The Role of a Bill of Quantities (BOQ) in the Pre-Contract Stage !!

1. Tender Preparation

A well-structured BOQ provides comprehensive cost breakdowns that allow contractors to prepare accurate and competitive tender submissions. It ensures that all bidders quote on the same basis, reducing ambiguities and potential post-award disputes.

Key Considerations:

Ensures uniform pricing parameters for all bidders.

Reduces pricing discrepancies and post-tender negotiations.

Allows for clear risk allocation between contractors and clients.

2. Cost Estimation

The BOQ serves as a foundation for preparing an accurate project cost estimate, essential for budget approval and financial planning.

Key Considerations:

Aids in preliminary cost planning and feasibility assessments.

Supports accurate cash flow forecasting.

Provides a benchmark for cost control during execution.

3. Defining Scope of Work

A BOQ provides a clear and detailed description of project elements, ensuring contractual clarity.

Key Considerations:

Reduces disputes related to scope ambiguity.

Ensures all bidders base their pricing on a uniform scope.

Acts as a reference document for contract administration.

4. Basis for Negotiation

A BOQ provides leverage for negotiating cost adjustments, payment terms, and scope clarifications.

Key Considerations:

Enables effective cost breakdown analysis during negotiations.

Helps in identifying cost-saving opportunities.

Supports structured contract negotiations.

5. Risk Identification

BOQs highlight cost-sensitive areas, helping clients and contractors identify potential financial and operational risks.

Key Considerations:

Identifies high-cost items requiring additional scrutiny.

Helps in managing contingencies and provisional sums.

Allows risk-sharing strategies between stakeholders.

6. Specification Clarification

A BOQ ensures precise communication of material specifications, quantities, and construction methodologies.

Key Considerations:

Defines quality standards expected from contractors.

Reduces disputes related to material selection.

Ensures compliance with project specifications and standards.

7. Value Engineering

A BOQ supports cost optimization strategies by allowing alternative materials or construction methods.

Key Considerations:

Enables structured cost-benefit analysis.

Helps in evaluating alternative procurement strategies.

Enhances project buildability and sustainability.

8. Resource Planning

The BOQ helps contractors and project managers in allocating resources efficiently before project commencement.

Key Considerations:

Supports manpower planning and material scheduling.

Helps identify key supply chain dependencies.

Assists in equipment and subcontractor procurement.

The Light For All is Inside the Holy Quran

 

Holy Quran; the last book of Islam descended on the Last Prophet Muhammad SAWW is the embodiment for each and every Muslim living on earth in every aspect of his life. Holy Quran endeavors light on every doing of a human if you make it a guide book and follow it. if you will take it only as a Book by reading which you will have the virtue, then it will not benefit you in your daily life. To take advantage of it, one should have a firm belief in the fact that the preachings of Prophet Muhammad SAWW are the solutions to our problems and the teachings of the Noble Book are instructions to live our lives peacefully without being hurt.

Islam is not a heritage that was given to Muslims just because they were born in Muslim families. But when it turns from a historical heritage into the preaching of reality then only we can succeed in our lives. Holy Quran’s preachings are not only the heritage and it has been proved in the Holy Book by the Almighty SWT himself by stating small incidents and details of the events that occurred at times before the arrival of Prophet Muhammad SAWW. Like the incident of Prophet Yunus AS being eaten by a whale and was in a dark belly of the whale when he asked for aid by the Almighty and make supplication. Then by the will of Allah, the whale was caught and Prophet Yunus was freed. It is mentioned in the Quran as;

“And thus We do endeavor the believers (who believe in the oneness of Allah Almighty, refrain from evil and work righteousness.)”

The same is the case with the incident of Prophet Musa AS when he was born with a father. A whole Surah, Surah Maryam is there in the Holy Quran which states that how the lady Maryam was chaste and innocent and she was not touched by a male in her whole life. The birth of Prophet Musa AS without a father was purely a miracle and the whole incident has been described in the Sacred Book in detail. Allah Almighty says;

“And We motivated the mother of Moses saying; ‘suckle Moses but when you fear for him, then cast him into the river and not get afraid, nor grieve. Verily! We shall bring him back to you and shall make him one of our Messengers.”

The incident of drowning of Pharaoh and his troop in the river Nile when they were chasing the clan of Prophet Musa is also mentioned in the Holy Book. The examples of Musa and Pharaoh are given even today and that incident has been used as a comparison between evil and good. So Quran give us these stories not only to tell us about the happenings of past but instead they should be taken as an example and should be imitated.

The Holy Book is surely healing for the suffering souls because it provides the comfort that a heart and a soul want. Allah Almighty says;

“Indeed! The Zikr (remembrance) of the Almighty endeavors warmth to the hearts.”

When you don’t want to share your secret with someone else but only with your Lord, then do Zikr as Hazrat Ali RA (the Lion of Allah) said;

“When you want that the Lord talks to you, recite Quran and when you want to talk to your lord, offer your prayer.”

The best way to find the solution to your problems is to recite the Holy Book and search for the solutions provided there. After recitation with a pure heart, one never gets depressed or failed. Allah Almighty says;

“Then whoever follows My Guidance shall neither go awry nor fall into suffering and misery.”

“Allah is the Wali (Protector) of those who believe. He procures them out from darkness into the light but as for those who disbelieve, their Auliya (supporters or Messengers) are Taghut (false entities), they bring them out from light into darkness.”

Quran provides guidance in solving each and every aspect of life. The rules set by the Almighty to live a peaceful life are simple and easy and one can easily fulfill the demands of the Shariah if he follows the guideline given by the sacred Book. The rights of parents, the rights of children, the right of wife or wives, the rights of the husband, the rights of neighbors, peers, and relatives, the rights of being a citizen, the way how one acts if he witness a quarrel, the way how one acts when he saw someone going to divorce, the way one should do Nikah, the way one should get divorced, the way one should treat the non-believers and a lot of the staff needed to continue life is mentioned in the Holy Quran. Allah said about the dispute among the Muslims that;

“And if two parties among the believers fall to dispute, then make peace between them both.”

The preachings of Quran also guide the Muslims about how they are supposed to pursue their sexual lives. It is strictly prohibited in the Shariah to indulge in an illegal sexual relationship with a non- Mehram because such wrongdoings only bring chaos to the society. The issue is a little non- talkative and most of the people feel awkward talking about that. So the true information of what to do and what to not is given by the Holy Quran. Allah Almighty says;

“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and protect their private parts (do not indulge in illegal sexual acts).”

Not for men but also women are confined to do the things in a way that brings peace to the society in Surah Ehzaab.

“O Prophet (peace be upon him), tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves of their outer garments (shawls). That is more apposite that they will be known and not be battered. And ever is Allah forgiving and Merciful.”

Also;

“And say to the believing women to lower their gazes and sentinel their private parts and that they should not display their gildings except what would ordinarily seem. And that they should draw their cloaks over the bosoms and that they should not display their beauty except to their husbands.”

“And those, who, when they spend are neither profligate nor meagre but hold a medium way between those immoderations.”

These verses in context to our daily lives are surely the path of guidance for us and whoever take the path and light of the Almighty will never be tripped and will never face any problem in his life.

Quran is the book that is guidance for the entire mankind. This book gives us a complete code of life. We can find solution to every problem in this Holy book. It is a light that makes everything bright from your heart to your life.

We present you a piece of heart-touching information about the Holy Quran and hope our Muslim brothers and sisters can light up their lives through this holy book.

Collection By M.Ajmal Khan.

Inspection and Test Plan Why ?

 

The inspection and test plan article provides you with information about inspections and tests which are used in manufacturing shops, Installation to Commissioning Activities for all fields. Specific information about inspection and test plans for each equipment type.

The working process starts with an agreement between the purchaser and the manufacturer. The manufacturer provides the Proforma Invoice (PI) to the purchaser, which explains the equipment specification and related price.

Then the purchaser issues the Purchase Order (PO), which confirms the proforma invoice. Before the start of manufacturing, the purchaser must provide an equipment inspection and a test plan (ITP) to the manufacturer.

The ITP identifies all inspection points for the purchaser's inspector. Then the manufacturer needs to prepare the project quality control plan based on this inspection and test plan.

The manufacturer notifies the purchaser's inspector in advance to attend the factory for witnessing the inspections and tests.

The communication and coordination channels between the manufacturer, purchaser inspector and purchaser are agreed to in the Pre-inspection meeting (PIM).

Based on international practice, the manufacturer sends a notification to the purchaser, and the purchaser reviews the notification, and after approval sends it to the inspector.

Then the inspector will go to the manufacturer's shop to witness the test or inspection.

The purchaser's inspector will send the inspection visit report to the purchaser.

The Purchaser can assign its own inspector, which is its direct employee or hire a third-party inspection agency to carry out the inspection.

The ITP has a tabular format and the content extracted from the construction code. In each row of the table, there is quality control and inspection requirement and this determines which party is responsible for control and inspection.

There are three parties in the ITP, the Manufacturer, the Third Party Inspector (TPI) and the Client or purchaser. Normally, the table accommodates 3 sections as follows:

• Before Manufacturing
• During Manufacturing
• Final Inspection

The before Manufacturing section consists of the Pre-Inspection Meeting (PIM) and review of the quality control documents that need to be approved before start of manufacturing.

There are 3 or 4 important terminologies in the ITP that determines the responsibility of each party. These are:

Hold point(H): Hold on the production till TPI Inspector performs inspection and supervises the required test. In general, attendance to the PIM meeting, raw material inspection and identification, Post Weld Heat Treatment Review, Hydrostatic Test, Performance Test, Run-Out Test and Final Inspection are Hold points. Normally, manufactures shall notify the TPI Inspector 7 working days in advance.

Witness Point (W): The manufacturer shall notify the client and TPI Inspector, but there is no hold on the production. The client can waive this inspection based on its discretion and inform the TPI Inspector.

Spot Witness (SW): for items with spot witness, the manufacturer shall notify the TPI inspector as fulfilling the monitoring. For example one random visit for all of the UT Tests or one or two visits for whole surface preparation work for painting.

Review (R): Review means Review document, which includes the review of quality control records, test reports, etc. When the TPI Inspector makes a visit for a hold or witness point, the inspector can review the related documents.

Here are the articles about the different equipment ITPs. You can download the draft ITP for each type of equipment through the following Legends:

1) ‘Prepared by’ should be the name, signature and Company’s name for the Vendor’s/Sub Contractor’s representative.

(2) ‘Approved by’ should be the name, signature and Company’s name for the Contractor’s representative.

(3) ‘Location’, ‘Item Name’ and ‘Tag Number’ shall be used if applicable.

(4) ‘Characteristics Verified’ are the parameters checked during the inspection activity.

(5) ‘Reference Document’ is the Project Specification / Code / Standard / Drawing, Procedure etc on the basis of which inspection shall be conducted.

(6) ‘Acceptance Criteria’ is the tolerance, reading, value or outcome derived from reference documents.

(7) “Verifying Document’ is the record generated during inspection & Testing using approved forms/checklists. All forms and checklists shall be attached to the ITP and submitted to the Company during the approval Stage.

(8) “Inspection Responsibility’ is the role of Vendor / Sub Contractor, Contractor and Company for each inspection step. Inspection responsibility shall be ‘I’ for Inspection,

‘R’ for review, ‘A’ for approval, ‘S’ for Surveillance, “W1’ for 100% Witness, ‘W2’ for random witness and ‘H’ for hold. For the explanation of these inspection, responsibilities refer to the ‘definitions’ part of PEI section 4.7.1

Prepared by M.Ajmal Khan.