Empowering innovative improvements through creative construction procurement

The heightened state of flux in the construction industry in general and construction procurement strategies in particular, provides welcome opportunities to inject innovative improvements. While some improvements are generated from within the construction industry itself, these evolve sluggishly along prolonged learning curves. These are compared with lessons to be learnt and examples to be drawn from manufacturing in the development of a marketable product. A product development focus is thus advocated in re-integrating segregated groups and in empowering and inspiring the innovations that are needed to achieve the dramatic productivity gains now demanded from the construction industry. © 2001, MCB UP Limite