Sir John Egan has called for clients to encourage change in the construction industry by only working with those companies that are demonstrating improvements.
The author of Rethinking Construction, speaking at its second anniversary, said the construction sector needed clients' help.

He said: "We need to support and sustain the changes already taking place and must encourage changed businesses by giving them more work."

Egan went on to congratulate the Movement for Innovation demonstration projects for showing improvements in their financial status.

He said: "The organisations involved have improved profits and this should persuade the most die-hard people to get involved."

He added: "The challenge is to highlight the difference in performance between those doing it and winning and those who are not."

He was particularly impressed with the £4bn worth of construction projects that had been through the Movement for Innovation, surpassing his target of £500m.

But Egan revealed disappointment that the demonstration projects had not reached the 10% improvement in cost reduction called for in the report.

He also made a point of urging clients to join the Confederation of Construction Clients.

Rethinking Construction was published in June 1998 to highlight improvement targets for the construction industry.

The Movement for Innovation was formed to provide a framework for projects wishing to experiment with new ways of working and improving the culture of the sector.