Why QSs and Design Managers Need to Talk About Money (EP 279) episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 10, 2026 · 37 MIN

Why QSs and Design Managers Need to Talk About Money (EP 279)

from Own The Build · host C-Link

In this episode, Paul is joined by Nitesh Rupalia, Technical Project Manager at Taylor Wimpey South Wales, for a fascinating discussion on one of the most overlooked relationships in construction:The link between commercial, technical and operational teams.Drawing on experience across developers, architects, Tier 1 contractors and national housebuilders, Nitesh shares why projects perform best when design managers, QSs and site teams stop operating in silos and start working as a single project team.The conversation explores: why the traditional separation between design, commercial and operations creates unnecessary risk;  how involving specialist subcontractors earlier leads to better design, greater cost certainty and fewer variations;  the impact of the Building Safety Act on procurement, design development and contractor collaboration;  why design managers should be commercially focused—not just technically focused; and  how aligning project incentives around time, cost and quality leads to better outcomes for everyone. Paul and Nitesh also discuss the importance of attending each other's meetings, sharing responsibility for decisions, and creating an audit trail that makes final accounts far less contentious.The episode closes with a powerful reminder:the most successful construction projects aren't delivered by brilliant departments—they're delivered by brilliant project teams.A practical and thought-provoking conversation for QSs, Design Managers, Project Managers and Commercial Directors looking to improve collaboration, reduce risk and deliver better projects.---------------------------------📥 Plus: Grab Paul’s free eBook Mastering Construction Procurement — link below:Mastering Construction Procurement Strategies for Supply Chain Integration, Tendering, and Commercial SuccessSend us Fan MailWant to connect with Paul?Paul is on Linkedin here and would love to talk. You can also connect with Paul at [email protected] or through, C-Link. C-Link is software built by Quantity Surveyors for Quantity Surveyors. We save 600 hours of Quantity Surveying time per project in automation. We can make your QS’ so much more efficient.Watch the Video to learn more; you can book a demo by clicking here. 

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 10, 2026

Embed this episode

In this episode, Paul is joined by Nitesh Rupalia, Technical Project Manager at Taylor Wimpey South Wales, for a fascinating discussion on one of the most overlooked relationships in construction: The link between commercial, technical and operational teams. Drawing on experience across developers, architects, Tier 1 contractors and national housebuilders, Nitesh shares why projects perform best when design managers, QSs and site teams stop operating in silos and start working as a single pro...

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.

NOW PLAYING

Why QSs and Design Managers Need to Talk About Money (EP 279)

0:00 37:10

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Own The Build?

This episode is 37 minutes long.

When was this Own The Build episode published?

This episode was published on August 10, 2026.

Can I download this Own The Build episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!