Final call for construction supply chain to become Innovation Champions
A programme to help tackle the productivity challenge in the construction industry is calling on smaller firms to lead the way for change.
By Ruth Melling | Published on 11 November 2022
Innovation Driven Procurement (IDP), a fully funded programme for SME and Micro-business Owners in the supply chain, has launched an initiative to create 40 Innovation Champions to solve problems within their business relating to productivity and inspire others to do the same.
Applications to receive this valuable support are open to all UK contractor’s supply chain.
Limited places are now available online, where business owners can receive one-to-one coaching and mentoring to do an innovation project and receive the kudos of being an Innovation Champion.
With the construction industry lagging behind other areas of the economy, the initiative was created with a focus on improving productivity, profits, relationships and projects.
The IDP is the brainchild of Nottingham Trent University and Morgan Sindall Construction, supported by Construction Coach with funding from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
Maria Coulter, founder of Construction Coach, said: “It’s vitally important that initiatives such as our Innovation Champion programme are taken up by businesses in order to drive the change that will help our industry achieve long term sustainability. By tailoring this opportunity specifically for firms in the supply chain, we are equipping people with the tools and skills needed to make a difference from the bottom up whilst inspiring others.
“Our cohort of 40 Innovation Champions will gain access to free skills and resources which will not only benefit their businesses but help to inspire others within construction. It’s a challenging time for the industry so we strongly encourage as many people as possible to invest time with the programme.”
Dr Emmanuel Manu is an associate professor in Quantity Surveying and Project Management at the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment at Nottingham Trent University, said: “This is another exciting step for the IDP after we launched online training for the supply chain and The IDP Community earlier this year. We are looking forward to working with our delivery partners on this next step, which we hope will go some way to addressing some of the challenges within the construction industry.
“We are placing power in the hands of the smaller firms to promote innovation within the industry. This will strengthen the working relationships between all parties, enabling the development of better on-site processes and business solutions for improved productivity and profitability, helping to encourage innovation to solve on-site and business challenges.”
So far, the programme has been implemented by multiple businesses with proven success. In one example, subcontractors were able to achieve shorter delivery times and minimise risks on site after engaging with training and implementing innovation and early engagement.
Short CPD modules have been developed with construction supply chain businesses with the aim to streamline construction practices, flushing out potential problems before they arise and generally taking a more collaborative, communicative approach to encourage innovation from the outset. Modules include Collaborative Behaviours, Collaborative Design and the Supply Chain, Collaborative Risk Management using Flow Walks, Innovation and Value in the Supply Chain.
The IDP is also launching an app this month for site workers to be able to access the CPD modules whilst 'on the go', a method relatively unheard of in the industry. The aim is to improve accessibility and remove barriers such as lack of computers on-site and time constraints. It will be available to download on the Apple and Android store.
To find out more about the IDP, visit: www.theidp.co.uk
To become an Innovation Champion, please visit: www.constructioncoach.co.uk/theidp
For more information about this news release please contact Alice Lee at Influential on 07450 562 743 or email lee@thisisinfluential.com
Notes for Editors
Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) received the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2021 for cultural heritage science research. It is the second time that NTU has been bestowed the honour of receiving a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its research, the first being in 2015 for leading-edge research on the safety and security of global citizens.
The Research Excellence Framework (2021) classed 83% of NTU’s research activity as either world-leading or internationally excellent. 86% of NTU’s research impact was assessed to be either world-leading or internationally excellent.
NTU was awarded The Times and The Sunday Times Modern University of the Year 2023 and ranked second best university in the UK in the Uni Compare Top 100 rankings (2021/2022). It was awarded Outstanding Support for Students 2020 (Times Higher Education Awards), University of the Year 2019 (Guardian University Awards, UK Social Mobility Awards), Modern University of the Year 2018 (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide) and University of the Year 2017 (Times Higher Education Awards).
NTU is the 5th largest UK institution by student numbers, with nearly 39,000 students and more than 4,400 staff located across five campuses. It has an international student population of 7,000 and an NTU community representing over 160 countries.
Since 2000, NTU has invested £570 million in tools, technology, buildings and facilities.
NTU is in the UK’s top 10 for number of applications and ranked first for accepted offers (2021 UCAS UG acceptance data). It is also among the UK’s top five recruiters of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and was the first UK university to sign the Social Mobility Pledge.
NTU is ranked 4th most sustainable university in the world and 1st in the UK for sustainability-themed Education and Research in the 2021 UI Green Metric University World Rankings (out of more than 900 participating universities).
Morgan Sindall Construction
Morgan Sindall Construction is a UK business with a network of local offices. Project capabilities cover the entire range of construction activities, from special works and repair and maintenance, to major landmark schemes delivered as standalone projects or as part of larger multiple project frameworks. The company operates across the public and private sectors to deliver the social infrastructure around us – from schools, universities and hospitals to retail, office and leisure environments. Morgan Sindall Construction is part of Morgan Sindall Group plc, a leading UK construction and regeneration group with revenue of c£3.2 billion and which operates through six divisions of Construction & Infrastructure, Fit Out, Property Services, Partnership Housing, Urban Regeneration and Investments.
About CITB:
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is a sector skills council and industry training board for the construction industry, delivering a safe, professional and fully qualified workforce by encouraging employers of all sizes to access the skills training necessary to grow their businesses.
CITB
CITB is an arm’s-length body of the UK Government’s Department for Education and is paid for by a levy on the construction industry itself.