CEW E-Bulletin Introduction - 26th January 2018

The news about Carillion could skew people's point of view about construction and arguments about how we go about the business of construction. It would be very easy to become all consumed by the angst around the company's demise. But that would be wrong. We should look forward, by learning from the mistakes and then moving ahead to make sure the same situation doesn't happen again. It would be right to focus on how we help the employees, sub-contractors and the supply chain and end users affected by the failure of such a big industry name. We need to take care of these people if possible – if not directly, then by advocating the best possible solutions and influencing those people with power to make the right decisions. That is in a nutshell what CEW is about. We champion best practice. We challenge, educate, advocate and cajole people and organisations across the supply chain to improve the construction process. Sadly, it was an open industry secret that Carillion as a business (not all the individuals within it though) were not adhering to the rethinking construction arguments that CEW, the wider CE group and other bodies over the years have campaigned for. They stopped listening. The result of their behaviours is now here for all us to see and learn from.

So what next?

Two broad goals. Firstly, keep advocating the merits of best practice, collaborative working and integrated teams. It works. It delivers results. The evidence is there listed in our CEW Awards documentation. Pursuing these ideals is how Wales can build a low carbon, sustainable society with broad community benefits and one that goes some way to create an environment fit for future generations. Secondly, look around you for opportunities to network, share and learn. In this weeks' newsletter there are events and projects that point to a better way of doing things. We are constantly improving. That is what we must focus on. Learn from the Carillion collapse, but do not dwell on it.