SamWilko Advisory Industry Advice

Transport, Construction & Technical Services

Time to think about thinking…………….

by Peter W | Feb 8, 2021 | Business Coaching, Industry Opinion, Innovation, Management Consulting, Project Management, Uncategorized

Mindfulness as a practice has become much more widely accessed in Western business in the 5 years since I originally wrote this article. And that also goes for Engineering & Construction, where the best businesses are constantly on the lookout for ways to access...

Please remind me why all of this Transport Infrastructure is good for us?

by Peter W | Jan 19, 2021 | Construction Industry, Management Consulting, technical consulting services, Transport Management

With the benefit of 5 years of hindsight regarding the “once in a generation” Transport Infrastructure investment program in progress across Australia since 2016, let’s revisit the assumption that infrastructure investment creates economic growth and is therefore...

Great “Man” versus Great Leader

by Peter W | Dec 16, 2020 | Business Coaching, Construction Industry, Industry Opinion, Management Consulting, Transport Management

I’ve been dwelling a lot lately on what needs to change in the Infrastructure Engineering & Construction industry. Three common themes keep showing up: Capability and experience gaps in delivering what’s coming up in terms of volume and project complexity;...

Integrity Revisited: How Trust contributes to Project Performance

by Peter W | Nov 9, 2020 | Business Coaching, Construction Industry, Industry Opinion, Infrastructure Construction, Management Consulting

With the current goings-on in the industry and signs of distressed Infrastructure projects showing up, people regularly ask my opinion regarding what the cause of the problems might be? Every project of course has specific circumstances at play, and like most...

Complex Infrastructure Projects: Why is it so hard to get the Risks Right?

by Peter W | Oct 25, 2020 | Construction Industry, Industry Opinion, Infrastructure Construction, Management Consulting

As a long-term participant in the Infrastructure industry in Australia and a supporter of public transport as an enabler of urban regeneration, I’m really pleased to see the Sydney Light Rail CBD Extension up and running. As a complex greenfield / brownfield...

Is our leadership debate heading down the US path?

by Peter W | Oct 6, 2020 | Industry Opinion, Management Consulting

I was struck by John Kehoe’s headline “America isn’t broken but it may not be fixable either”, summing up his five-year posting as the Australian Financial Review’s Washington correspondent. Whilst many believe Americans inhabit a different planet, the USA...

International Perspectives – why are Spanish companies heavily invested in Australia?

by Peter W | Sep 28, 2020 | Construction Industry, Industry Opinion, Infrastructure Construction, Management Consulting

It is notable that with this month’s completion of Acciona’s acquisition of Lend Lease’s Engineering business, all Tier 1 engineering & construction contractors operating in Australia are now foreign owned. This is unusual for developed countries, virtually...

Industry Consolidation in Engineering & Construction – revisiting the Risks

by Peter W | Sep 8, 2020 | Infrastructure Construction, Management Consulting, Transport Management

Let’s revisit the chart above in light of the extensive feedback I’ve received in response to my original article. To recap, the chart – sourced from Deloitte Access Economics data - illustrates the share of major Transport Infrastructure project work across Australia...

The Art and Science of effective Business Governance

by Peter W | Jul 20, 2020 | Business Coaching, Construction Industry, Industry Opinion, Infrastructure Construction, Management Consulting

With the abrupt shift in working arrangements experienced by most organisations borne of COVID-19, questions are showing up regarding the role of management in effective business performance. For instance: How do supervisors / middle managers develop their more junior...

Capacity Management: The Answer to Boom and Bust in Engineering & Construction?

by Peter W | Jul 2, 2020 | Business Coaching, Construction Industry, Infrastructure Construction, Management Consulting

People I talk to regularly raise questions along the lines of: “Why is the Engineering & Construction industry always either in Boom or Bust?" and "Why aren't Governments doing a better job at planning and coordinating?" Indeed (and as discussed in an...