Construction projects have been managed by contractors’ executive teams since at least the mid-90s – the era of Egan, the CDM Regulations and PFI. But back then there were probably only a handful of logistics professionals in the construction industry, and the term “logistics” has only taken hold more recently, writes Andy Brown.
Logistics management in construction began as a subcontracted business run by labour masters supplying operatives to move material and clean up. The workers were managed by supervisors.
But nowadays, the professional “construction logistics manager” has a key role in the construction process and carries responsibilities that can make a project a success or failure.
Large ongoing construction programmes, including Crossrail, have demanded each project within the programme have a named logistics manager. In the coming months, those defined as site logistics manager will no doubt be relied on by their businesses to ensure compliance to new campaigns such as Safe Streets for London, as the focus on safety for cyclists and other vulnerable road users increases.
Andy Brown
The Olympics and Crossrail programmes have highlighted the importance of the role to most of the UK’s construction corporations and their clients by now. They have realised the value that logistics professionals can bring to their business. Indeed, smarter organisations are involving them at tendering and design phases.
Operationally, the construction logistics manager role has often been a standalone role within the project, but was often poorly defined. This has led to logistics managers either being under-utilised or stretched off their feet. In some cases construction managers switched into the role, particularly when companies were struggling to keep managers in employment. However, it’s possible that construction managers will not immediately understand the scope of the new role, nor their new responsibilities in the assembly process.
As the role becomes more influential in project teams, it is time for the industry to have clarity on where the logistics manager’s sphere of influence should sit. By clarifying the role, the manager will have a defined project responsibility and can improve their project’s programme efficiency, quality and safety, and also reduce costs across their business.
A group of construction logistics professionals from companies such as Mace, Laing O’Rourke and Skanska have come together to create an agreed standard for the role of a construction logistics manager. Meeting at the Chartered Institute of Logistics, the group has worked to standardise expectations.
The full list of standardised roles and responsibilities is available here
These roles and responsibilities were approved by logistics professionals who have worked within major programmes such as Crossrail and the Olympics logistics teams. Key material distributors such as Wincanton, Travis Perkins and Lafarge Tarmac, plus logistics consultants with a wealth of knowledge, have supported the roles and responsibilities as defined.
The publication of these R&Rs is made to help both the construction and the logistics industries understand the requirements of this pivotal role. The construction industry is heading to a greater level of offsite manufacturing. Inevitably this will lead to further reliance placed on the construction logistics manager in the future as they move in to the work process traditionally inhabited by the construction manager.
The authoring group predicts a growth in professional opportunity to fulfil this role over the next few years. It is therefore more important than ever that this role is defined.
Andy Brown MCIOB is director of Mace Group’s Construction Logistics Business unit and is currently seconded to Transport for London. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.
