Integration is the combining of parts into a whole. In construction, this means bringing together everyone involved in the delivery of a project so that they work in unison towards a common goal. When problems occur, people come together to find a solution rather than splitting up to look for their contract.
What Is Integration and Collaborative Working?
Integration is the combining of parts into a whole. In construction, this means bringing together everyone involved in the delivery of a project so that they work in unison towards a common goal. When problems occur, people come together to find a solution rather than splitting up to look for their contract.
Integration and collaborative working has been at the very core of the work delivered by Constructing Excellence since our inception. Integrated working gives a better result than traditional procurement.
Constructing Excellence believe that there are six aspects of collaborative working. These are:
- Early involvement
- Focus on, and selection by, value
- Common processes and tools
- Measurement of performance
- Long-term relationships
- Modern commercial arrangements
Why Is Integration and Collaborative Working Important?
The Latham and Egan reports of the 1990s promoted integration and collaborative working as a ‘better way’. Both reports identified significant market failures in the construction sector caused by the procurement at lowest price and the claims culture.
The importance of integration and collaborative working has subsequently been repeatedly recognised. For instance, Procurement and Integration was one of the six key aspects within the Strategic Forum’s Construction Commitments and CCG’s Client Commitments. The Office of Government Commerce recommends that public sector procurers use integrated team working and a number of private sector clients also employ collaborative working techniques.
The evidence collected by Constructing Excellence since our inception has shown that integrated and collaborative working provides a better result than traditional construction.
Much of this evidence sits within the Constructing Excellence Demonstration Projects which are committed to integrated working. When the performance of Demonstration Projects has been compared to that of the rest of the sector it has been shown to be far improved.
Furthermore, the performance of projects that are procured traditionally is compared to the performance of projects let on a negotiated basis as part of the analysis of the construction industry Key Performance Indicators. Again, the integrated projects are shown to perform significantly better than the non-integrated projects.
Guidance and activities on Integration and Collaborative Working
Below is listed a sample of the guidance and activities currently relating to the integration and collaborative working agenda
- Collaborative Working Champions – member only group within Constructing Excellence
Demonstrations
- Constructing Excellence delivered a programme of Demonstration Projects for BIS on integration in public sector building projects.
- Constructing Excellence has also worked with a number of other Demonstration Projects of integration
Guidance
- Never Waste a Good Crisis (Constructing Excellence, October 2009)
- Collaborative Working Survival Guide (Constructing Excellence, October 2009)
- Pricing phase guide for collaborative construction projects (Constructing Excellence, April 2009)
- Taking Advantage: how SMEs can become successful framework contractors (Local Government Task Force, September 2007)
- Towards more effective integration in UK construction (Constructing Excellence, July 2007)
- Selecting the Team (CIC, June 2005)
- Putting It Into Practice research project (Constructing Excellence, 2005)
- Achieving Excellence in Construction (OGC, 2002)
- Accelerating Change (Strategic Forum, 2002)
- Rethinking Construction : The Report of the Construction Task Force [The Egan Report](1998)
