Commercial Real Estate

EMA Project Management: 8% off project cost by fixing preconstruction

Result Expense Management Associates (EMA): validated outcome Verified
  1. 2M+sq ft under management
  2. Standardbid templates by trade
  3. ~8%project cost reduced
  4. ~10%fewer change orders

Every figure was validated with the client.

Baseline

Expense Management Associates provides project management services for more than 2 million square feet of commercial retail, office and industrial real estate across New York City and surrounding states.

EMA had sound processes for running projects once they were underway. The weak point sat earlier: preconstruction. Bids were often rushed, with no standard templates, inconsistent scope documents and comparisons that took days to reconcile. When bidders price different scopes in different formats, the lowest number is rarely the lowest cost, and the difference shows up later as change orders.

What we did

We developed, implemented and led the new preconstruction approach across several live projects:

  • Standard bid templates by trade, so every bidder priced the same scope in the same structure.
  • Formal scope review and detailed scope leveling across all bidders, which surfaced clarifications before award rather than after.
  • Unit price leveling, comparing actual unit pricing rather than headline totals.
  • A best-and-final “buyout” process built around the critical needs of each project.
  • Sourced new contractors to increase competition in trades where the same names had been bidding.

Implementation and adoption

The process was run on real projects, with EMA’s team involved throughout, so the discipline stayed with them. Better scope and pricing documents also expedited contracting, and clearer expectations improved relationship management with general contractors and subcontractors across the workload.

Validated result

  • Project cost reduced by roughly 8%.
  • Change orders down by about 10%, driven by better scope accuracy and new contractors held to clearer documents.
  • Preconstruction shortened by around 5 days from bid to contract, with 3 days taken out of bid comparison alone.
  • Improved work quality, from better-defined scopes of work and a wider contractor pool.

Faster preconstruction and fewer change orders compound across a portfolio: each project starts sooner, prices closer to its final cost, and takes less management attention to keep on track.

“They quickly integrated themselves into the process and immediately proved value on the first project, far beyond their fee. In a short time we've been able to improve project delivery to our clients and have better relationships with our contractors and subs.”

Mike Tynan
Managing Director, EMA Project Management

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