QSs fight back I am writing with regard to Sir Michael Latham's article on cost consultants (21 April, page 24). To suggest that the QS profession "whisper[s] in the client's ear, 'take the lowest bid,'" is not only a very sweeping statement but also it demonstrates a lack of understanding about the job that we do. Undoubtedly he has done some sterling stuff in his time but this kind of inflammatory rhetoric is undeserved and frankly wrong. Not all QS firms recommend the lowest tender on price alone, as first past the post is not always right. At Robinson Low Francis we focus on out-turn cost. Of course, much depends on the quality of information on which the tenders are based. If there has been sufficient time to develop a brief and then design the scheme, having taken into account option studies for the client's benefit and a proper period for the tendering process, then we will take a view on the tender returns alongside the team being put forward in terms of experience and suitability together with knowledge of the contractor's supply chain.
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