Here’s what has changed in construction in 40 years
Caution – memories are particularly unreliable and my reality is not your reality
| 1976 | 2016 |
|---|---|
| Lots of the workforce directly employed. Plant was owned, materials were made in Britain | Mainly subcontracted. Plant is hired in. Materials from around the world. Workforce from around the world |
| Most stuff was dug, poured and built on site | Most stuff is dug, poured and built on site |
| Everything was won on price | Some big “frameworks” for infrastructure projects and asset management programmes. Lots still won on price. |
| There was no IT. There were calculators but my boss forced me to use a slide rule and 10 figure log tables ‘cos it was good for me’ | IT is everywhere. Is communication better? BIM is “the game changer” ….. ? |
| Rain stopped the job | Rain doesn’t stop the job |
| The Resident Engineer/ The Architect were god The Clerk of Works was god’s assistant | Designers paid by The Contractor Rarely hear mention of COW |
| Bosses were on the golf course or upstairs in their nice office | Now working two levels down from their pay grade, dragged in and down by 250 emails a day |
| I had huge training (none of it to do with people or teams) | People seem to get inductions, statutory and compliance training |
| The Contract was misunderstood and regularly referenced | The Contract is misunderstood and said to be ‘left in the drawer’ |
| “We are only here to make a profit” | Thinking about customer, CSR, ethics, environment and work life balance |
| Time and motion studies, viewed with suspicion | Best practice and innovation and LEAN, though little capacity to implement |
| Huge ingenuity for overcoming problems and getting things built | Huge ingenuity for overcoming problems and getting things built |
| Low productivity | Low productivity |
| The Personnel Manager | Human Resource M̶a̶n̶a̶g̶e̶r̶ Department |
| “Baby boomers” were the future leaders | Generation X, Y and Millennials are the future leaders |