Ten years on there has been change but common adoption of best practice is still some way off; and over the years new challenges have arisen - but so have new solutions.

That predictability in cost and time has remained low and barely changed over many years demonstrates the opportunity, suggests only fragmentary progress and maybe indicates the changing issues.

Challenges Today

Industry requirements continue to develop, accelerate and broaden; adding further new challenges.

• Winning and delivering projects in an increasingly competitive market
• Clients and project partners who are more and more demanding
• Balancing resources on current project work while also finding the new
• Increasing legislation and rules including sustainability requirements in energy, waste etc.

In addition to the challenges and issues raised previously which if managed better could actually be opportunities;

• Errors and delays are a significant cost in every project
• >30% of construction work is actually rework
• >10% of materials become waste

Addressing The Challenges

Most, if not all, of these issues can be tackled or at least managed better by following the recommendations in the Rethinking Construction report and earlier Latham “Constructing the Team” report.
Today, technology for design and construction has progressed considerably to offer better tools to address these challenges. However, technology alone can be ineffective. Organisations need to determine which technologies are appropriate, what processes are needed to support them and how to introduce them to the organisation, to the project and to the people who will use them.

The technique known as Building Information Modelling (BIM)is used by designers (architects and engineers) to build a digital model of their design within a computer. This model can then be modified, analysed and documented faster, more effectively and with reduced risk of error.

BIM can increase quality and productivity while reducing costs and risks.
Whilst the terminology might not suggest this, the technique is also applicable to civil engineering projects.

Ensuring that all those working on a project have the right data (design, schedule, timescales etc.) to ensure effective collaboration and coordination is a significant challenge.

Document Management and Collaboration tools plus technologies such as BIM can facilitate greater cooperation and coordination as well as simplify the whole process ensuring appropriate distribution and control.

Traditional processes from design concept to working drawings and completion are inefficient as they create and discard much information at the transition from stage to stage.

But today’s processes and technologies support the development and enhancement, maybe including different design options, of that information in a more consistent, productive and effective manner.

With the increasing focus on sustainability as well as a greater appreciation of the costs of managing and refurbishing buildings, there is an increasing focus on Building Lifecycle Management (BLM).

Building Information Modelling can aid by providing an easier transition of assets and plans into Facilities Management systems but this is not essential. Key is having the right processes for data migration from early in the project.

More information-rich design tools and techniques such as BIM make the analysis and scheduling of design easier.

A structural engineer and MEP engineer can more easily coordinate a design with the architect and with each other as well as more effectively take that design to analysis; and the same applies to quantity take-off.

All these processes, techniques and tools provide new ways to deliver a better service to a client and win more projects.

Whether you need to improve presentation of design concepts; give greater confidence in design and sustainability issues; demonstrate greater predictability in construction and management costs and timescales or provide extra client services such as output to FM systems, using best practice design solutions can enhance your bid.