Collaboration Training | Supply Chain School

Collaboration

The concept of collaboration is not new, however, transitioning to this approach in a commercial business context, in which companies collaborate, can be challenging.

Our sector has a reputation for adversarial contracting, delays and overrunning costs with a focus on risk transfer and claims and a shift is needed for our industry to recognise how to collaborate for success.

Collaborative business relationships have been shown to deliver a wide range of benefits which enhance competitiveness and performance whilst also adding value to organisations of all sizes. The publication of the ISO 44001 in 2017 was a landmark for businesses and an opportunity to improve collaborative behaviours through a structured process.

Collaboration between organisations may take many forms; from loose tactical approaches through to longer term alliances or joint ventures. ISO 44001 does not enforce a single rigid approach, focusing instead of forming and maintaining relationships and recognising that every relationship has its own unique considerations.

Furthermore working collaboratively will become increasingly critical to the built environment sector as the demand for digitisation and industrialisation within projects grows.