Do Contractors Have the Skills to Drive Innovation in Rail Infrastructure?

The quest to deliver greater value from a restricted budget is slowly transforming the rail industry. New technologies are changing the ways that projects are designed, planned, executed and documented. All of which creates a significant challenge for rail contractors.

Adaptability and agility have, perhaps, not been attributes traditionally associated with rail infrastructure contractors. But that was yesterday. Today’s contractors have to demonstrate the ability not just to use, but to pioneer new methods and value engineering. Those that can’t show they are looking ahead rather than back won’t have much of a future. These contractors will find it increasingly hard even to be considered for tendering opportunities.

Driving the Innovation Train

Innovation will have to be driven by the supplier community. Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), 3D modelling, BIM and automated surveying are beginning to realize their potential. In the not too distant future we will see augmented reality and AI being deployed in meaningful ways to save costs, improve quality and reduce disruption.

Procurement can, and will, facilitate the process. But the impetus for innovation will come from contractors and supply chains.

A pivotal question for contracting bodies then becomes this: how are potential contractors developing the capabilities, skills and corporate culture to deliver greater innovation and value?

On the one hand, new technology and methods create a massive opportunity for contractors to diversify our workforce. A chance to do exciting, cutting edge work, which has the potential to generate huge economic benefits, should attract people who would not previously have considered rail infrastructure as a career.

Inevitably, there is also a challenge. We have to not just tell, but live, a compelling story about how we are upskilling our teams to use the latest technologies, and how we are working with our supply chain partners to do the same.

Meeting the needs of a more technology-driven rail infrastructure is, in large part, a question of how contractors are adapting their capabilities and skills to make the vision a reality. This is why skills development within our teams and suppliers continues to be a major area of investment for Osborne. Data modelling and sharing are increasingly deployed on projects demonstrated in some recent case studies. Skills development throughout our delivery and supply chain teams goes alongside this to make sure we are ready to face the future with confidence.

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