KPIs for m&e contractors - results for 2009

BSRIA has released the results of its 2009 KPI data. The figures highlight the cultural changes that have been taking place since the data started being collected back in 2001.

There is clear evidence of closer working relationships. In the first KPI collection in 2001, 36% of clients had no previous working knowledge of the m&e contractor they were appraising on their most recently completed project: very few worked on a preferred contractor basis.

Over the nine years of KPI collection this has shifted with a quite different picture in 2009. We now have a decline to 27% of clients with no prior knowledge and an increase to 40% often working with their preferred contractor.

The question to ask is: “does this make a difference to the project outcome in terms of client satisfaction”. The answer is: "Yes". In KPI terms, a score of 8 out of 10 denotes a good project outcome so a score of 8, 9 or 10 reflects high satisfaction. In 2009, the percentage of projects scoring 8 or more for overall satisfaction with service was 69%.

However, when this is analysed in terms of working relationships , BSRIA noted a significant difference where clients had no prior experience (37%) compared with projects where relationships were developed where satisfaction rose to 89%.

While nearly all headline and secondary KPIs have improved over the nine years, the greatest improvement has been seen in overall design undertaken by m&e contractors. This has increased from a very low 38% in 2001 to 64% in the latest KPI collection.

However, BSRIA has identified another interesting trend - that m&e contractor's involvement in design has increased over time too (ie there is far less procurement on an installation only basis).

Despite all the positive feedback, there is still much to improve and the most notable areas concern the quality and timely delivery of O&M manuals and m&e contractor satisfaction with payment terms. The issue of retentions remains a major issue and is the worst of all KPIs with only 8% of m&e contractors satisfied (ie scoring 8 or more) and 23% scoring just one out of ten.