Rethinking Construction - radical shift towards integrated and efficient working practices
- Gaynor
- Apr 8, 2023
- 1 min read
The Rethinking Construction report (1998), led by Sir John Egan, highlighted the inefficiencies in the UK construction industry and proposed a radical shift towards more integrated and efficient working practices.
Drawing inspiration from best practices in manufacturing, the report identified five key drivers of change: committed leadership, a focus on the customer, integrated processes and teams, a quality-driven agenda, and investment in people. Egan criticized the industry's reliance on lowest-cost bidding and adversarial relationships, instead advocating for long-term partnerships, supply chain integration, and performance measurement to drive continuous improvement.
The report called for major productivity and efficiency improvements, setting ambitious targets such as a 10% annual reduction in costs and time, and a 20% yearly decrease in defects. It recommended adopting lean construction principles, greater use of prefabrication and standardisation, and improved training to build a highly skilled workforce. Rethinking Construction laid the foundation for subsequent industry initiatives focused on collaboration, innovation, and sustainability, influencing policies and frameworks such as the Construction Playbook and ongoing efforts to modernize the sector.
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