Agencies are encouraged to apply value engineering in construction techniques to all projects including bus maintenance and storage facilities whose construction costs are estimated to exceed $2 million. The objective of VE is to satisfy the required functions of the project at the lowest initial total cost and cost over the life of the project

When to Perform Value Engineering

VE for a project should be performed early in the design process before major decisions have been completely incorporated into the design, including civil, systems, and architectural areas. Ideally, the project manager or the design manager will see that the VE is accomplished at or prior to the end of preliminary design or before 30 percent of design.

How to Perform Value Engineering in construction

As the Agency’s project manager, you will coordinate the VE session that will consist of a multi-disciplined team of professionals, who preferably are not part of the design team. VE personnel can include electrical, mechanical, civil/structural, and construction engineers, as well as specialists
in architecture, cost estimation, construction management, and transit O&M. The designer of record will provide support to the VE team. The VE team leader could be a certified value specialist (CVS).

Value Engineering METHODOLOGY

Value engineering is often done by systematically following a multi-stage job plan. The value methodology is a systematic process that follows the Job Plan. The Job Plan consists of some phases. The recommended VE methodology (Job Plan) used by the VE team during the Workshop has five distinct phases. Briefly, these phases are:
A. Information Phase –
In the information phase, all the pertinent aspects of the project were studied and the whole information regarding the project design, background, constraints, equipment used, time taken and projected costs of each and every element are clearly collected. The information phase also includes preparation of the special tabular formats and check lists abiding to the rules of valueengineering.
B. Analysis Phase–
In the analysis phase, the data collected is being analyzed clearly. The software used for the analysis of data is PRIMAVERA. All the individual elements are taken into consideration and the main activities which consume more cost are shortlisted and also the total budget for the project is generated in the form of report from PRIMAVERA.

C. Creative Phase–
In the creative phase, the alternative ideas for accomplishing the function of a system are made. The major work that is done in this phase is to fix the alternative materials which must be substituted with the existing materials in the conventional construction. The ideas developed in this phase should be such that the quality must not be affected. The ideas developed during the creative phase are to be evaluated and developed so that they can be recommended and implemented.
D. Evaluation Phase –
In the evaluation phase, the ideas generated during the Creative Phase are screened and evaluated by the team. The ideas showing the greatest potential for cost savings and project improvement are selected for further study. The alternative materials suggested in place of conventional materials are also processed in PRIMAVERA.
E. Report/Presentation Phase–
In the Report Phase, the alternatives which are evaluated are to be implemented and a Report is being generated from PRIMAVERA showing differences in cost for each and every activity . The variation of cost is also being presented in this phase.