Our great industry has a tiger by the tail

11th February
A tiger by the tail

Thumbing through QS News while enjoying my morning bowl of Sugar Puffs and a strong cup of coffee, my domestic bliss was jarred by our very own Phil Clark's comments on our great industry: "Wembley might be a spectacular product but it hardly shows an industry that has moved on much since the turn of last century."

Phil had picked up on my blog from Sunday 29th January, where I pointed out that the original Coliseum like Wembley 1923 project was a feat of construction engineering. It was, unlike its 2006 re-model, feted for its completion's timeliness, quality and cost; the golden triangle of project management no less. "If anything the Wembley story shows we have moved back, not forward." was Phil's blunt finish to his article.

Taking into account that not only the on going Wembley saga was under Phil's microscope from this particular edition of QS News, but also the ‘Saga' of the headquarters building for the company of the same name, commencing the £8m remedial work required to their signature building, plus the £5m to finance rectifying the much troubled Clissold leisure centre in Hackney…then Phil's exasperation with our great industry is really quite understandable.

James Woudhuysen and Ian Abley, who authored the controversial book from 2004, 'Why is Construction so backward?' would concur with Phil. On reading this well researched piece of work you could only agree that the construction industry is like Lord Byron; mad, bad and dangerous to know.

Why is construction so backward? Why is it that even after major reports as Latham and Egan, which are hardly hot off the press and were not exactly ground breaking at the time, we as an industry cannot consistently deliver well designed projects, on time, to cost and defect free?

Well, Woudhuysen and Abley perceive it is the holy trinity of naturalism, therapeutic management and obsessive measurement that is holding construction back - and you thought that management consultants could invent mind boggling phrases. In less creative English, the chaps actually mean bogus environmentalism, "emotionally intelligent" management and partnerships, with more complicated Planning, targets and micromanagement being introduced.

In a nutshell, the wrong solution to the problem Egan's team defined as: "waste, inefficiency and outdated practices stifling productivity improvements in the sector".

What's your view dear QS and PM community? Do you agree with James and Ian's assertion, or do you think they are they wide of the mark? Maybe it is just a change of attitude that is required from us all?

Do let me know what you think, as I am keen to hear the views of our industry's practitioners.

Mon 13th February
Best we live with looseness

Travelled up to the city with all the other harassed early bird bods on the C2C line into Fenchurch Street station this morning. Felt quite nostalgic too. After reading Franklin + Andrews' Andy Mountain's comments on secondment in QS News at the week end, my mind went back to 1995, when I worked under secondment from Bovis Program Management to Railtrack Major Projects, as did Andy from Franklin + Andrews. We worked on the re-signalling project for the track that forms the very C2C line that I travelled up to Fenchurch Street on.

Good project it was too. Very interesting and to my memory, over the two years I was there I definitely gained experience outside my then organisation, absorbed a new environment and learned new skills. Which, according to the QS News article, wasn't the way for most who were ‘body shopped' back then!

So my nostalgia increased when I read in ‘City A.M.' (great freebie newspaper, do grab a copy next time you are in the Square Mile) that come March, P&O will have disappeared from the London Stock Exchange. The old conglomerate is being taken over by Dubai Ports body, DP World. The link for the uninitiated is that once-upon-a-Bovis-time I picked up a monthly pay cheque from P&O, as it owned the company then renowned for its Wolfe Ollins designed Hummingbird, symbolising the Bovis brand. Allegedly it was a bit of a shotgun marriage, with Bovis being subject to a reverse take-over by P&O just 12 months after the famous old shipping company had beaten off a bid from Bovis.

In fact during 1993 it was rumoured within the hallowed halls of Bovis that the famous brand name was to be shelved and the construction and project management arm would become P&O Construction.

Suffice to say, the name change didn't happen, P&O gradually broke down in size and Bovis was sold off to live happily ever after with its Aussie parent, Lend Lease.

Just goes to show, you never can tell precisely what will happen in the future. The Railtrack organisation that I was seconded to seemed set fair and square for a successful future as the way forward for the rail sector, while at the time it seemed that P&O would for many years to come be Bovis' parent.

So maybe I shouldn't be aghast that BAA, who back in 1995 were shaking up construction with their radical framework agreement, are now cowing under threat from…a constructor! Yep, Spain's Grupo Ferrovial no less is making a hostile bid for the airport operator.

So, to paraphrase business writer McCaskey, in a dynamic global market that we all operate in today, we need to ‘surf-board' among conditions of considerable confusion, ambiguity, uncertainty, contradiction and scepticism; so we should live with looseness

.Amen to my man McCaskey.

Tues 14th February
My funky Valentine

For those of you who were concerned that the London Constructing Excellence Club's Valentine Night seminar would be a lonely hearts club affair, with just me and the speakers turning up, well, I can report the fears were unfounded. A very good turn-out, that included a fair splattering of ladies, if you'll pardon the expression, were present for presentations from Construction Knowledge Exchange's John Hampson and London South Bank University's Peter Holliday.

Mr Hampson is in the business of getting universities and construction firms to form stronger alliances and work together in developing ‘leaders of tomorrow'. Highly creditable too, although I am concerned we do not have the leaders ‘for now'. Let's be frank, if you do not look after today, there will be no tomorrow.

Peter Halliday articulated the real need for the design of the London South Bank University's construction programme to "promote learning and staff retention". Good oh, I'll go for that, very much in line with my call for funky workspaces.

Talking of funky workspaces, while in conversation with my friend Anne Griffiths at the event, she stressed that I really should see the offices of renowned maverick and architect, Will Alsop. Anne tells me that the interaction of the people with the startling backdrop of the office layout is really impressive. A positive vibe is generated. Sounds promising, eh?

Any other similar vibrant hives of creative productivity out there good people? Do let me know!

Also…while admiring the grandeur of the event's venue, the London Capital Club, myself and Foreman Roberts' Roy Casey were considering the possibility that the advancement of technology may correlate with the apparent fall off in the construction sector's productivity and overall performance. It seems that the better the information and communication technology available is, the worse it is for our erstwhile design and construction teams.

Maybe we should ban mobiles, computers and fax machines from construction projects? We seemed to get on fine constructing marvellous buildings without them during the last century!

Wed 15th February
A bad habit stubbed out

Talking of banning things, as a reformed smoker (been off the dreaded ‘coffin nails' since 23rd August last year) I am absolutely delighted that come 2007 there will be a total ban on smoking in public places across the UK. It is not often I say this, but the politicians have got it right.

The cost of keeping our buildings free from the damage, filth and danger that smoking causes will be a godsend.

Just like a multitude of things, smoking was another part of our lives that I never thought would become superfluous and passé. Let's hope it is not too long before it is vogue for British people to be positive, upbeat and fervent in their support of our great industry. Which, by the way, it most definitely is. We just need to look after it better.

Like the dreaded tobacco sticks, let's stub out once and for all poor construction projects.

And finally…

"Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives".

William James