Automotive facilities procurement and the new construction paradigm

This article evolves ideas about 'conventional wisdom' on the role of construction clients, reporting research on large, recurrent automotive clients. It is based on MBA projects and a dissertation by Atkins; research by the Business Round Table; a survey of high level managers from construction; ideas about the incorporation of manufacturing supply chain practices into procurement and comparisons of large car companies. Criticism of Latham and Egan is developed into a "New construction Paradigm". The complexity of the large manufacturing client justifies retention of a Construction Engineering Organisation to manage the instabilities and uncertainties of projects and processes . The distinction between consulting to the uncertainty in the client and managing the uncertainty in the project is accepted but large clients need to internalise these processes.