Responsibility and openness
“We develop our competences in line with our clients’ expectations, so our professionalism is shaped by our clients themselves. This means that we are the true face of the work we do,” says Renatas Viršilas, CEO of project management company Viconus. The company provides high quality, professional, and expectation-based project management services in Lithuania and abroad. “And we do this based on the core values of the organisation – responsibility and openness. This is why our clients trust us,” says Viršilas.
The company’s activities are defined by four areas: design and construction management, technical supervision and engineering consultancy. “Viconus continuously improves its business processes to ensure quality, and the use of digitalisation is key to achieving a higher level of process maturity. The company currently uses Trimble, Dalux, BIM, microsoft 365 and other digitisation products to ensure quality in its processes. “This helps the team to achieve results more easily, productively and efficiently,” says Viršilas.
Scope, budget and timing…
… are the three pillars on which project management rests. “It’s a kind of triangle where all three corners are important, but I always tell the client to focus on the most important one. Usually it is the budget. This is where we place processes, work and digitisation tools in the company,” emphasises the Viconus CEO. The company’s team is made up of experienced experts in their respective fields, but in order to offer the best solutions to the customer, engineering competences are strengthened. “We strive to become leaders in our field, which is why we use innovative and efficient working methods,” emphasises R. Viršilas.
No unfeasible projects
“Viconus deals with a wide range of issues, but, according to the company’s CEO, there is no such thing as a dead-end situation, just as there are no unfeasible projects:
– How do you design a building so that the contractors’ price received during the construction tender process is within the expectations and budget?
– How to manage the situation so that the quality of the project is good?
– How to select a contractor and ensure that the calculated price is not exceeded at the end of the project?
– How to select experienced designers during the procurement of design works?
The company’s design work is procured in a BIM environment and designers with the ability to work in it are hired. This allows the intersection of engineering parts to be seen, eliminating errors. “By using digital applications, we aim to minimise uncertainties, eliminate errors, and estimate the quantity and cost of construction works,” says R. Viršilas.
Another challenge these days is that contractors are finding it increasingly difficult to commit to fixed prices because they cannot control their evolution, for example for two years. This is why Viconus is increasingly using the “open book” principle:
– Procuring works through tenders and ensuring that the budget is respected;
– Procuring construction works ahead of time, this applies during the construction phase: if redesigns are necessary, the project budget and timeframe will not be affected;
– Procurement of construction works after the preparation of detailed designs and the selection of materials in advance. This would reduce price uncertainty.
Challenges reinforce
Many companies have been hit by the same challenge in recent years: the COVID-19 pandemic. Coping with the challenges and surviving in a market plagued by uncertainty is not a task for the weak. “With the impact of the pandemic and inflation, managing the project budget is a big task. Price volatility, changes in contracts and clients’ budgets are major market changes that we had to respond to,” says Viršilas. He is pleased that this phase has been successful, and that new experiences and important lessons have been learnt. “We have become even stronger, more demanding and more attentive to the customer,” says the CEO.
Paradoxically, market price volatility and geopolitical contexts have strengthened the company’s ability to work under any conditions. “We are as steadfast as steel, but completely flexible for our customers,” smiles Viršilas.
“Our strength is our skilled staff and demanding customers
