PROFITABLE PARTNERING FOR LEAN CONSTRUCTION

摘要

This text gives an interesting perspective on partnering. Other Literature has suggested that clients should 'set the tone' - this text takes a different view, and asserts that the partnering is supply-side driven. Lead parties in supply chains, usually contractors, should not be invited by clients to partner with them, unless they can demonstrate that they have already created a Virtual company' with their suppliers - that is a network of companies to satisfy the demands of end users. There is an analogy of virtual companies being like squads of footballers; lead supply companies have their squads and the team picked to meet the needs of one customer will be different to the team picked to meet the needs of another. It sets up the interesting prospect of contractors entering into what may be termed adversarial contracts with clients, but then using integrated supply chain and partnering principles to obtain competitive advantage. It is noted that other industries drive partnering principles from the head of supply chains, and not from demand-side clients. This provides an answer to the oft quoted criticism that partnering is not suitable for occasional construction clients. To place UK efforts to improve construction in context, there is a helpful comparison of UK publications with similar reports in the USA, Singapore, Australia and Canada.