In making choices, our customers should be concerned with the life cycle costs of constructed projects rather than simply the initial costs of construction. Saving a small amount of money during construction may not be worthwhile if the result is much larger operating costs or not meeting the functional requirements for the new or remodeled facility satisfactorily.
Thus, our customers must be very concerned with the quality of the finished product as well as the cost of construction itself. Since facility operation and maintenance is a part of the project life cycle, the owners' expectation to satisfy returns on investment during the projects life cycle will require consideration of the cost of operation and maintenance.