AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE DESIRED ATTRIBUTES OF BUILDING SERVICES STANDARD METHOD OF MEASUREMENT IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

The continuous increase in the value and complexity of building services has called for the need to present building services cost information in a structured format. There is therefore, a need to develop building services standard method of measurement (BSSMM) and determine the desired attributes in the context of the Malaysian construction industry. These attributes of a standard method of measurement were identified through secondary sources including cross –country comparison of existing standard method of measurement. A Stratified sampling approach was adopted to administer 400 questionnaires to the quantity surveyors in client contracting, and consulting organisations in the Malaysian construction industry These attributes were categorised into three and the results of questionnaire survey was adopted in ranking the variables. The survey result showed that, there is a need to adopt a standard method of measurement for building services. Further, there was agreement among quantity surveyors on the priority ranking of the desired attributes of the standard method of measurement for building services. However, for the standard to be acceptable, it must align with Construction Industry Classification Systems so as to lay an efficient foundation for automation of the estimating process.