The Scope for Innovative Thinking Within Public Private Partnerships

Roine Leiringer¹

Abstract

The construction sector is routinely accused of being cost driven, with many key decisions taken on the basis of lowest cost instead of quality, safety, the environment and the long-term use of its products. The sector is plagued by traditions, customs and practices that preserve narrowly defined corporate interests at the expense of collaboration and customer orientation. Construction work is traditionally based on a statement of the perceived needs of the client and is accompanied by practices in which cost cutting is prioritised ahead of searching for something different and better. It is not so much about “lean thinking”, as “mean thinking”. Meanwhile, advocates of Public Private Partnership (PPP) procurement claim that not only are projects able to be initiated earlier and result in lower costs, they also provide better value for money, shorter construction times and higher quality in the end-product. Greater scope for innovation and improved working procedures are also claimed, supporting lean thinking, theories and applications. The paper explores some of the implications that Public Private Partnerships now present for the construction industry.

Keywords

Lean Thinking, Lean Construction, Public Private Partnerships, Technology Innovation

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Reference

Leiringer, R. 2001. The Scope for Innovative Thinking Within Public Private Partnerships, 9th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction , -. doi.org/

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