J2M Commercial Support
July 27, 2015
Enkom have been engaged by the Electricity Alliance J2M to provide QS and Commercial support on their work with National Grid.
The Alliance comprising Jacobs, Morrison and Mitsubishi are the framework providers for the South West, delivering connection related projects ranging from couple of hundred thousand to tens of millions. J2M have also been appointed to deliver other projects beyond the original geographic scope of the Framework, bidding against other Regional Framework suppliers where the work meets the specific criteria.
The Alliance originally contained the client, embedded as part of the team. However, in 2014 National Grid chose to take a step back from the arrangement, but still retaining the objectives of collaboration and shared benefits utilising the NEC with main Option C. As a result, J2M required a more robust system of Commercial Administration, as without strict adherence to the contract procedures, there was a risk that they would not recover their full entitlement of Defined Cost. Furthermore, a failure to implement the Compensation Events procedure could have meant the target cost not being sufficiently adjusted to fully reflect changes on the project which were the Employers risk.
Enkom provided staff who fully understood the principles of the NEC and worked with the individual alliance partners to ensure that costs were correctly recorded. In addition, where there was an entitlement for a Compensation Event, Enkom ensured that the correct contractual entitlement was put forward, supported by a quotation which gave sufficient detail in a consistent format, to enable the National Grid Cost Assurance Team to easily understand the information provided.
In the first 3 months of Enkom’s appointment over 100 Compensation Events were agreed. This resulted in the commission being extended to ensure this approach continued towards until the end of the framework. Consequently, J2M have not just ensured that they have recovered the money they were entitled to, but the client is also happy that there is a clear auditable trail when cost or time has increased on an individual project.