BAM’s construction divisions in the UK have signed a ‘solus’ supply agreement with Polypipe Group for the supply of drainage products to all of their infrastructure and building projects in the UK.
Rail contractor BAM Nuttall and BAM Construct UK signed the agreement with Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation and Polypipe Building Products in a move that signals a closer relationship in procurement between the two BAM UK businesses, anticipated to be the first of several such arrangements. BAM believes that carefully targeted deals will offer a competitive advantage for its clients, and will bring benefits in terms of both quality and performance.
Daniel Billinge, recently appointed as BAM Construct UK’s head of procurement, said: “We are focused on meeting clients’ demands.
“This includes securing their key drivers, like sustainability and faster programme delivery, with modern methods of construction that demand more off-site manufacturing and standardisation. This step enhances all of those criteria.”
Solus agreements, such as the one signed with Polypipe, are anticipated to result in economies of scale and a raft of benefits that will reduce capital costs for clients and add sustainable value.
By using just one drainage supplier on a project, BAM can plug products into the design from day one. This component-led approach removes the need to alter drawings – or digital designs – further down the line. Reducing redesigns saves time and resolves clashes and interfaces before a project gets onto site. As all components are compatible, the system’s quality and performance are assured.
James Lees, head of supply chain at BAM Nuttall, added: “Ultimately this arrangement will not only take a lot of inefficiency out of the design, tender and construction stages, it will allow us to focus on what adds value for the customer on that particular project.
“Polypipe’s technical teams will be feeding into the design process, which will help us look at a wider range of possible solutions, and take early decisions based on value not just capital cost”.
Both Polypipe and BAM anticipate that working together collaboratively will establish a platform for innovation and continuous improvement, particularly in areas such as carbon reduction and the wider use of recycled materials.
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