Spec Finish

www.thefis.org 3 Voice of the industry FASTER, BETTER GREENER A quote used to exemplify a better approach was attributed to Abraham Lincoln: “Giveme six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”Wise words, but sadly, whilst the people who aren’t doing the building may be allowed time to sharpen their axes, they only seem to be using these axes to cut prices! The whole premise “giveme six hours” is predicated on allowing for time to sharpen, and assumes you have clear and unfettered access to the tree and that you have two clear and unobstructed hours to chop (without an electrician getting in the way!) The reality is that current procurement practices are rooted in an ‘appoint them late and appoint them hungry’ culture, and is followed by a rush to get boots on site, no time for sharpening axes, in fact – we are lucky if we are told which tree needs chopping down! This procurement approach is completely at odds with ‘better’ and ‘greener’, it limits time available for pre-construction, compounds programme and design issues and culminates in re-work and waste and offers limited chance to get it right first time. Beyond the failure to deliver on better and greener, the definition of madness in a labour shortage is doing stuff twice, yet 17% of drylining is rework – 25% of our labour is putting up walls to take them down. Think of the wider impact on quality that this waste of labour creates and how, when we are struggling to find people, not just anybody, but people who take pride in their work – then when we do, we repeat behaviours that lead to them doing the same jobs twice. This situation isn’t only true in large traditional contracts when working with managing agents and main contractors. As a service industry ultimately, we have commoditised the construction process, stopped properly pricing risk for fear of losing the job and allowed times to be accelerated beyond reasonable. We have started to compete on time and price rather than quality and certainty. There is almost always more time before the job, earlier planning, more efficient tendering and more effective decision-making, but seldom more time in the job. This is never truer than now, when the labour shortage is compounded by isolation rules than in the blink of a COVID test, can wipe out a small team. FIS is starting to look at the quanta in all this via new research with Reading University and Barbour ABI onModernMethods of Procurement. We need to reset expectation – if you want it better, we need a bit more time for pre-construction and planning, for design detailing and, if you want it greener then we need to look to lean ordering and better planning of strip-outs. Our aim is to use this information to have a structured and consistent conversation with those specifying and buying construction to help them to buy better and greener and ultimately faster. Back to basics In the meantime, there is no point wishing the world better and we have to deal with the here and now. It is always worth reconsidering the basics. I have read reports this year that inflation is waning, but all predicated with uncertainty – we are more aware now, that it isn’t just domestic politics that can throw the system. Price carefully and consider the timing and potential impact of any price changes. I was reminded recently of the importance of not getting bullied into an unrealistic start date – contractually (under all standard forms of contract) you are entitled to clear and unfettered access to the site. Make sure if you are under pressure to start on an unready site (“just send a couple of lads down!”) that you put it in writing at this stage reasons why this may constitute a delay and that you are starting at the request of the client and against advice and may, as a consequence, be required to claim an extension of time, loss and expense. IAIN MCILWEE Chief executive Finishes and Interiors Sector ‘Faster, better, greener’ is the rally call for better construction and was used at the outset of a Better Contractors Workshop run by the Construction Leadership Council recently. Three laudable aims, but not necessarily complimentary. If you want better and greener, it might make sense to slow down a bit!