For companies interested in construction projects in Beijing, a full understanding of the projects, policies and procedures is a crucial first step for their entry.

The Beijing Engineering Consulting Corporation (BECC) is able to help with this endeavor.

As a Beijing-based comprehensive consulting organization, the company has been serving clients from home and abroad in a wide range of areas, from engineering consulting, construction supervision, project budget assessment, investment analysis and as a bidding agent.

It is also one of the sponsors for the ongoing Market Promotion Conference on Olympic Economy in Beijing.

"One of our core businesses is to conduct the preliminary feasibility study for the infrastructure construction projects overseen by the municipal government of Beijing, including Olympics-related projects," said Liu Yi, general manager of BECC, which was established in 1986 as part of the Beijing municipal government's efforts to improve services to investors and has been a bellwether in engineering consulting.

Such comprehensive consulting services can help the government make the right decisions and choose the best partners, said Liu.

The government is not the only client. The company has also served many state-owned and private enterprises, foreign companies as well as some institutions.

Besides preliminary consulting for related projects, it also provides construction supervision, budget examination and evaluation of the investment efficiency after the projects get started.

This process ensures the money is well used, said Liu.

"So we can take part in the whole process of the projects and help our clients save costs and realize the best returns," he said.

This principle will also be reflected in construction projects related to the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

The company has undertaken the feasibility study for the sports venues and projects related to the sports gala, including investment evaluation and a feasibility study for the National Stadium and National Swimming Center at the Beijing Olympic Green, and a feasibility study on the construction of the No.5 subway line.

Despite government backing, which brings many resources, how to utilize the resources well and find the right match in the marketplace certainly needs more than just planning but a market-driven ideology.

"We are only acting as a bridge to connect clients," said Liu. "We also have to compete with other consulting companies, based on the service quality."

To absorb foreign expertise, the company also set up an engineering consulting joint venture with Mott MacDonald, a world-class consulting firm, last September.

The upbeat pace of the Chinese economy has increased demand for good consulting services. The demand is even bigger in major cities like Beijing, which has kept a steady investment growth and is now fuelled by the Olympics.

Many companies have shown enthusiasm to participate in Olympics-related projects.

But they often find it hard to sort out the procedures to do this. For foreign companies, understanding the local policies, legal system and culture take time.

Liu said his company can offer a helping hand by putting them on the right track as soon as possible and helping them integrate into the local market.

It has more than 100 registered professionals in the sectors of engineering, finance, accounting, and law, among others. There is also an advisory committee, which is formed by prominent scholars, government officials and specialists.

"Instead of studying only a single project, we would always combine it with the overall macro economy and industry outlook and try to give a comprehensive assessment," said Liu.

The impact of the Olympics, for example, will reach out into various industries other than sports, including tourism, urban utilities, real estate, equipment, manufacturing and electronics, which will drive the Beijing economy in the coming years.

Beijing's total investment in this regard in the next four years is expected to reach 1.5 trillion yuan (US$181.1 billion).

(China Daily April 19, 2004)