Consultants

Richard Robinson is chief executive officer for UK & Europe at engineering consultancy Atkins We often hear that technology and data will be vital in transforming construction, to improve the sector’s patchy record on major project delivery. Data can enable smarter decisions, increase project transparency and improve predictability, while technology…

Graham Harle is the chief executive officer of Gleeds Worldwide. The greatest long-term challenge to those working in construction is not the current materials shortage, the paucity of available skilled labour, or even cash flow. These are important inhibitors to growth, especially as we come out of the pandemic, but…

For years, tall buildings were a booming part of the sector and tower cranes were a reliable indicator of the health of the industry. But with home working and rural living on the rise, will this continue to be the case? Margo Cole examines whether the pandemic could stem the…

You know when you have had a good idea, because you keep coming back to it. A decade ago, the genesis of an idea took hold. As the new chief executive of the Electrical Contractors’ Association, and new to the world of trade associations, one of my initial aims was…

We are in the midst of a second industrial revolution and this time it is different. Unlike its predecessor from the 1800s, this new era of change is not shaped by swathes of the peasantry leaving their homes in the country for smoke-filled factories in burgeoning cities; instead, it is…

It’s a little over a month since Boris Johnson pledged to “build, build, build”, during a speech that set out the government’s approach to post-COVID economic recovery. The prime minister also vowed to build back “better”, “faster”, “greener” and “bolder”. As chief executive of a design, engineering and project management…

Travel restrictions during the COVID-19 crisis have forced many firms to explore new ways of working. At engineering consultant Atkins, the response to the pandemic has been to accelerate the uptake of technology for collecting, managing and remotely visualising data. Atkins principal engineer in its nuclear & power division Sam…

Richard Robinson, freshly appointed chief executive of consultancy Atkins in the UK and Europe, and formerly chief operating officer at HS2, argues technology can not only grow his firm’s business but also jump-start flatlining productivity

“I say to my staff: ‘If you wonder whether we do something, assume we do, and…

Contractor-consultant relations are often a thorny topic. Unions between the two parties frequently end in the two parting ways. It was an issue I touched on when writing my recent feature on the state of the consultant market. Take Balfour Beatty’s takeover of Parsons Brinckerhoff: a union that only lasted…

Contractors and consultants are often at odds, as each side seeks to win profitable business in a world of cutthroat bidding, project pipeline uncertainty and Brexit indecision. Miles Rowland assesses the prospects for an amicable future

You'd be forgiven for thinking the role of the consultant is under threat. As main…