A selection of readers’ comments about news and issues in the industry from across the CIOB community and social media.
Hundreds of incorrect asbestos records found at housing association
CM 20.02.25
One Housing found more than 800 records of incorrect data on its asbestos register following an investigation by the Housing Ombudsman into a collapsed ceiling in a resident’s home.
Sadly, it’s not uncommon to hear of poor information management leading to this and similar disasters. I have worked in the field of infrastructure and built environment asset management for nearly four decades, and data has also been the Achilles heel of asset-intensive organisations.
Forty years ago, a paper-based system may have been swapped out with a good spreadsheet, and that was progress, but that was a long time ago! We’re now on BIM4, which may be too much for some, but BIM as a basic approach would have averted this issue.
I hope the ‘lessons learnt review’ includes a serious look at adopting good asset management and, as a part of that, good information management such as BIM – and, to embed that, a learning programme for all those in the organisation.
I recently worked with a Yorkshire-based housing association which has now developed and implemented a strategic asset management plan and an asset management learning programme which has started with the top layer of management across the organisation. That’s the way to go!
Andy Watts
Social value requirement for public sector contracts comes into force
CM 24.02.25
The Procurement Act 2023 came into effect on 24 February, requiring all public contracts in England and Wales to have a minimum of 10% weighting for social value.
Whilst the act will create a simple, more adaptable and accessible procurement system for the purchase of goods and services in the public sector, the question remains about whether it is suitable for the delivery of construction projects.
Recommendations for improving construction practices, including those outlined in the recent Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s final report, must be cross-referenced with the requirements of the new act to highlight and address contradictions that may occur.
Time for clients, contractors and the design team to work together on this to improve the delivery of construction projects all round.
Ola Obadara FCIOB
How #PPEthatfits has driven change in the industry
CIOB People 05/03/25
Founders of the #PPEthatfits campaign reviewed the progress achieved to date
We definitely have more work to do here in the USA to catch up, but this work being done in the UK is going to cause a ripple effect that can’t go unnoticed by employers and distributors. Excellent work!
Amy Roosa via LinkedIn
The handover paradox: BIM’s promise vs the digital data dump
BIMplus 28/01/25
Dalux consultant Craig Howell Jones reflected on the problems with client data handovers.
I agree with the analysis of the problem, but more process and technology are not going to address it. The way the industry organises to create, deliver and capture value is simply not fit for the digital age and the cracks are becoming more evident.
There are some major high-level constraints on delivering value through digital, including in our economic and political system, but even the way we make sense of and communicate these constraints is highly fragmented. I have seen massive leaps in digital technologies over my career but the underlying constraints remain.
Although I am encouraged when I see major asset owner operators employing more value-based procurement methods.
Rich Synott
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