Insights – Page 33

Infrastructure output flagged as a concern following Crossrail delays

The announcement of a 9 month delay to the opening of the much anticipated new Crossrail project in London, not only made headlines in July 2018. It also highlighted a major concern in the infrastructure industry: Governments inability to deliver on major flagship infrastructure projects. […]

How can Tier 1 Main Contractors shape the industry for the better?

In decades past, industry performance was gauged by how the big players were performing, and since 2008 there have been few positive results. However, a new trend is emerging, with mid-size contractors showing higher margins and better productivity, despite the continuing challenging economic times. It’s […]

A High Speed dream that’s fast becoming an ugly reality

Back in 2009, when the idea of a high speed railway linking the north and south of Britain was introduced, it sounded like a fine idea. It would cut travel time between major commercial centres and provide much needed infrastructure and investment all along the […]

How big a slice do the big cheeses get – and are they worth it?

As many of the tier one contractors continue to post poor profit margins the question can be asked: Are the top execs really earning their keep? Interserve’s CEO came under fire earlier this year for drawing a large bonus when the company continued to report […]

Be prepared to pay more

If contractors thought their margins were tight before, they’re about to get worse. As the Brexit deadline looms and the governments are no closer to a deal, companies are being warned that they should prepare for the worst. But what does this “worst” look like […]

Fit for purpose – The Construction Act

While a great deal of noise has been made about retentions and late payments in recent months, it seems not a lot has changed. Despite promises to the contrary, subcontractors are still feeling the pressure of balancing cash flows. With the biggest main contractors reporting […]

Heath check – Why it’s about more than showing a profit

As Carillion has shown, posting large profits isn’t necessarily the best measure of success. Just months after doing just that, they closed their doors, the impact of which is still being felt in the industry. So if profits or even revenues aren’t the best measure […]

What can make a difference to boosting profits in construction?

The construction industry has taken a couple of hard knocks this year and while in some sectors prospects are looking up with increased output and funding becoming available for major infrastructure projects, contractors are not nearly out of the woods. With the recent report on […]

Brexit: Planning for the unknown

While the news carries reports of continued failure of Governments on both sides to reach agreement terms for Brexit, the deadline continues to creep closer. In just over 7 months, with or without an agreement in place, Britain will no longer be part of the […]

What style of leadership will move the construction industry forward?

When considered, the construction industry is firmly entrenched in very traditional models of leadership. Ones that often take a very hierarchical and supervisory approach to managing teams. Communication is often a one way street with instructions being issued that need to be followed rather than […]