Hello, everyone.
This is Enta.
Lately, I've been doing nothing but cost estimates and design work...
Things are pretty hectic on-site right now, so I guess I'll have to head over to the Kanto region starting next week, lol.
I’ve been doing cost estimates, and it makes me wonder—we just go through the motions of getting quotes from those three companies as a matter of course, but what’s the point of that, anyway? lol
For example, even for standard materials, they say you need quotes from three companies...
Well, since materials like anchors are specialized, I can understand how you feel, but since the materials we’ll end up using are already decided, all we have to do is get quotes from different suppliers.
I always find myself wondering, "What's the point of this??" lol
When it comes to construction projects involving patents, even if we say we can’t award the contract to anyone other than Company XX, they tell us that a trading company would be fine.
Well, since it’s public money, of course, when it comes up in an audit or something, they’ll probably just say, “Look, we did get multiple quotes,” but it still doesn’t sit right with me.
Is there some kind of unwritten rule like that within the government office??
It’s just something I’ve been meaning to ask about, so I always end up forgetting when I’m actually talking to the government office and never get around to asking, lol.
While doing the cost estimates, I find myself thinking, “What’s the basis for this material?” or “I have to tell the trading company to get quotes from three suppliers for this material…” and so on. Even with design changes, there are things like that, so it’s a real hassle...
Something that happened recently that really made me think, “Wow, that’s something,” was when someone sent me just a bar chart and some manga-style drawings with a note saying, “Please use this for the design. And if possible, include a cost estimate as well.”
When it says “if possible,” I wonder if it means I don’t have to do it, or if I should? But basically, sending it this way is interpreted as, “Here’s the document—please handle the design and cost estimation with just this!” lol
I know it’s my own fault for going along with it, but I’m the type of person who feels I can’t just say no when asked to do something, so I end up doing it anyway—but even then, I’m required to provide supporting documentation and quotes from three different companies.
As a specialist in this field, I try to design things so that contractors don’t run into any problems, but shouldn’t that be up to the contractors to decide?
I mean, I'm just drawing standard pictures, so...
That's what I think, you know...
If we're doing it at home, I guess I'll just have to go along with it... lol (Though I'll end up doing it anyway.)
What I hate most is when people think, “This is such a fixed outcome—it’s a waste of time, isn’t it?” (I do try to read the room, though. lol)
It can be pretty tough to do this kind of work when you know the field too well, can't it?
It really made me realize once again that I love being on the front lines.
See you later.
