Responding to the challenge of change

Kevin Hancock, corporate development director, Burdens gives his views on the need for change within the industry.

How is the construction industry performing in a rapidly changing world? Not very well according to a report compiled by Constructing Excellence ‘Never Waste a Good Crisis’ which shows the UK construction industry is moving in the right direction but has failed to meet the targets outlined by Sir John Egan in his ‘Rethinking Construction’ published in 1998. The review highlights a number of issues that continue to hamper progress; business models based on short-term cycles, a fragmental industry, poor integration in the supply chain and a lack of strategic commitment at senior management and government levels. On welcoming the review Sir John Egan only gives the industry a 4 out of 10 rating an assessment made some 15 years after the publication of Sir Michael Latham’s ‘Constructing the Team’.  A clear case of could do much better.

The review identifies the delivery of a built environment that supports the creation of a low carbon economy as one of the principal challenges facing the industry. Perhaps this prompted business secretary Lord Mandelson to set up an ‘Innovation and Growth Team for Construction’ to assess whether the industry is fit for purpose in a low-carbon economy. One positive is that the US researchers Legatum Institute place Britain second only to the US for entrepreneurship and innovation in a survey ranking the world’s wealthiest and happiest nations.

How as businesses and individuals do we tackle the challenge of improving efficiency so that the industry, which is worth £100 billion a year, can deliver a built environment fit for the future?  At Burdens there is an ongoing review of all our activities, a practice that was introduced many years ago and has led to a number of changes; one of the most significant being the launch of Burdens Environmental. The purpose, to expand our business in a sustainable way. We recognised that innovation was thriving in relatively small firms across the UK and felt we were perfectly placed to provide them with a route to market via our network of 50 depots. Progress has been made, this year alone has seen Burdens Environmental, in collaboration with Greenspec, establish a dedicated sourcing and pricing service for specifiers of ‘green’ building products. At the time of its launch in February it was generally acknowledged that this facility was unique in the industry. In May Ecomerchant was a welcome addition to our portfolio of green businesses positioning Burdens as the leading UK supplier of green materials across the construction sector. Also in May, one of a series of ‘Delivering Sustainable Construction’ events was held at Glyndwr University in Wrexham which brought this comment from Imogen Sheriff of the Welsh Assembly Government ‘the day gives professionals an opportunity to identify, source and learn about new products which help deliver sustainable building construction solutions and which help meet the climate change agenda.’ These practical examples illustrate how the company’s strategy is continuing to  pursue a policy of ‘A better way to do business’.

As the business continues to evolve to meet challenging times it is imperative clear messages are communicated to stakeholders thereby minimising the chances of any confusion over the company’s position and aspirations. Changes are invariably viewed with a degree of apprehension, some of us may prefer to operate in what could be termed a comfort zone, doing things in a way that has become familiar. Far better to retain the best of the past and embrace the skills and vision to be competitive in the future. In our case Burdens Environmental complements the company’s traditional role as the largest independent civil materials distributor in the UK. For example logistics partner with Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water can be supplied from our five nearest Welsh depots, benefit from the catalogue ordering system which gives up-to-minute stock availability and a 24 hour emergency call out 365 days a year. In addition our activities reflect positively on the environment through smaller carbon footprints and with improved efficiency reducing waste.

The development of Burdens Environmental has influenced me and my colleagues. We recognise the importance of building a green reputation and that this is the future for the company in which we all have a vested interest as shareholders together with the Burdens Charitable Foundation and the founding families.

On a personal note I am planning major renovations at home and I am challenging myself to convert the property so that it becomes as close to the ‘Passivhaus’ standard as possible, something I probably wouldn’t have understood a mere five years ago. We are changing, hopefully for the better.

Kevin Hancock
Corporate Development Director.