Within the British Isles, the construction industry has been notoriously slow in adopting the use of the internet across the complete supply chain.

Yes, email and zoom is fast becoming the new normal amongst design teams and clients, but beyond that, usage begins to dwindle, fast.

A silo mentality exists between sectors and suppliers in their sharing of basic information online, to facilitate customer or client choice. ‘Commercial sensitive information’ is the usual response.

With retail shoppping, 10 years of online growth has occurred in the past 9 months.

Construction industry supply chain will be expected to boost their online presence, and those which do, shall tap into the growing online marketplace as clients and customers have become less fearful of using the internet for larger, more complex transactions such as building works and construction services, benefiting from savings in cost also. Also, where existing suppliers effectively frightened customers and clients from using online suppliers, customers are beginning to push back and seek out these suppliers through well known gateways which can offer a general level of consumer protection.

Up to now, a complex maze of quiet, historic supplier arrangements has been slowly undercovered as the pandemic exposes the intra relationships which are defunct in the growing online era and also with the outworking of Brexit and future trading relationships.

A growing use of online portals shall see more competitive fees amongst construction professionals such as Architects who are now working from home via their new garden rooms or converted spaces within existing dwelling space. The blend of part home/formal office is now a permanent trend.

QUANTUM was developed 7 years ago, to level out the playing field and give exposure to small, niche suppliers and consultants via their online contactability being elevated, replacing the subtle, historic backhanded arrangements which previously existed.

Following in the traditional ethos of Quantity Surveying (QS) role, transparency, openness, fairness and value for money are the overall objectives of QUANTUM

Within the NI Executive, the procurement process is being overhauled and a ministerial announcement was made recently, outlining the reconstitution of the Procurement Board which sets policy over the annual expenditure of approximately 3 Billion Pounds, one quarter of the NI annual subvention or ‘block grant’ as known.

Over the next few months, we shall provide further information on these matters.

If you read this whole blog, and involved in the construction industry at any level, consider registering for QUANTUM

Within QUANTUM, at lower right hand corner, click on ‘Supplier Registration’

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Nothing to lose, best value savings to gain, and importantly, its your choice !