Do We Match Your Requirements?
-Typical Queries Answered

Server & Telecoms rooms
Q: We need a room to accommodate our servers and telecoms equipment. We have some ideas regarding location, but need someone to advise which would be best and what services we need to install to keep the room from overheating and for it to be secure.
We also need advice regarding cable distribution and any other matters related to a typical room. A budget cost is required before we can take the matter further. How could you help?

A: CCS would survey the premises and quickly provide a report suggesting the optimum location together with an outline specification of services requirements for the room to secure it and maintain conditions within it. We would assess the requirement for standby power supplies. M&E services, cable access and the like. We would include features that prevent the room flooding and maximise the usable floor space in the room.

A budget assessment of the likely cost would be produced. This would be sufficiently accurate for your assessment needs but would not have involved contractors in tendering.
Should the budget figure be acceptable, we would request an appointment from you to continue with the project.

Existing computer room – Expansion
Q: Our computer room is 20 years old and bursting at the seams with computer equipment. We need to refurbish the existing and expand it. We have some contractors – who service the M&E equipment from whom we are able to obtain estimates of cost, but really need a priced proposal for the whole scheme. How could CCS assist?

A: CCS would have no problem designing the requirements – including phasing the works to ensure no risk to the existing facility and minimum interruption.

We would also look into the matter of likely permissions that might be required – by such parties as local authorities or your landlord.

Should you require a budget figure of likely expenditure, to enable the project to be financially tailored to your requirements, then we would produce a rough quantities budget and design as a basis for a firmer specification.

Once the precise specification of requirements is agreed, CCS would prepare a report, explaining the requirements by means of specification, CAD drawings and spreadsheet costs.

The cost of the various work elements would be as obtained from selected contractors agreed with yourselves. Some of those contractors might be those already maintaining existing services – or your own employees.

The predicted project expenditure total would include an estimate of the cost for CCS to manage the whole works through to completion and commissioning. The cost producing the report would be shown separately.

The overall cost could be presented in any manner you require, however the principle of open-book figures would remain throughout.

CCS would not be prepared to speculatively produce a specification and closed tender. We look for appointment as professionals, selling our time and expertise, rather than dealers assembling information and costs from a variety of sub contractors.

Business relocation
Q: We are about to take over another business and integrate it. I have been asked to provide the Board with a ball-park cost and timescale for the relocation to another, larger premises and indicate to them how such a project would be undertaken and managed. How could CCS assist?

A:
Step 1
CCS would carry out a survey of your existing facilities and the new premises – assuming you have found one. On a rough quantities basis, a budget cost - one that would be accurate to no better than 10% - could then be provided. This exercise would also confirm that the premises were large enough.

Should you not have found alternative premises, the exercise would provide you with an assessment of the floor space required and the likely cost of purchasing or leasing that space in the area you would prefer to be located.

Within this initial budget would be an assessment of the expenditure required for CCS to carry out a more detailed survey and design, from which we would be able to produce more accurate figures.

This information is aimed to be sufficient for your Board to take a decision whether to proceed to the next step – which is to obtain a more accurate assessment, or look for alternatives – such as retaining the existing split but relocating staff, or looking for less expensive accommodation.

Step 2
Your company would appoint a member or members of the company to act as client/CCS contact to provide CCS access to the company premises and personnel. This contact would either be a senior manager or director, able to discuss politically sensitive and logistical issues with the Board.

Step 3
CCS would then carry out an in-depth survey of all the departments in each company. Computer and telecoms items, employees, their furniture and equipment, their space requirements and interactions with others, would all be monitored. A similar exercise would take place with any shop floor manufacturing process equipment and storage facilities.
This information would be used to produce CAD drawing layouts indicating everyone and everything - laid out within the new premises.

Alternative schemes would be produced as options for approval.

Step 4
With a layout agreed, the final drawings, designs and specifications for the works required, would be produced and contractor prices obtained.

CCS operate on a fast track basis and do not produce large detailed specifications of works required for each contractor. These are considered unnecessary if accurate outline specifications backed up with clear drawing details are provided. All that remains is to ensure that each contractor is aware of and includes for adherence to all British Standards, Codes of Practice and Recommendations.

CCS would take on the responsibility for the safety requirements to be considered at the Design stage – in accordance with the CDM Regulations.

To the contractor prices, would be added a considered contingency amount and the design and management costs calculated to be required for CCS, other professionals involved in the design works and any local authority fees.

This would produce a Contract Sum. This, together with the final designs and a gant chart indicating the timescales predicted to carry out the project from authority approval to completion and handover, would be offered to the Board for approval.

Step 5
With Board approval to spend, the project would commence. CCS would write advising you of your responsibilities regarding the CDM Regulations – the first of which is to employ the Planning Supervisor, and would furnish details proving their competence to take on this role.

Authority permissions would be sought and discussions held with them, where necessary, to enable works to begin without delays due to the production of their certification.

CCS would check all tenders received to ensure compliance with appropriate standards, recommendations and regulations, and then place orders – all related and subject to the project progress schedule.

CCS would then proceed to manage the work through to completion, producing monthly progress and financial reports together with any contractor invoices received.

From the very beginning of the project, until its final completion, CCS would produce log sheets to verify time charges and sundry expenditure – all costed and kept within budget figures previously provided.

Insurers requirements:
Q: Our insurers have just inspected our facilities and advised us that they are unable to continue cover unless we upgrade the protection. They have mentioned fire protection defects, the need for automatic detection and extinguishing, access control and a range of other security devices. They have provided us with a list of approved contractors who might be able to provide quotations – but we need independent help/advice to ensure that we are only doing what is necessary. How could CCS assist and what would it cost?

A: This is our most common request. The insurance industry presently speaks from a position of strength. Gone are the days when you could simply search for an alternative insurer who might view your circumstances more leniently. As you might expect, the insurers are attempting to completely eliminate risk - and so boost their industry. Their clients are attempting to keep their overheads to a minimum and the burden of the cost of seemingly non-productive infrastructure improvements are less than welcome.

We often find that the insurers technical recommendations, whilst being correct, sometimes amount to a matter of belt and braces and attempt to negotiate with them a specification of works that reduces their original. It is sometimes possible to reduce the areas requiring protection or find alternative means that are less expensive.

Our experience in these matters provides the confidence the insurers need to feel that technical co-operation is prevalent and that the protection improvements will be installed professionally and leave them with a risk they are able to sell on.

When it comes to the contractors required to carry out the improvements, we fully understand the work content required and so are able to tailor quotations to suit and then manage their installation efficiently.

So, we opine that our input usually saves time and expenditure. It also establishes with the insurers a relationship of confidence - which ought to be reflected in their premiums – or at least form the basis for negotiations.

The cost of the exercise would amount to that of time and out of pocket expenses expended by the CCS engineer. The contractors costs would be net and paid separately. Hopefully the expenditure with contractors’ would be significantly reduced from what would have resulted had the insurers recommendations been accepted without question.

We are not anti insurers. Quite the opposite. It is simply a matter of negotiating a balance between each party’s requirements.

Disaster recovery
Q: We are considering the construction of a duplicate computer room facility elsewhere and need some idea of likely cost and timescale. How would CCS assist?

A: The budget figure you would require for the infrastructure could be provided quickly, once we had carried out an outline survey of your existing facility and discussed related matters with you.

Professional team - Large building project:
Q: We have a building project in mind. Do we need to set up a traditional professional team of Architect, Structural Engineer, QS, M&E Services designers etc?

A: It depends on the content of the new premises. If it is a large proportion of workspace that needs environmental attention, then CCS are best managing the project and calling in the different professions as they are required. If there is a small proportion, then CCS are best appointed to design the related elements and work with the rest of the team to ensure that the correct fabric surround and services space and access are provided. CCS are then able to specify and manage the fitting-out of the spaces and the installation of the services they require – without affecting the main project.

Professional team - Existing premises conversion project:
Q: We have existing premises in mind for conversion. Do we need to employ a traditional professional team?

A: No, CCS are able to advise you on what professionals are required and when – regardless of the proposed content. The first requirement is for the premises to be surveyed by CCS to ensure that it is suitable for conversion to the purpose you have in mind.

Advice centre:
If you have any queries, which are not answered in this website, you are not sure - or you just haven’t the time to search through it. Just send us your query and we will attempt to respond within 24 hours.