Mention of the word 'partnering' at a gathering of engineers, or anyone else in the construction business, seems to have one of two effects.
Either it is greeted with a derisory curl of the lip; or you will find yourself listening to a long list of projects in which partnering was supposedly central to the whole process.
Both reactions are slightly disturbing.
Those who think partnering is a fad which will soon pass like any other are mistaken. The government continues to press on with its campaign to make construction more competitive and less wasteful. Even if it has only been achieved on a few projects, results show that 'partnered' construction is more efficient, safer and more profitable. Just try stopping them now.

The people who are enthusiastic about partnering are at least on the right track. But often they're starting from the wrong place altogether. Are you really partnering if you're dealing with over 200 suppliers, or setting up new 'partnering' agreements for every project?

This sounds like harsh criticism, which I suppose it is! But it's hardly surprising when we consider that there hasn't been a clear indication of what on earth Partnering (note the capital) really is. It is all a bit vague and woolly – always unappealing to engineers. Is it about being nicer to each other on site? Is it being more honest about possible problems – and not trying to blame someone else when it all goes wrong? Trust?

Perhaps the best way to look at partnering is as a process to eliminate inefficiency by working as effectively as possible. It sounds trite, but is not as easy as it sounds. Have you thought about every process your business undertakes – how orders come in, how account numbers are checked, how many pieces of unnecessary paper that generates? There are some very good examples of process mapping to be found in the manufacturing side of our industry. Some suppliers have managed to cut the process time in half and double their profits in a couple of years. That sounds less woolly already.

The very nature of construction, though, means that it's no good just one company, or part of the industry, going through this clean up process. It has to apply all along the chain. Your supplier may be able to get parts to site within 48 hours, but will they sit there unused for a week because no one else is as organised? Partnering probably isn't the best phrase for it, but sharing new levels of efficiency and profit is what it's all about.