DIGITAL PLATFORM provider MiProject Solutions believes it has the key to the pressing data challenge facing the UK construction industry. Time and again, reporting mechanisms are shown to be a significant contributing factor to the success of contractors – from identifying risks, to being appointed to frameworks and demonstrating clear KPI
BUILDING work has completed this month (February 2021) on the £46.5m School of Engineering at the University of Birmingham, thanks to national contractor, Willmott Dixon. The state-of-the-art 12,000 sqm facility spans five floors and features a double-height atrium. The development aims to not only bring together many of the institution’s engineering disciplines, but also
The 2019 East Midlands RICS Awards have recognised the £30 million Lincoln Transport Hub, winning the top prize in the Infrastructure category. The Wilmott Dixon-built development garned praise from the judges for being delivered “on time and within budget”. In addition, this major win has also secured the project’s place at
The Sunday Times has listed Wilmott Dixon as one of the top companies to work for, leading the way in employee satisfaction in its industry. Situated on the fourth position in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to work for list, the company is the highest of any construction firm.
Wilmott Dixon and Scape Group have been working together in order to complete the new Sacred Heart Primary School. The development took place in Sandwell and the school officially opened on the 24th April. Before the official opening, the primary school children had their first meal and had a tour
Councillors are set to be asked to approve the tender from Wilmott Dixon Construction Ltd to build the new schools and community project in Coldside. If approved, work on the project will get under way in February with an expected completion date of June 2018. The facilities will then become
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
DIGITAL PLATFORM provider MiProject Solutions believes it has the key to the pressing data challenge facing the UK construction industry. Time and again, reporting mechanisms are shown to be a significant contributing factor to the success of contractors – from identifying risks, to being appointed to frameworks and demonstrating clear KPI performance. MiProject Solutions has created savings for major contractor Willmott Dixon of more than £1.1m per year and shares how this has been achieved while making data a key part of its digital transformation In the words of David Mosey, author of Constructing the Gold Standard, contractors must share information that they would usually “keep to themselves” in order to create meaningful change in the sector. Combined with recommendations from the Construction Playbook, the industry needs to see an urgent cultural shift to embrace transparent data capture, digital transformation, and greater collaboration between delivery partners. MiProject Solutions has adapted its suite of digital platforms to meet the evolving requirements of a wide range of major contractors and framework providers. However, its MiPerformance product has stood the test of time for Willmott Dixon, which was its first partnership seven years ago. The flexibility of its approach is paramount to its success. Martin Ward, director of digital solutions at MiProject Solutions, said: “There is a real impatience brewing among contractors and framework providers regarding inadequate data, and requirements to not only promise but to provide evidence of strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials, robust health and safety practices and strong corporate governance. “There is no sign of this slowing down, and our data-hungry industry will only continue to multiply to meet the UK’s sustainability targets. “Digital transformation is required to turn a new leaf in the sector, which has long held a reputation for being notoriously slow to digitally innovate. We see our job as streamlining data processes to make them as pain-free and efficient as possible, to allow contractors to do what they do best. Our solutions navigate KPIs to revolutionise the way we see data in the sector.” Willmott Dixon’s initial investment in the MiPerformance platform followed its appointment to a SCAPE framework, as it identified the need to accurately calculate local spend and social value. Ahead of the curve for its time, this triggered several other contractors on the framework to see its benefits, choosing to adopt the platform too. SCAPE was then able to view transparent data and KPI performance across its delivery partners in one window and assess progress across a breadth of projects – something they had not seen before. Scott Corey, strategic accounts and services director at Willmott Dixon, said: “When done well, data input, analysis and forecasting can deliver hugely positive outcomes. It can spot time and cost efficiencies in advance, as well as strengthen processes and policies to benefit a wide range of stakeholders. “On the other side of the coin, poor data processes can place extreme pressures on staff, pose security risks and create backlogs that are detrimental to contract performance and business improvement. “Efficient digital data processes are an absolute necessity for a modern contractor. In our case, MiPerformance has cut time spent on admin by 50 per cent, as it calculates social value in real time and streamlines manual processes. “The platform also reduces the opportunity for human error by generating alarms and alerts to help gear us towards our deadlines, and even suggests improvement actions.” Willmott Dixon praised the benefits of good digital data management and its wide-ranging effects – slashing time spent on preparing bids or award submissions, demonstrating value to potential clients and supporting eligibility for accreditations. Scott said: “We need the digital assistance of this platform to identify risks, keep teams on track and accountable, and encourage constructive conversations at all levels. This is what drives performance and allows us to reach internal and external KPIs at Willmott Dixon. “We can’t afford to bypass the digital tools at our disposal – it is an essential step in the industry’s journey to meet the high bar set for us by governing bodies. “I understand that many contractors might be initially reticent to share data with their partners, either out of fear of exposing vulnerabilities or ‘giving too much away’. However, what I have found is that the tool brings a greater sense of collaboration as we work together to reach shared goals. “The system is embedded into our culture, with all new employees inducted straight onto it. We are now seeing the system track more than 20 data collection points per project across all our sites and operations.” Willmott Dixon is also using the platform to track its internal KPIs. It has been configured to pull a wide range of data from several of its key internal information systems, including the customer relationship management (CRM), CSCS system and other MiProject Solutions’ products to serve as the central hub of all knowledge. Framework providers are increasingly aware that a unified approach to digital data processing creates greater transparency and certainty of delivery, helping to build trust and cultivate strong working relationships. In Willmott Dixon’s case, data is not a taboo subject, and a transparent approach to data processing is a strong force for change. MiPerformance is the leading digital solution provided by MiProject Solutions. To learn more about MiPerformance, visit: https://miprojectsolutions.com/solutions/mi-performance/ Building Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction & Property News
BUILDING work has completed this month (February 2021) on the £46.5m School of Engineering at the University of Birmingham, thanks to national contractor, Willmott Dixon. The state-of-the-art 12,000 sqm facility spans five floors and features a double-height atrium. The development aims to not only bring together many of the institution’s engineering disciplines, but also provide opportunities for successful collaboration between academia and the industry. Procured through the Constructing West Midlands framework, the School of Engineering puts industry at the heart of the University’s campus, alongside the £16.4M UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) Centre of Excellence in Digital Systems. The facility’s design was curated specifically with agile and collaborative working between academics, researchers, students, and staff, in mind. The development offers open plan spaces and cellular facilities including a dedicated Student Support Hub, a new 179-capacity Design Centre, a 50-seat electronics and electrical focused projects space, 20 flexi-bays specifically allocated for staff and student interactions, three 50-seat seminar rooms and also features 160 drop-in study spaces throughout the building. The basement also houses a full-size set of railway points, the University’s pantograph test rig and a test track for the scaled hydrogen-powered train – further expanding the university’s commitment to the integration of academia and industry. Nick Gibb, deputy managing director for the Midlands at Willmott Dixon, said: “We are delighted to have completed such a significant development, both regionally and within the sector – the facility is set to pioneer advancements within engineering and digital systems research. “Despite completing the final stages of the project during the Covid-19 pandemic, our teams optimised industry-leading safety and social distancing measures, which meant we were able to remain on-site throughout the pandemic and ultimately deliver the project to the agreed timescales. This development is the fifth major partnership we have entered into with the University of Birmingham, having recently completed the Teaching and Learning Building, along with the Green Heart campus development. “One of our main aspirations for this development was to provide a highly energy-efficient building. Throughout the project we implemented a sustainability strategy to ensure the facility would be built and operated in an energy efficient way right from the outset, including the optimisation of Passivhaus design measures. These efforts, combined with the adoption of our industry-leading Energy Synergy™ process has enabled us to predict that 45% of the building’s energy consumption will come from unregulated sources, such IT equipment, lab equipment and external lighting. These sources are highly linked to occupant usage and can fluctuate throughout the building’s lifecycle. Designed by Associated Architects, the School of Engineering demonstrates the university’s commitment to providing first-class engineering education. The development aims to improve student experience, allowing engineering undergraduate and postgraduate students to get involved in cutting-edge research and ensuring students graduate with a strong connection to the industry. Head of the University of Birmingham’s School of Engineering, Professor Clive Roberts, said: “We are delighted to receive the keys to the newly built School of Engineering. We are committed to providing the best facilities for our staff, students and researchers, as well as enabling collaboration with our industry partners and encouraging different and more flexible ways of working. “We are passionate about educating the next generation of engineers. Alongside accessing features such as the Design Centre and our expanded computer labs, our new building provides students with the opportunity to work with engineers across the disciplines. Their learning will mirror the workplace, encouraging and developing their understanding of industry and their role within it. “The new building also sits alongside our new centre of excellence in railway innovation, the UK Railway Research Innovation Network (UKRRIN) Digital Systems Innovation Centre, placing industry at the heart of our campus. In the coming months, we are looking forward to opening its doors to welcome staff, students and industry partners.” Warren Jukes, director from Associated Architects, said, “This scheme has afforded us the opportunity to design a beacon of engineering excellence, to attract the world’s best academics and students to the University of Birmingham. The project was a major engineering feat in its own right, and we take immense pride in overcoming the challenges it brought. We feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work closely with the School of Engineering, University and Willmott Dixon to realise such an inspiring facility that will enable growth and achieve research excellence.” As part of Willmott Dixon’s commitment to leaving a legacy in the local community, throughout the development the contractor ran its Enrichment Programme in partnership with the University of Birmingham School for local pupils. The programme was created to broaden the students’ understanding of career opportunities whilst giving them a chance to develop their character virtues. The contractor also facilitated 157 student visits to the site, hosted 71 work experience weeks with local people and enabled 202 weeks of ‘on-site’ apprenticeship training.
The 2019 East Midlands RICS Awards have recognised the £30 million Lincoln Transport Hub, winning the top prize in the Infrastructure category. The Wilmott Dixon-built development garned praise from the judges for being delivered “on time and within budget”. In addition, this major win has also secured the project’s place at the RICS national finals in London later this year. “The Lincoln Transport Hub involved complex stakeholder engagement as well as presenting numerous operational challenges from the outset. By working in collaboration with the council and other organisations involved, we were able to collectively deliver a real success story for Lincoln,” said Nick Heath, director of delivery for Willmott Dixon. “We are delighted to have been recognised by our peers for this project, which we are certain will continue to be the bedrock of growth in Lincoln city centre. We have previously worked with Lincoln University Technical College (UTC) to refurbish and extend its iconic building and we are continuing to deliver a number of exciting schemes across Lincolnshire, such as a next generation emergency services hub for Lincolnshire County Council.” Thornton Firkin and John Roberts Architects worked alongside Willmott Dixon to deliver the hub to meet the needs of City of Lincoln Council. It is a vital element of the council’s plans to transform Lincoln’s city centre with a better integrated and improved interchange into the city centre which will also encourage further inward investment in Lincoln. The scheme included a new bus station with 14 bus bays and a six-level multi-storey car park housing 1001 spaces. “The transport hub scheme helps the city council achieve our vision of delivering Lincoln’s ambitious future and our priority of driving economic growth in Greater Lincoln. The new bus station and wider transport hub project will help revitalise the key visitor arrival point into the city centre. Our commitment to the Transport Hub project demonstrates to people locally, regionally and nationally that Lincoln is a thriving city and we are confident enough in this belief to invest significantly in its future,” added Kate Ellis, director of major projects at City of Lincoln Council.
The Sunday Times has listed Wilmott Dixon as one of the top companies to work for, leading the way in employee satisfaction in its industry. Situated on the fourth position in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to work for list, the company is the highest of any construction firm. Employee feedback showed an 87% positive score, meaning that “employees have no wish to leave this family-run outfit”. Further results showed Willmott Dixon people value the chance to learn and grow with the company, which has a training programme with over 50 modules for personal growth, plus a personal learning fund of £750 for its people to learn a new skill. Best Companies, which runs national awards to highlight the UK’s best places to work, said Willmott Dixon gained the highest score of all 100 companies in three areas. It said: “Chief executive Rick Willmott is the fifth generation of his family to lead the firm. Of its 1,693 employees at 100 UK sites, 330 have worked for the business for 10 years or more. Loyalty is rewarded with a learning fund of £750 per head so workers can try something new, such as learning a language or taking singing lessons. These initiatives contribute to the firm winning our special award for Discovering Potential. People value the opportunities to learn and grow (75%, first), which may help to explain its industry-leading 6% staff turnover rate. “Giving Something Back is another of this enterprise’s strengths (85%, first on this factor), reflecting the firm’s ‘purpose before profit’ philosophy since it began trading in 1852. The Willmott Dixon Foundation, set up in 2011, has distributed £286,058 to good causes in the past year and the business aims to leave a positive legacy in the communities it touches. One recent project, completed in December, was the refurbishment of the east wing theatre at Alexandra Palace, north London, a grade II listed venue unused for 80 years.”
Wilmott Dixon and Scape Group have been working together in order to complete the new Sacred Heart Primary School. The development took place in Sandwell and the school officially opened on the 24th April. Before the official opening, the primary school children had their first meal and had a tour around their new school. Sacred Heart Primary school has been designed and built by Sunesis, which is the name of the joint venture between Wilmott Dixon and Scape Group. The work was carried out to replace an existing facility and will also help the school meet the growing demand for school places. In Sandwell there has been a 26% increase in the birth rate, which can lead to pressure on the number of school places. There has also been a higher than normal movement in to Sandwell which can increase this pressure on schools. Therefore, the work to improve the Sacred Heart School will have appositive effect on the area. The new school will be able to offer 420 primary school places and 52 nursery places; it is thought that the school will be full by 2022. The new school building has been designed in order to meet the needs of their pupils. Sacred Heart School is now better equipped to be able to accommodate children with special educational needs and mobility requirements. The school is also able to meet the dietary requirements because of the school’s band new kitchen. The new school is larger than the previous structure and because of this there will be an opportunity to support the community by offering family learning, including additional English lessons for both parents and pupils. The new school has had a good response from the pupils and teachers, who started at the new site after the Easter Holidays. The project was delivered by Sunesis on time and on budget. Sunesis develops and pre designs new schools on a national scale and is known for their fixed costs and efficiency when meeting delivery dates.
Councillors are set to be asked to approve the tender from Wilmott Dixon Construction Ltd to build the new schools and community project in Coldside. If approved, work on the project will get under way in February with an expected completion date of June 2018. The facilities will then become operational for the Autumn term in August of that year. Bill Campbell, depute convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee, said: “With work completed or well underway on similar projects in other neighbourhoods across the city it is good to see progress being made on the Coldside scheme. “This will bring two new single stream primary schools designed over two storeys, a separate nursery area and a dedicated facility for community use to Coldside that will provide services for people who will live in the adjacent new houses being built in this part of the city.” Stewart Hunter, convener of the city council’s children and families service committee, said: “This new build will replace Our Lady’s RC and Rosebank primary schools and the Frances Wright pre-school centre with modern custom designed facilities. “As well as the schools there will be four additional flexible classrooms, nursery facilities and a dedicated area for community use of 500m² which together will create buildings in which staff will be able deliver a 21st curriculum and local people enjoy leisure and culture.” Vehicles will gain access to the main school, community facility, pupil drop-off and service yard car park from Alexander Street, while the nursery school car park and pupil drop-off facility will be in Ann Street. New social housing is currently being built on another part of the site, which was formerly home to the Alexander Street multis. Labour’s education spokesman Laurie Bidwell could not be reached for comment. The city development committee meets on Monday December 12.
