From its inception, Project 13 was a movement Octavius was right behind. We took a look at the principles and knew immediately that they encapsulated how we want to do business.The simple truth is that the old way of working – based on linear, transactional and often adversarial relationships – is a dead-end. If that approach was ever going to lead us out of stagnating productivity and unsustainable margins it would have happened long ago.
Similarly, isolated process improvements and technological advances cannot achieve the level of transformation needed. As with our Lean implementation programme, it’s either a whole system approach or you’re just spinning your wheels (an apt transport infrastructure metaphor).
The Project 13 Enterprise
Project 13 is all about the ‘enterprise.’ Like any successful enterprise this involves bringing everyone involved in project delivery into a unified community – with shared objectives and shared accountability.
The enterprise comprises the owner, an integrator, advisers and suppliers. With effective early contractor engagement, of course, suppliers can also be advisers – they always have a useful input on how best to deliver any project.
The ‘five pillars’ supporting Project 13 are: a capable owner, governance, organisation (everyone, including supply chain partners fully engaged), integration, and digital transformation.
Digital transformation is a great example of collaborative benefits. If each player has their own digital strategy the gains for the project and the customer will be marginal. When there’s a common data environment and free flow of project information throughout the enterprise, it all makes much more sense.
If the enterprise wins, everyone wins. That’s a philosophy Octavius and our supply chain family are fully committed to. We’re currently actively engaged in putting the Project 13 way of working into practice across several projects and we’ll happily keep you updated on progress and results.
For more information contact Mike Todd (mike.todd@octavius.co.uk).
