LIFECYCLE COSTING
The benefits of "lifecycle costing" are particularly important, as most infrastructure owners spend more money maintaining their systems than on expansion. In addition, the lifecycle approach removes important maintenance issues from the political vagaries affecting many maintenance budgets, with owners often not knowing how much funding will be available to them from year to year. In such cases, they are often forced to spend what money they do have on the most pressing maintenance needs rather than a more rational and cost-effective, preventive approach.
PROCUREMENT PROCESS
Owners award DBOM contracts by competitive bid following a transparent tender process. Proposers respond to the specifications provided in the tender documents and are usually required to provide a single price for the design, construction, and maintenance of the facility for the time period specified. Proposers are also required to submit documentation on their qualifications, thereby allowing owners to compare the costs of the different offers and the ability of the proposers to meet their specified needs.
STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS
While the potential exists to reap substantial rewards by utilizing the integrated DBOM approach, owners who are not accustomed to this approach must take great care to specify all standards to which they want their facilities designed, constructed, and maintained. With a DBOM procurement, owners relinquish much of the control they typically possess with more traditional project delivery. Unless needs are identified up front as overall project specifications, they will not generally be met. This is important, because from design through operation, DBOM contracts can extend for periods of up to 20 years or more.