The number of receptionists at the five construction and building companies in the FTSE 100 who simply hung up when asked in French or Spanish to be put through to a foreign-language speaker.
The question was put to all the companies in the FTSE 100 by language management company Thebigword to ascertain their language-friendliness. Its survey revealed that three of the construction receptionists contacted were unable to put the call through, although one was rated as having an "excellent" language attitude - the only one of the 100 contacted to pass the language test with flying colours.
The survey concluded that the UK's construction industry was losing billions of pounds in potential orders as non-English language firms took their business to companies on the Continent.
3
The average number of months it takes for large construction companies to settle their debts with suppliers.
In effect, the typical construction firm has 20% of its turnover locked up in late and unpaid bills. This poses a serious problem for cash flow and results in bankruptcies for many businesses. The building industry has one of the worst late payment histories of all business sectors in the UK and the time it takes to pay bills has increased from 85 to 94 days since legislation was introduced to speed up the process.
4
The percentage rate of growth in the construction industry in 2001.
This is higher than the 2.4% registered by the rest of the economy, the first time this has happened since 1989 and better than even the most optimistic forecaster predicted. The Construction Products Association had said it would be 2003 before construction outstripped the nation's economy.
CPA economist Allan Wilen said a crash similar to the one experienced the last time construction outperformed the national economy in 1989 was not on the cards. "If you look at the 1989 figures, construction growth rates were surging a long way ahead of the economy. That isn't the case this time."
6.5
The percentage rise in average earnings in the construction industry in the forth quarter of 2001, compared with the same period in 2000.
According to a Construction Confederation survey, labour and material costs are rising faster than tender prices, so profit margins are being squeezed. Building contractors experienced their second successive quarterly profit fall and civil engineers their third. However, the Confederation's president, John Gains, said there was no reason to be downcast. "There's still a great deal of optimism within our industry and although the survey reports slower growth in the last quarter, we should not lose sight of the fact that output is still increasing."
67
The percentage of health and safety officers who will be doing nothing to prepare for the proposed tougher laws on corporate killing.
Despite the industry's appalling record of killing and maiming its workforce (114 and 13,767 respectively last year), few bosses are looking to improve site safety, according to a British Safety Council survey of 100 health and safety managers in the larger construction companies. The new legislation aims to replace the present ineffective law on voluntary manslaughter with offences of corporate killing, reckless killing and killing by gross carelessness, which will carry respective maximum sentences of unlimited fines on companies, and life imprisonment and 10 years in jail for company directors.
1600
The percentage return on capital employed by the Construction Best Practice Programme.
Independent research calculated that the CBPP's £2m government grant had generated a one-off return of £32m for construction firms using the programme. Participating companies also increased turnover by £132m, boosted annual profit by £71m, saved 13,000 days of management time and avoided £27m in information and consultancy costs. Other benefits included increased customer satisfaction, better safety and improved supplier relationships. The programme offers companies the latest advice and guidance on improving performance by sharing knowledge and experience.
Source
Construction Manager
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