Practice makes perfect

Successive government-sponsored reviews of the construction industry have criticised its fragmentation, culture and management practices and called for radical change. Each review is followed by a flurry of activity – working parties, reports, calls for action. At first the various activities seemed to have little effect on working practices. Industry was sceptical. The new ideas were fads and they would pass. But awareness of the need for change was growing, and by the time Rethinking Construction was published in 1998, the industry was ready for action.

Rethinking Construction has sent a wave of change through the industry. Concepts such as partnering, benchmarking, supply chain management and culture change have become commonplace and businesses have started to examine their management systems and styles. Many have found that the old ways of doing things don’t work with the new concepts.

Waterloo Air Management is a good example. Directors of the Kent-based manufacturer realised that they could no longer tolerate late deliveries, reworking and disputes – they had to focus on customer service, reliability and design innovation as well as price. To achieve this it tightened production process; committed to long-term relationships with contractors, consultants and users; increased its investment in IT; and improved internal communications. The organisation has undergone a complete culture change and dramatically increased its turnover and profit.

Any business can develop good management practices that improve its performance. The good news is that you don’t have to do it on your own. The Building Services Best Practice Programme (BSBPP) exists to help businesses change outmoded management practices and business cultures, to help you understand which areas of your business to focus on and to show you how other organisations have changed their practices.

Importantly, BSBPP is a joint initiative between BSRIA, CIBSE, ECA, HVCA and FETA with funding from DTI, and the programme operates as part of the Construction Best Practice Programme (CBPP), one of the industry’s Rethinking Construction initiatives.

BSBPP has compiled a database of resources including case studies, training courses, seminars, best practice guides, toolkits, and research projects – most of which can be freely downloaded from the BSBPP website. The building services pages are part of the larger Construction Best Practice website, and since good management practices can be transferred between sectors, you are encouraged to look at the whole site.

Best practice guidance really packs a punch when it is backed up with examples, and for this reason case studies are one of the most popular resources offered by BSBPP. For busy people, case studies are an excellent introduction to best practice. Brief and to the point, they are structured to demonstrate the real world benefits of best practice in action.

The BSBPP approach is to work as closely as possible with other initiatives in the sector – to avoid duplication of effort, and make it easier for industry to engage with best practice. One of BSBPP’s main tasks is to map the existing best practice activities of its five partners and others – and to provide a signposting service to help people get the best out of them. BSBPP believes that there is something for everyone, and that everyone should be involved – either at an individual or organisational level.

Support is also available from the BSBPP helpdesk, by phone or by e-mail, to help you cut through the jargon and understand what good management practices are all about. If you think best practice sounds like a good idea but you don’t know what to do next, BSBPP can help you decide.

And if you are already using innovative management techniques that you are willing to share with others, BSBPP would like to know about them. Either way, BSBPP wants to hear from you.

To contact BSBPP, visit www.bsbpp.org.uk or call the helpdesk on 0845 606 5704.