Building Down Barriers A Guide to Construction Best Practice

The construction industry's latent potential for integrating and improving its procurement processes has long been recognized in most developed countries. Numerous government level reports insist that full integration of the design and construction supply chain can result in substantial gains in efficiency, morale and quality. New methods of working, such as partnering and prime contracting, give sophisticated opportunities for clients, end users and the design and construction supply-side to work in a more effective and collaborative way.

With rapid changes in procurement processes and increasing pressure for improvement, cohesion and efficiency, practitioners need to be aware of industry-wide generally acknowledged best practice. The recent Latham and Egan reports in the UK have spurred further intitiatives from the demand side of the industry to speed the pace of reform. This text examines those new initiatives, clearly explaining and comparing them with each other and with similar initiatives from other countries such as the USA or Singapore, and painting a vivid picture of the future of the construction industry under the effects of such changes. Aimed at anyone involved in construction supply chain from supplier to end user.

1.Seventy Years of Customer Demand for Improvement 2. The International Demand for Improvement 3. The Three UK Best Practice Standards and their Six Goals 4. The Virtual Firm 5. Motivating and Leading Radical Improvement 6. Becoming a Best Practice Client 7. Integrating the Design and Construction Team 8. Ensuring the Delight of the End Users 9. Selecting the Independent Experts

Until December 2000 Clive Cain was the Quality Director at Defence Estates. He was also responsible for the highly successful Building Down Barriers development project that developed the unique Handbook of Supply Chain Management. Prior to his early retirement, he was a member of the Movement for Innovation Board and Round Table. He was also actively involved with the Construction Clients' Forum Group (now the Confederation of Construction Clients) where he chaired the Steering Group responsible for Whole Life Costing: A Client's Guide. Since December 2000 Clive Cain has written the brief 'How To' guide Supply Chain Integration in Building Services, published by the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers in the UK, and the concise booklet A Guide to Best Practice in Construction Procurement, published by the UK Construction Best Practice Programme.