QUESTION: What is ECI?

Director & General Manager Andrew Noble explains

ECI is the buzz word at the moment, but it’s been a successful model for decades. It stands for “Early Contractor Involvement” and put simply, it means picking the builder that has the track record and expertise to either design and build, or work with your design team so that “smarts” and up to date market costings are shared early in the development process.

Project costings are verified at various stages during the design development so that financial surprises are eliminated. There’s no greater disaster for a client than getting the design they want but one they can’t afford or that doesn’t meet the feasibility.

It can be applied to various delivery methods including pre-leasing, design and construct or build only. The open, transparent and planned forum optimises value and it could and should extend to site selection.

Many national and international companies  take advantage of this methodology. They extract value early in the project’s life before the design is progressed to the point of no return and achieve huge benefits in overall program. The benefits can extend to ESD outcomes, OH&S, quality, performance objectives, maintenance, life cycle costing, transaction costs and costs associated with site acquisition.

The first step is understanding ECI and the transparency and security it provides.