Director Justin Maritz calls for efficient procurement strategies on his 10-year anniversary.
This month we celebrate Director Justin Maritz, our fifth employee to reach a decade of service.
Having initially joined White Associates as a Senior Cost Planner in 2013, Justin has been a Director for the last four years. A self-described generalist, he is currently involved in the leadership of three of our four divisions – Pre Contract, Post Contract and Advisory Services.
Justin has weathered his fair share of market ups and downs over the last ten years, and has seen firsthand the benefits of collaboration during the procurement process. Looking ahead to the next decade, he believes efficient procurement strategies will be key to navigating changing market conditions successfully.
“What I want to see in future is a well-considered competitive market. Well designed, well procured and well contracted.”
With New Zealand currently in a recession, we are seeing a shift from the previously perceived environment of minimal competition. Overall contractor and subcontractor capacity is coming back into the market as larger projects are completed and newer projects are slower to start.
This increased competition may cause some negative flow-on effects. Tough economic times mean tough decisions will be made, and the market may make commercial decisions in order to win work. But Justin remains cautious of this approach: “You want a value for money offer that gives certainty of successful project outcomes. We should always be dubious about abnormally low tenders, especially at this stage of the market cycle.”
Good procurement benefits all stakeholders of a construction contract, but this needs to be considered on a project-specific basis. Contract terms and conditions should be as realistic as possible, and not favour one party at the expense of the other. “To achieve a fair outcome, terms and conditions should reflect each project’s individual risk profile and specific requirements,” Justin says. “In order to achieve efficient management of risk, this should be allocated to the party best suited to manage it.”
Project stakeholders should also carefully consider advice for alternative or non-standard procurement strategies. Justin continues to favour traditional procurement approaches wherever possible: “Let’s challenge our thinking when asked to head down a pathway of hybrid procurement to ensure it delivers the best possible project outcomes.”
This article was contributed by Justin Maritz and Gemma Christall.
Procurement Advice
If you require procurement advice for your project, please feel free to contact our Advisory Division leads.