You will no doubt receive countless letters on the subject of Wembley.
These will suggest a number of likely reasons as to why the deadline has not been met and, in particularly, look at the approach Multiplex has taken to working with its subcontractors.
While the industry concerns itself with the detail, the wider public is likely to ask more fundamental questions, such as: "How can we possibly deliver the Olympics when we can't get our national stadium right?" The response will claim that the problems experienced are project specific and should not raise concerns over the delivery of the Olympics.
Wembley has indeed suffered from some very project-specific setbacks, but at a fundamental level the problems encountered are similar to those the industry witnesses on a daily basis.
We must look at the bigger picture and ask ourselves why "on time" and "on budget" are still held up as trophies in this industry rather than accepted as the norm. Wembley is just one of a number of high-profile projects over recent years that have come in late and massively over budget.
Today, more is expected of us in less and less time, without any loss in quality. To help us achieve this, we have a multitude of technological aids to support us. Why then does the construction industry think it can keep up by doing things the same old way?
The fact is when it comes to managing the "process" of constructing a building we are still in the dark ages. Sir Michael Latham estimated that the amount of capital lost through inefficiency and poor project management to be as much as 30% of the total capital cost of construction.
In the construction industry there exists a strong correlation between poor IT adoption, inefficiency and escalating costs. Despite recognition of this, the sector remains relatively untouched by a digital age in which virtually every industry relies on technology to improve efficiency and further business growth.
The solutions to working more efficiently and with greater predictability to manage any problems that may arise are already here but the industry is just incredibly slow to embrace them.
I seriously doubt that there is anything from Wembley that we can usefully learn except the fact that it's happened before and, unless we make fundamental changes to the way we work, it will happen again.
Garreth Evans, managing director, Graphisoft UK
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