Dame Judith Hackitt should understand that the principles of value engineering are not only about saving money, writes Katherine Bethany
Katherine Bethany
Dame Judith Hackitt, in her recent speech at the Chartered Association of Building Engineers, stated that the term ‘value engineering’ should be driven out of construction. She commented that it was a phrase she would be “happy to never hear again. It is anything but value. It is cutting costs and quality.”
In reviewing her remarks, and the definition of value engineering, I would agree with her – when used as only a “cost cutting” tool, it is not a good idea. That is not how SAVE International, the international society devoted to advancing and promoting value methodology, defines value engineering. Done correctly, the outcome of the value methodology is definitely not cost cutting or a cheapening of the project.
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