CITB and
construction employers are piloting four schemes to improve procurement
practices for homebuilding and infrastructure projects set to achieve £25m
savings.
The Improving
Performance Through Better Procurement Approaches commission will see just
under 12,000 construction workers trained, half of which to be from small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), within the housing, infrastructure and local
authority-led construction sectors in England, Scotland and Wales.
The four pilot
projects are set to receive £3m in funding in total, but are expected to
achieve £25m in savings, involving 1,900 construction employers and focusing on
collaboration to mitigate risk, as well as an emphasis on quality and whole
life outcomes, not just time spent.
Sarah Beale, CITB
Chief Executive, announced the four schemes during the Lean Construction summit
on 9 October.
She said: “With
ever-rising costs, it’s vital that we exploit and highlight the gains that more
efficient procurement can bring to construction through driving up
productivity. These pilot projects will explore good practice that can be
shared to support homebuilders and civil engineers, training that is set to
deliver substantial cost savings.”
Alasdair Reisner,
Chief Executive of CECA, said: “CECA is delighted to be working with CITB to
help deliver this scheme which mark the first steps in the journey towards
driving notable efficiencies and innovation in projects for the long term.
“Our sector has
historically suffered from low profit margins, which for some companies, can be
as little as 0.7%. As such, any initiative to enable industry to recoup
additional revenues for reinvestment is extremely welcome and the commission’s
work aligns itself with the new models of delivery our customers are starting
to adopt.
“These delivery
models are focused on the benefits that can be achieved through long-term
relationships, driving innovation and improving productivity and CITB’s
commission plays a vital role in achieving this.”
