With the construction industry looking forward to significant growth in 2014 on the heels of the improving UK economic outlook, Balfour Beatty maintains it will remain a clients’ market and as such takes a more strategic approach for choosing contracts to bid for.
Value, client satisfaction and building a reputation hold the key to successful client relationships.
“We’re in a new normal now, and that is not going to change for the foreseeable future,” says Balfour Beatty Business Efficiency Director Chris Millard.
Balfour Beatty is able to deliver greater value to clients by leveraging their end-to-end asset knowledge. This allows the company to better understand their clients’ own strategic objectives and contribute through the infrastructure solutions they create. It enables them to develop infrastructure solutions that are better value, better quality and faster and safer to create and maintain.
“Our business 10 years ago probably wouldn’t have been described as good at listening to the customer, but we’re importing skills and techniques from other industries and sectors and learning how they translate to our industry,” added Chris. “If you can help your customer’s business grow, then that is going to lead to your business growing.”
Technology and innovation is leading the value charge according to Chris. “We’re using building information modelling and it’s amazing the productivity you can gain from iterating that.” To encourage ideas from the supply chain, Balfour Betty are using Dragons’ Den-style presentations to look for innovations.
Chris compares the developing culture of innovation in the industry to the automotive sector two decades ago. “In 10 years’ time we will be in a different place,” he said.
Balfour Beatty now takes a more strategic approach to choosing contracts to bid for. “We’re far more research-based on where we know from our experience we can deliver value for our customers and ourselves, focusing on what we’re good at.”
In the challenging economic climate, success will ultimately come from thinking outside the box and Balfour Beatty is doing just that. Through innovation, lean construction and BIM, the company will continue to identify and generate value for clients.
