Demand for construction materials and resources increasingly outstrip global supply. This trend points to firms such as Davis Langdon / Davis Langdon & Seah needing to be more creative in their procurement advice to clients and being able to reach further into global markets to deliver viable options or solutions into our local markets.
To address this, under a mandate from our International Board, an 'International Procurement Group' was set up in 2007. The group is led by John Hicks in the UK and represented by Peter Morris in the US. It involves key representatives from each of our DLSI markets: Africa, Asia, Australia & New Zealand, Europe & Middle East and USA. This group has the long-term plan of developing a truly worldly knowledge of 'global procurement' - what is viable, what could be and what isn't - and how existing thinking, processes and risk strategies may need to alter to stay on the right side of the competitive wave.
The group's initial approach has been to gather reliable anecdotal evidence from our respective markets, which can offer pointers as to how we may better resolve the challenges and shortages of procurement - particularly for large and complex projects - for the future.
The articles in Series 2 cover the following:
- The Affordability of Infrastructure to Emerging Economies
Alastair Collins of DLSI examines the issues impacting on the affordability of the development of infrastructure such as transport and power networks in emerging economies.
- Lifts Off
Barry Nugent of DLSI EME explains the background to one of the research streams being conducted that focuses on the procurement and supply chain implications of globalizing lift procurement across a development pipeline.
- China: Having its Cake and Eating It?
PH Lai of DLSI China explains why China as a source of low cost material will soon no longer be the case and discusses some of the complexity behind procuring from the global marketplace.
- Russia: The bullish bear
Kevin Sims of DLSI EME examines some of the drivers behind Russia’s demand for construction materials, across which sectors and some of the issues affecting development in that territory.
We encourage you to distribute these articles amongst your colleagues and clients whom think internationally, albeit their projects might be home-grown.
The articles are being supplemented by in-depth research designed to let us know what there is to know in the world about building elements such as facades, structures, services and finishes, in order that we may deliver better client-focused solutions. More news of that once the necessary research work currently in hand, has been concluded.
