3.影响投标成功的因素外文翻译资料

2023-02-23 03:02

3. Factors that affect bidding success

In competitive bidding, where all competing contractors are judged suitable, the project is awarded to the contractor submitting the lowest bid. Bidding success is thus defined as submitting a tender figure which is competitive enough to cover the contract costs, service and appropriate proportion of the company overheads and provide the required level of profit.

Research into the factors that affect the bidding success of British construction companies tendering within the United Kingdom market has shown the following factors affect bidding success:

the accuracy of the estimate;
the level and variability of the mark-up;
the market conditions;
the level of competition; and
the company efficiency and size.

The same factors are considered important to any construction company bidding within their own “internal” or home market.

3.1 The accuracy of the estimate

In producing an estimate, the estimator is required to make many assessments of both a quantitative and qualitative nature. These assessments may be based on recorded data, experience, the prevailing market conditions and a multitude of other factors.

Different estimators will obviously weigh these factors differently and hence produce a range of estimates for a particular project.

In an ”internal” market situation it is clear that if all companies have a high standard of accuracy then the skills in choosing a construction method, buying materials and selecting subcontractors will play their full part in determining the most efficient and hence most economic contractor. If estimating accuracy is low then the incidence of the unrealistic bid winning against carefully constructed bids will be higher. Unrealistic bids are likely to lead to loss-making contracts and so not only deprive the “winning contractor” of a profit but also deprive all the more sensible contractors of a potential profit as well. This is unhealthy for the industry and frustrating for company managers. The improvement of general estimating accuracy has taken two forms in recent years. One is the improvement of the process of estimating largely through the disciplines imposed by computer systems. The second is by more widespread and improved education and training of practicing estimators across the range of companies, who realized that if all companies were staffed by competent estimators general estimating accuracies would rise to the benefit of all.

Nevertheless, the importance of a high standard of accuracy and the correct choice of construction method is best supported by the attention given to these aspects by those companies who continue to be successfully involved in international construction projects.

3.2 The level and variability of the mark-up

The tender figure is a combination of the direct cost estimate and the mark-up. The mark-up, as previously described, is the amount added to the estimate to allow for company overheads, risk and profit. One cause of mark-up variability is the process of assessing and allowing for these elements, which varies from company to company.

Another cause of mark-up variability is due to the fact that the mark-up is based on the estimated cost of the project. Thus, any variation or inaccuracy in the estimated costs is reflected in the level of mark-up applied. Consequently companies frequently assess their mark-up in absolute rather than percentage terms.

In an “internal” market, differences between the mark-ups of companies are small and the mark-ups are fairly tightly bunched. Therefore, as a means of distinguishing companiesrsquo; tenders, the mark-up element is not the most significant. A review of literature on accuracy and variability of contractorsrsquo; tenders in the UK revealed variability in bids, as measured by the coefficient of variation (standard deviation/mean100) ranging from 5 per to 8per cent. It is clear that most of this variability is derived from the direct cost estimate and not the mark-up. This once again reinforces the importance of the estimatorsrsquo; calculations in determining the competitiveness of companiesrsquo; bids.

In an international market it is common for the level and range of mark-up to be nore varied due to the effects of risk and the differences in contractors own or “home” market situations.

3.3 Market conditions

Market conditions is an all-embracing, subjective term which on a macro (industry) level includes such factors as:

the total construction orders for all work;
the total orders for each market sector;
projected future orders;
current and projected governmental policy and legislation;
construction (input) price levels; and cost of capital.

On a micro (company) level it will also include an assessment of;

local, national and international opportunities;
competitor activity;
volume of ongoing work; and
order books.

There is no generally accepted way of quantifying the effect of market conditions on tender price levels.

Researchers postulate that the companies respond to their own forecasts of their own output (i.e. turnover) rather than movements in demand.

3.4 The level of competition

The level of competition as a determining factor to the success of a contractorrsquo;s bid is obviously a critical factor. As the demand falls the level of competition rises because the number of potential bidders in the market place remains high. This is no more than a response to market forces.

It is well recorded in research and companiesrsquo; data that contracts won against a large number of bidders are unlikely to be profitable.

The mechanism at work is quite simple and is a function of the interplay between the accuracy or variability in the estimate

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