BRIDGE THE GAP OR FALL BEHIND, WARNS MIPROJECT SOLUTIONS

The information gap between contractors, framework providers and customers is the biggest barrier to ensuring compliance across the board, says the director of a leading built environment technology solution.

Martin Ward of MiProject Solutions, which works with major contractors and frameworks to ensure compliance on digital frameworks, believes that the key points raised by the Construction Playbook and the recent Mosey Report can only be addressed with the introduction of better digital tools.

Ward will be one of the keynote speakers at the Built Environment Networking National Framework & Procurement Conference, where he will present on how to optimise performance through digital frameworks.

Ward said: “The construction industry is currently in a critical phase of flux. The recent Mosey Report on the framework gold standard has shone a harsh light on the process side of framework management, most notably how processes can be made more efficient.

“By the same token, the ambitious aims of the Construction Playbook around embracing collaboration and digital innovation are setting a high bar for frameworks to meet.

“The obvious success of the Playbook is its ability to repurpose the meaning of value broader than capital cost. However, if the drivers of the playbook and enablers of the value toolkit are to flourish they will need a seismic shift in data and digital transformation.

“To build certainty of outcomes, we have to establish the correct objectives and establish the aligned measures and capture the right data.

“Compliance is crucial to the smooth running of frameworks, but the problem that the industry faces at the moment is that there is a real information gap between the contractor, the framework provider and the customer.

“While this is a huge issue, it isn’t insurmountable. By introducing tools which capture, report and analyse outcomes throughout a project’s lifecycle, you create a golden thread which pulls everything together, ensuring more accurate governance from the customer through to the contractor and delivering a true value toolkit.

“We look forward to the opportunity to talk through our digital solutions to overcome these common industry challenges.”

A construction industry veteran with more than 20 years’ experience in the technology sector, Ward believes that measurability and accountability are going to be the key outcomes as frameworks become increasingly digitised.

“Being able to evidence outcomes is a key tenant of the Construction Playbook. Future measures will not only need to be transparent, but they must in turn follow that golden thread back to the core object.

“This will then lead to better understood and more tangible outcomes. It is impressive to say, for example, that a project has delivered £1m in social value, but if that money has gone towards apprentices and parks in an area where the key challenge is child poverty, is it really adding value where it is needed?”

Addressing the opportunities that lay ahead for frameworks, Ward states that the key is going to be being agile and adaptable enough to meet the demands of a changing landscape.

“Frameworks are competitive, and customers have more choice than ever, and customers will demand to be brought closer to the journey, to be able to feel their objectives being delivered.

“The opportunity facing frameworks is simple – long-term relationships form the perfect platform to bring about change, work smarter, invest in the relationship and technology, and provide a smarter, slicker digital enabled journey.

“We see frameworks adopting an eco-system of support and data capture technologies. However, it isn’t those tools that are related to project management or delivery that will be of most benefit, but rather those focussed on bridging the communication and information gap between customer, framework and contractor.”

Martin Ward is leading Built Environment Networking National Framework & Procurement Conference’s ‘Best Practice Presentation’ at 1pm on Wednesday, 2 February. To register for the event, click here.