From preparation to operation

When making decisions in the process of preparing and implementing an investment in the Czech Republic, foreign investors have the possibility to use the services of consulting firms connected with resolving various construction-technical and organisational issues. This pertains to both new construction projects and brownfields. The services are offered to foreign investors based on the service providers’ past experience gained particularly in the Czech Republic.

The character of provided services is fully dependent on the character of the given project. These services should minimise investors’ risk associated with errors arising from a lack of understanding of the specific conditions and differences in construction-related legislation.

Technical screening

Investors are offered services consisting in collection and assessment of information required for making a decision on the given project’s location. This involves assessments of the following aspects:

Proposed location of the structure with respect to urban development documentation and possible risks.
Transportation infrastructure with respect to not only the implementation and operation of the structure, but also to accessibility for employees.
Utilities networks, especially with respect to their long-term operability, quality, capacity and loading.
Climatic conditions in relation to transport, energy intensity, operating costs and the scope of facility management.

It is necessary to check the following:

Quality of given building and its individual parts and the utilised construction materials from the perspective of the structure’s anticipated service life.
Determination of the extent of the building’s compliance with the technical standards and regulations.
Condition of equipment and the location of all necessary energy sources for flawless and economical operation.
Condition of the fire-protection system and assurance of occupational safety.

Foreign investors commonly request this overview of analytical documents and information from consulting firms.

Preparation and implementation

In this part of the project lifecycle, the project and cost management services are as follows:

Recommendation regarding the specific professional competence of the project manager and management teams, with focus on thorough knowledge of the technical and organisational conditions of the construction process in the Czech Republic.
Assessment of materials for selection of a general contractor alerting investors to risks that may arise. A technical audit of the documentation for selection of the contractor carried out by a consulting firm is extraordinarily beneficial for investors. Assistance with the actual selection and evaluation of bids is a natural part of the offered services.
Management services with focus on the key milestones of the construction project, the basic links between the structural and technological works and a statement of significant risk areas. The process should be as follows:

Step 1:
The investor and consulting firm define the objectives and set up the time schedule and organisational assurance. Usually, a representative of the consulting firm explains to the investor all aspects of the agreed activities.

Step 2:
The consulting firm forms a team of specialists according to the agreed requirements with the objective of precisely specifying the preliminary actions to be taken.

Step 3:
The consulting firm’s specialists verify individual areas and prepare partial reports including necessary documentation and recommendations.

Step 4:
The management of the consulting firm submits a final summary report to the investor. Within this report, emphasis is placed on a comprehensive solution for determining the status with a statement of the degree of importance of the determined facts.

The process of providing such technical due diligence services as described above is common practice and is always the result of the initial discussions and the requirements precisely formulated by the investor.

Vladimír Bílý
Regional Director CEE
Gleeds