Looking into the crystal ball of quantity-surveying magic
Dr Stephan Ramabodu, the president of the Association of SA Quantity Surveyors, tells Margaret Harris he wanted to be a medical doctor but got hooked on quantity surveying, thanks to his uncle
What is a quantity surveyor?
Someone who calculates the cost of building/engineering projects, manages the costs and provides value for money on these projects. What are the four most important tasks at work each day?
Compiling estimates; the management of contractual claims; payment valuations; and meetings. What would readers find most surprising about your job?
The significant role quantity surveyors play in the costing of contracts, the procurement of materials and services, and contract administration, including the role we play in dispute resolution. What did you want to be as a child?
I wanted to become a medical doctor because I wanted to help people. I applied at the University of the Free State for medical studies and was advised to complete a generic BSc degree before studying medicine.
My mother used to work for a professor in food science at the university, who said that if I studied food science, he could arrange a bursary for me. I thought long and hard about this, but eventually declined his offer. However, as I needed money for registration, I did gardening for him at the weekend to earn some income . . . and painted his office. Before I knew it, I was registered.
I then learnt about quantity surveying from my uncle, who was a foreman on a building site. I would occasionally visit the site to ask him for transport money. One day, he said he would like me to meet someone on site who was “very clever with numbers”. This was the project’s quantity surveyor and he explained to me what he did . . . and mentioned that the University of the Free State offered a qualification in
quantity surveying. I was hooked. I was accepted as a quantity-surveying student and have never looked back. What do you most enjoy about your work?
I really enjoy “reading the crystal ball”: in other words, predicting what a new and complex design would cost and how to get the project properly costed and completed. And what do you like the least?
Some national and local government departments — alarmingly — do not use the services of quantity surveyors to assist them with proper costing and correct tender documentation. Quantity surveyors are trained to work with cost and prepare proper documents and, by using our services, more departments would save a lot of money, which would benefit the national economy. The increasing number of bogus
quantity-surveying practices also gives our industry a bad name. What advice would you give young people interested in becoming quantity surveyors?
That there will always be scope for work by a quantity surveyor, either from rebuilding existing cities or from new developments. Technological changes also provide new possibilities. Young people must make sure they study mathematics, physical science, accounting and English at school and attain good grades. Quantity surveying is an exciting career for both men and women, who can employ their skills from an office or in an outdoor environment. What characteristics do you need to succeed at your job?
Quantity surveyors have to enjoy working with numbers, must be able to network, have good negotiation skills and be confident.