Virtual Design and Construction in Bidding Process

Construction projects involve a high degree of complex procurement processes. One essential stage is the bidding process, during which the amount of profit level is critically determined. Within this context, not only the profit is important but technical, human and conceptual skills are critical for bidders. The bidding process in the construction industry is characterized by the involvement of many different parties including the client, architectural and engineering firms, general contractors, specialized contractors, material suppliers, manufacturers, etc. Faced with the challenge of global competition, business leaders serious about running ethical and responsible businesses often have to be strategic and creative in the way they address bid responses and with a clear destination in mind for their organisation. This is especially the case for construction companies that aspire to be competitive and well-regarded players in the global economy beyond their own borders. These companies have to understand and effectively manage not just business risk, but need to demonstrate the willingness to advance industry innovation, aid in nation-building and deliver greater community capacity. Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) which is a visual representation of data, is increasingly being used to more effectively communicate complex or technical information to busy readers in a clear and concise way. Many benefits have been identified in implementing VDC and its uses of virtual models of product, organization and process to simulate the complexities of the construction project delivery. VDC understands the pitfalls the project teams are likely to encounter, to analyze these pitfalls and address them in a virtual world before any of the construction work ever takes place in the real world. The implementation of VDC in bidding process is expected to reduce these demands by improving the efficiency, speed and accuracy. It uses to integrate product, process and resource models of construction projects to support the construction planning in virtual environment. This paper explores strengths of VDC based on its usage in many countries, its execution through during bidding as well as suggestions on how VDC be able to act as an imperative tool in bidding practice in Malaysian construction industry?s stakeholders.