Pictured above: Neil Pountney, Managing Director of Emprima

Solihull-based Emprima Ltd has unveiled a new service for companies operating within the construction and regeneration sectors.

Launched as Emprima Construction Assist, it will provide clients with access to individuals from a highly-experienced team of construction professionals who will ensure that building projects are kept on track - and that the performance of partner organisations is carefully monitored to ensure on-time delivery.

Neil Pountney, Managing Director of Emprima, said: "Construction projects contain a complex set of risks that need to be carefully navigated right from conception through to final fit-out and beyond. They range from cost over-runs to time over-runs to, ultimately, a poor quality product. Taken individually they can threaten the project's viability - taken together they can be disastrous to its outcome.

"Very often there is an urgent need to understand and objectively resolve technical controversy between various parties in order that mitigation measures can promptly be agreed and put in place. Sometimes, even an audit has to be undertaken to discover objectively why things have not gone according to plan or whether perhaps, they could have been carried out more efficiently.

"Our aim is to provide clients with a mature team of specialists in project management, construction, planning, architecture, quantity surveying, programming, structural engineering, building engineering services, fitting-out and quality control who can provide the right kind of extra support that is sometimes needed."

Mr Pountney added: "It is certainly more economical for clients for us to try to keep them out of trouble rather than have to dig them out!"

"So, with this in mind, Emprima Construction Assist will also provide assistance with construction due diligence at the outset by providing an independent, objective and detailed analysis of the inherent risk profile, and highlighting any risks that could prevent clients from achieving their business and commercial objectives.

"Intrinsic risks in construction projects cannot ever be totally eliminated, nor can they be satisfactorily controlled in their entirety simply by transferring them to a building contractor. If not identified promptly and managed effectively, they could subsequently completely derail the project."

He said: "To keep such risks in check, a technical monitor can assist, but more importantly it needs to be, an independent, experienced and shrewd monitor; this is where Emprima Construction Assist comes in.

"We will ensure that all of the solutions originally proposed by the design and construction team are delivered and meet both your objectives and those of your stakeholders. In addition, we will ensure that the implementation plan that was approved prior to entering into a contract is being faithfully undertaken to protect those interests.

"In practice, this mean introducing a comprehensive monitoring system that could involve pre-contract strategic and planning advice, risk assessment and management, advice on the undertaking of due diligence, post-contract project monitoring or indeed any combination of these.

"In these challenging times, many organisations undertake a programme of audits as a matter of course in order to seek out and ensure maximum efficiency and best practice. However, if you are in the unfortunate position of already having a project that is in difficulties, an experienced construction manager can help quickly evaluate its current status and then help to bring it back on course," said Mr Pountney.