantity surveying: From measurement to strategic decision-making
The role of the traditional quantity surveyor has fundamentally changed over the years. Rather than passively measuring and pricing at certain design stages, we are increasingly embedded in projects from day one to help shape them.
We use constructability experience, digital tools, benchmarks and market intelligence to provide real-time design, cost and timeframe trade-offs.
In a major defence infrastructure programme, we established quantity surveyor and building information modelling coding standards with the design team, enabling rapid extraction of meaningful quantities and quick, defensible estimates. This meant our clients could move through decision gates with confidence, maintaining programme momentum despite the complexities of a security-sensitive environment.
Similarly, in a significant health programme, our cost management team has been involved from the outset, providing our client with ongoing budget and cost planning advice. The team is now embedded in all design and project meetings, providing guidance where cost impact is high and design changes are cheapest to implement.
This direction steers the design team toward cost-effective solutions, flags cost drivers early and allows us to test options to meet performance, sustainability and schedule goals within the approved budget. Our estimates and monthly variance cost reports provide our client with defensible documentation from budget through to tender recommendation.
Many cost issues are designed in early, not created on site
Decisions made during concept and developed design phases, such as material selection, system interfaces and logistics planning, have a profound impact on cost, schedule and risk.
In a primary education facility project, early involvement in master planning and cost planning was instrumental in setting a realistic budget and supporting a clear business case. By maintaining cost management leadership throughout the lifecycle, we refined the design to balance performance and cost, keeping the project on track.
Similarly, in a major highway improvement project, our monitoring, quality assurance and constructability practices were embedded early in the design process. This proactive approach meant we anticipated potential design amendments and managed non-conformances effectively, minimising cost escalation and delays. Robust claim verification practices further ensured that the project maintained financial integrity.
Procurement strategy as a cost lever
In today’s volatile market, the “how” of buying, including the choice of procurement model, risk allocation and packaging strategy, can deliver more value than incremental design tweaks.
For a large-scale vertical project, we aligned an early contractor involvement contract, leading to a sole-sourced design and build procurement. We prepared the tender documentation suitable for a design-influenced and performance-based delivery model, while providing project-wide financial administration on a scope and risk split, resulting in better value for money for the client.
In a significant transportation corridor upgrade, we prepared the commercial framework to support procurement and provided commercial advice through the tender and delivery phases. By aligning packaging and risk allocation with market capacity and funding approvals, the project achieved value-for-money while maintaining transparency and accountability.
Making a difference for clients, communities and the industry
Cost management is about more than delivering projects on budget. It’s about creating spaces where communities thrive, enabling growth and leaving a lasting legacy.
Periods of volatility test us, but they also bring out the best in our teams. By sharing knowledge, leveraging global expertise and learning from each other, we can turn uncertainty into progress. I’m proud to be part of a network that brings together the brightest minds and the broadest experience, so our clients always have access to the tools and insights they need.
Connect with me on LinkedIn if you’d like more insights on our cost management practice for major New Zealand projects.