Main contractors are in a Catch-22. Many of the big names are struggling to survive on pitiful margins, the number of contractor profit warnings have reached a new high, while investor confidence is at an all-time low (see page 9). On top of all that they are under huge pressure to improve their supply chains’ payment terms, which – though clearly the right thing to do – threatens to suck even more cash out of their businesses.

And what is the expert advice for getting out of this fix? You have to fundamentally reshape your business by focusing on new digital and offsite technologies. And here’s the catch: we all know that abandoning traditional models and practices requires investment, which requires cash, which is exactly what contractors are short of right now.

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