The engines that power our work to develop and promote excellence in the built environment supply chain are our members’ theme groups. At any time we have 7-8 theme groups, typically meeting every 2-3 months to keep up-to-date with relevant developments, decide how Constructing Excellence needs to make a difference, and then deliver or oversee work to ensure that difference is made. As Adrian Worker, chair of the Nuclear theme group said at their last meeting, “you would pay several hundred pounds for a conference in our sector and it wouldn’t come close to the value of the meeting we have just had”.
Their work was showcased and reviewed at the members’ forum on 8th October. We are grateful to Adrian, Paul Toyne of Balfour Beatty (Sustainability theme group) , John O’Brien of LCMB (Asset Management theme group), Kevin Thomas of Visionality (Collaborative Working Champions), John Lorimer (BIM theme group) and Madoc Batcup of Synaps LLP (Funding & Finance theme group) for their leadership on these vital topics. The forum concluded that we need to do a lot more to raise the profile and impact of their work within our membership and externally, and we will be working hard to secure greater engagement in 2015.
Another outcome of the members’ forum was the formation of a new theme group on Procurement. Look out for more details in the next edition of MemberLink.
As well as showcasing the theme groups and how they support our 2025 vision of excellence, the next forum will included a feature presentation about the Supply Chain Management Group (Hackney Homes/Homes for Haringey project), a Cabinet Office trial project that is using two-stage open book procurement. This project forms part of the Constructing Excellence Innovation in Practice Demonstration programme, and we have been working with the Cabinet Office to monitor and report on a number of projects that are trialling 3 new procurement models (Cost Led Procurement; Integrated Project Insurance; Two Stage Open Book). The new procurement routes perform a vital role in delivering the Government Construction Strategy’s sustainable 15-20% reduction in costs.
The Supply Chain Management Group project has achieved significant cost savings (which equate to an average of 31%), and other key benefits, including time and cost control, end user satisfaction, reduced defects, reduced waste to landfill and carbon emissions and improved employment and skills outputs.
You can download the accompanying presentations here.
