REF2021 13Z_ICSA Financial and efficiency improvements from socio-technical digitalisation of costing and procurement in the built environment

    Impact: Public Policy or Services impacts

    Description of impact

    Industry funded research led by Boyd has highlighted the need for secure long-term supply chain partnership in the fragmented construction industry to help overcome the workflow challenges experienced by digitising the supply chain. National contractor Willmott Dixon and its subcontractor NG Bailey have improved costing and procurement strategies, saving them hundreds of thousands of pounds since 2018. More widely across the international construction industry, the research encouraged and normalised the switch to digital integration through socio-technical transformation of the supply chain and properly representing costs such that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are more secure and effectively managed. This work has been recognized by the construction industry, including in the Procuring for Value report from the UK Construction Leadership Council which has been adopted for value-based procurement by the Construction Innovation Hub and within UK government departments.
    Impact date20152020
    Category of impactPublic Policy or Services impacts