A Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Business, OCMI takes pride in our work serving the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Having worked on hundreds of VA projects around the country, our unique insight and perspective on how to estimate, schedule, and construct a variety of VA building types have led us to be a premier “go to” resource of construction knowledge and trends.

Leading by Example
Delivering best-in-class practices and industry data to hundreds of Resident Engineers, Project and Construction Managers across the VA’s nationwide facilities, OCMI’s team is leading by example.

Under our nationwide Cost Estimating IDIQ contract, OCMI has begun conducting a series of webinar presentations on cost control challenges and topics frequently faced by the VA staff. Through these webinars, the VA staff gains a better understanding of cost estimating requirements, reviewing cost estimates, evaluating cost proposals, and understanding construction cost drivers.

Proposing VE Solutions
Through an extensive cost engineering study and exercise, our team discovered ways to save more than $5 million of a project’s budget, bringing it closer to its original cost.

Our team reviewed the design of a new 30,000-SF kitchen facility at the West Los Angeles VAMC. In preparation, OCMI’s cost estimating team developed three (3) cost models to illustrate the cost drivers of the project. Through this exercise, OCMI determined that the project’s cost was 26 percent above the VA’s allotted budget.

Then, over the course of a week-long session, our team brainstormed hundreds of ideas and considered various other project-associated risks. In the end, our team’s recommendations would help the VA save more than $5 million on the project, bringing it closer to its original cost.
Understanding Local Market & Bidding Conditions
Originally hired to produce an independent government estimate, because of OCMI’s efforts, they have now retained our team so that they can continue to benefit from our cost control and value engineering expertise to create an honorable resting place for our nation’s heroes.

The Western New York National Cemetery, located outside of Buffalo, encompasses 132 acres and supports the proper burial of close to 100,000 veterans. In less than three weeks, OCMI developed an initial comprehensive cost estimate of the project’s first phase, which involved in-depth analysis and review of hundreds of pages of construction drawings.

OCMI’s results were right on the money. Using our in-house, proprietary cost database and understanding the local construction market and bid conditions, our estimate of $45.8 million fell in between the two bids received at $45 million and $46 million, respectively.

While this critical project is over budget, the VA has retained OCMI to support them in ongoing cost and value engineering services, so that we can all make sure to deliver a facility and respectful resting place for the region’s veteran community.

The General Services Administration (GSA) – the real estate arm of the federal government – needs to understand how national and local economic conditions impact the future costs of their construction projects. In partnership with OCMI, we have completed several in-depth, comprehensive market studies for GSA-funded projects across the country, most recently in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

After receiving Congressional funding for their projects, GSA ascertains and tracks information on various topics that may affect construction costs. In assisting GSA, OCMI gathers and analyzes a variety of data points and information from a wide selection of sources, including industry-leading contractors and subcontractors, local business leaders, architects, engineers, and others.

To further assist GSA in making informed design and construction decisions on their projects, OCMI’s market studies provide GSA with an all-encompassing and clear picture of the national and local construction markets.

• We evaluate overall market conditions and projections of future growth trends.
• We review projects in progress or projected to be in progress during the period of GSA’s project construction, to determine the availability of labor and material resources.
• We interview local A/E/C industry professionals to identify market sector factors that could influence the overall cost and schedule of the project.
• We observe the physical site of the project to determine accessibility, mobility, and other related items.
• We analyze the capacity of local and regional contractors (both large and small businesses) to bid on the project.
• With this information, OCMI develops and documents our understanding of the existing markets and expectations at the time of the project’s bid through construction.

Ultimately, our market studies conclude the overall escalation of construction costs throughout the project’s anticipated period of performance.

A testament to true collaboration and delivery innovation, SDSU opened the new state-of-the-art Engineering & Interdisciplinary Sciences (EIS) Complex five weeks ahead of schedule and below budget. OCMI’s involvement in the project started from day one with the development and management of the RFQ/RFP and design/build team selection process. It continued through design, plan approvals and into construction and closeout and now warranty administration.

A unique and successful component of this project was the utilization of “The Big Room.” The Construction Manager, General Contractor, Inspector, and Subconsultants were housed under one room with an open concept during construction. This innovative approach allowed for the project team to save time and eliminate misdirection by obtaining instant answers on issues and concerns that arose.