Armitage Shanks has won out on a £385,000 specification after a lengthy design process which held off constant attempts at value engineering.
The new Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff for Velindre University NHS Trust is being delivered by main contractor Sacyr with M&E contractor Willis Systems and merchant Neville Lumb,
In development since early 2023. Armitage Shanks’ initial specification for the project was developed with White Arkitekter and Sacyr, with the team subsequently working closely with the designers, contractors and Trust to protect the specification.
At various stages throughout, colleagues involved included Chris Golding, Andy Warrington, Nigel Shaw, Tim Chappell, Phil Smith and Jacob Barratt, who saw the project over the line.
Specification Manager Jacob said: “There were constant challenges around price and attempts to value engineer the specification.
“We knew some of the proposed alternatives didn’t offer the same suitability for a healthcare environment, so it was important that we could demonstrate why the Armitage Shanks specification was the right solution.
“We worked closely with our A&D team to identify where value-engineered options didn’t meet the same requirements and presented our findings to the design team.
“Regular meetings, technical support and product samples also helped demonstrate the quality and suitability of the products to the NHS Trust.”
The final package includes Contour 21+ sanitaryware, Markwik 21+ brassware, Contour 21+ shower valves and stainless steel products. It also represents an important opportunity to increase Armitage Shanks’ share of the Trust’s specification, with brassware historically supplied by Delabie.
Jacob added: “The price was always going to be a consideration, but we were confident that our healthcare expertise and the quality of our products gave us a strong proposition.
“Rather than simply competing on price, we could demonstrate the value of specifying products designed specifically for healthcare environments.”
Nigel Shaw, Regional Sales Manager – Midlands, Non-Residential, said: “This was a baptism of fire for Jacob, who was new to the role at the time.
“It is difficult taking over a project of this size with all the external noise saying we were going to lose it on price.”
He added: “We held our nerve knowing we are the market leader for healthcare and we can offer an almost complete solution.
“Jacob, the internal team and Phil from A&D were all a great support, and a big thanks also to Willis Systems for supporting our proposal throughout.”