August 15, 2003—The UK construction industry could benefit by billions of pounds by following the principles of the Rethinking Construction program, says a new report published by the Department of Trade and Industry. Demonstrating Success through Rethinking Construction documents the progress of all 374 active and completed Rethinking Construction demonstration projects.
Rethinking Construction is the partnership between the construction industry, its clients, and the UK government to improve UK construction performance. Rethinking Construction partners showcase innovations in both products and performance through demonstration projects, and highlight best practice within the industry.
According to the DTI, the report shows that if just one third of the industry applied the principles of Rethinking Construction to their projects:
- client construction costs could be reduced by 1.4 billion;
- the cost of accidents could be reduced by 1.2 billion; and
- organizations could deliver an additional 446 million in profit.
DTI Minister Nigel Griffiths said, “Over the last four years, these projects have consistently outperformed the industry average. Organizations that regularly participate in demonstration activities have achieved more predictability on cost and time and greater productivity, as well as being almost three times safer, being more environmentally friendly, having fewer defects, and achieving higher customer satisfaction. There’s a clear business case for adopting the principles behind the program.”
Copies of the report are available from Rethinking Construction/Publications or from Constructing Excellence, 108-110 Judd Street, London WC1H 9PX; telephone 020 7837 5702; fax 020 7813 3060.
