BRE

BRE is a world leading centre of expertise for construction, the built environment, sustainability, energy, fire and many associated issues. We provide research, consultancy, information and testing services to customers worldwide.

We offer developers, architects, contractors, engineers, manufacturers and other construction professionals a unique single source of expertise and practical guidance on how to achieve and benefit from greater sustainability and innovation.

BRE helps clients develop solutions that create sustainable buildings. Buildings that meet today's needs, anticipate future demands and at the same time protect the environment and the well being of occupants and the community.

With over eighty years experience advising industry and government on environmental and construction issues, we are uniquely placed to provide the guidance and technical support that clients seek.

Centre for Construction Innovation Northwest

CCI provides knowledge capital to the construction sector through research, advisory, consultancy and grant funded projects. The work of CCI often addresses a specific construction requirement, either in supply or demand, leading to increased understanding and development of innovation and best practice. Our clients typically include public and private organisations, contractors, supply chains and small and medium sized construction companies.

CCI work extensively with small and medium sized construction companies helping them to increase their performance and up-skill their businesses. CCI have vast experience in delivering consultancy and business assists in a number of areas and can deliver specialist consultancy services in the following key areas:

• Sustainable Construction – environmental, social and economic sustainability including waste reduction, recycling, managing waste, community benefit and the economic benefits of sustainability
• KPIs/benchmarking – the importance of measuring your performance and benchmarking, continual improvement and the ways in which this can be communicated effectively to clients and the supply chain.
• Partnering/supply chain development – the drivers behind partnering, setting up integrated teams, tools and techniques used in partnering

CCI use tried and trusted techniques to ensure that the delivery of this consultancy meets industry needs and equips organisations to improve their effectiveness and efficiency.

CERAM

CERAM is an internationally renowned materials technology and development organisation with many years experience working with the construction industry testing and developing new construction techniques and materials. Their consultancy services include material development, process improvement and mapping, industrial engineering, Lean Principles, development of ISO 9001.2000 and ISO 14000 procedures and manual.

Their clients benefit from working with CERAM because they offer practical solutions to their technical, management and cultural needs.

Change WORLD

ChangeWORLD specialise in helping people and organisations get results from change.

Competitive Strength delivers UP TO 85% financial advantage. It depends on the capability to change - Changeability.

They help people learn how to grow and change organisations better, faster, cheaper, by helping them learn Changeability as a sustainable and permanent new capability.

Their Competitive Strength Report (CSR) helps business leaders assess how good their organisations are, compared to the very best, where to focus, and to start, in a web based package, 60 page report and process.

Their Changeability Quotient test (CQ Test), a free CSR “taster”, is available at www.changeworld.co.uk/cq

Constructing Excellence

Constructing Excellence is the single industry-wide body charged with implementing the change agenda in construction. It aims to deliver improved industry performance resulting in a demonstrably better built environment, and provides a unique bridge between industry, clients, government and the research community. It was created from a number of high profile, expert organisations that came together to improve the service that they could collectively provide to their clients and streamline the efforts and skills of all those involved. As a result, Constructing Excellence is a powerful influential voice for improvement in the built environment sector.

Constructing Excellence engages with companies on many different issues around the best practice agenda. Four of these have been identified by the Constructing Excellence membership as key sector issues, namely:

• Sustainability
• Value
• People, skills and leadership
• Integration and collaborative working

In addition to these key themes Constructing Excellence, has expertise in other areas, most notably in KPIs and benchmarking as the manager of the national KPI programme; in lean construction through its work assisting organisations implement these techniques and through technology transfer and innovation through its work in research and programme of Demonstration Projects.

Coventry University

The department has a broad range of expertise in technical aspects of construction, building surveying and architectural technology as well as civil and structural engineering and construction management and has a history of research into sustainable building materials and sustainable development

Do-Little

Do-Little deliver profitable growth by helping clients:

• Develop their markets and marketing capability
• Adapt their business processes, systems and organisations
• Establish and maintain positive collaborative relationships with partners, customers and suppliers

Facilitate business transformation & change that result in sustained improvements by helping clients to:

• Improve the customer experience
• Improve efficiency & reduce waste
• Make strategic investments in organisational, processes and technology innovation
• Conduct feasibility studies and develop business cases
• Define, plan and manage business change programmes
• Design, procure IT solutions & Map processes
• Establish business measures (KPIs)

Do-Little develop organisational capability where leaders, individuals and teams can achieve success in a rapidly changing world. So that the client becomes an agile / learning organisation.

Edmond Shipway

Edmond Shipway provides a range of professional services to clients procuring construction, refurbishment and maintenance works. Their core services of project management, cost consultancy, building surveying, mechanical and electrical consultancy and planning supervision are deployed individually or collectively to ensure a service that meets each client's requirements.

The practice has a diverse workload and is active in a variety of sectors including commercial development, education, financial, healthcare, heritage, law and order, residential, retail and sport and leisure.

Services are delivered from a network of offices across the UK, ensuring a local and personal service supported by the strength of a national resource.

Emerge OD Consultants Ltd

Leadership and Management Development.

Highly experienced coaches who can facilitate individuals and teams.

Accredited in Myers Briggs (MBTI) Step 1 & 2 to provide personality type feedback as well as use of instruments to enable self awareness in the areas of:

• Leadership styles
• Team working preferences
• Conflict management
• Communication styles and preferences.

Work at all levels, with current clients including Laing O Rourke, Carillion, Alfred McAlpine and Enterprise.

Application of leadership styles to facilitate partnering and team effectiveness.

Encraft

Encraft are a firm of consulting engineers specializing in small-scale low carbon technologies. They provide feasibility studies for the incorporation of renewables in buildings, advise and support businesses wishing to enter the sustainable technology market, and do building simulation modeling and economic analysis for projects and companies. Encraft also develop and supply decision and sales support tools for companies seeking to demonstrate the carbon performance of their products.

Forum Training

Forum Training – a business at the forefront of change in the Construction sector.

At Forum Training their aim is to offer the best quality training. The focus of the business is construction. However, the objective is to provide a comprehensive service dedicated to improving the knowledge and understanding of business, enabling individuals to return better equipped to their respective roles assisting their businesses to develop and improve.

Forum is working at the forefront of change in the Construction sector in providing practical training and business development solutions.

Organisations that succeed in business all have one thing in common – they know that learning and skills have to be up to date and that training is an integral part of any successful business strategy.

For training to contribute to business success it must be tailored to meet specific business objectives. Forum Training aim to offer the best in learning for business and in particular for the construction industry and its people.

They are committed to delivering high quality training. All their courses are designed to ensure that delegate objectives are met and exceeded. Forum Training take great pride in their service and believe that this is demonstrated in the extent of repeat business that they receive.

Groundwork

Groundwork West Midlands Environmental Business Services (EBS) provides cost effective, professional, environmental advice and training, enabling businesses to become more profitable and sustainable.

Their support programmes range from general introductions to environmental issues, through to accredited or bespoke training and one to one advice guidance and support in all environmental areas.

Groundwork particularly specialise in supporting organisations to implement environmental management systems to ISO14001, and are fully conversant with the BS8555 methodology.

They cover the whole of the West Midlands and offer support to all sectors. Their clients range from micro-businesses through to corporates.

Much of Groundwork's support is part funded by Advantage West Midlands and the European Union.

Hunter & Partners

Hunter & Partners are a top fifty leading practice in the country, providing Project Management, Architectural, Building Surveying, Cost Consultancy and Planning Supervisory services to a number of market sectors.

The practice was founded in 1955 and comprises over 135 staff with offices predominantly in the UK but also in the Far East. Hunter & Partners’ expertise spans a number of specialist areas including education, housing and health in which it seeks to be pre-eminent.

Hunter & Partners provide the incisive project management needed to successfully control and co-ordinate major ventures from inception to completion. We provide a professional client focused service to deliver high quality projects which are often complex and require the co-ordination of multiple stakeholders.

Their experience of working in and with various public and private sector clients provides us with a unique understanding of prevalent market conditions, both in the domestic and international scenes. In turn this allows them to manage the processes required for effective project management and diligent contract administration with sector leading innovation that is designed not only to meet the expectations and interests of their clients but exceed them.

Direct access to complementary professional services within the practice strengthens their knowledge and understanding and guarantees that projects are handled skilfully and competently, with probity & innovation.

Hunter & Partners' project management team has the in-depth knowledge of funding, legal and planning issues, and delivery experience of modern procurement methods, to successfully deliver project benefits.

They manage projects utilising modern methods of construction and we are familiar with the full range of procurement and partnering arrangements.

INTEGRAL NATURE

INTEGRAL NATURE is an innovation consultancy specialising in environmental technologies. It helps companies develop and commercialise environmental technologies and services; and provides industry leading research into new technologies and markets. INTEGRAL NATURE™ brings to bear a track record of helping take products to market and realising projects across a wide range of sectors including the built environment.

Midlands Excellence

Midlands Excellence is dedicated to helping all types of organisations to improve their performance. They are recognised as the most successful organisation of their kind in Europe.

They achieve their mission by running programmes, training, networks and events and also carry out assessments to help organisations identify strengths and opoportunities for improvement.

At the heart of their activities is the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model (also known as the Business Excellence Model) - the world's premier management framework which is used by more than 20,000 organisations across Europe. Use of the Model drives improvement in all key business areas, including leadership, people and customer satisfaction.

The Midlands Excellence programmes include Investors in Excellence, a UK-wide initiative which guides organisations to a standard of all-round excellence, and the prestigious Midlands Excellence Awards, which have run every year since 1997.

Training focuses on introducing organisations to the Excellence Model and helping them implement improvements. Part of their awards programme involves training assessors and giving them the opportunity to put their knowledge and skills into practice.

The annual Midlands Excellence Awards ceremony attracts more than 1300 people to the ICC in Birmingham while around 350 people attend their annual best practice conference. They also run the West Midlands and East Midlands Excellence Networks to raise awareness of how organisations can improve performance.

Mtech Group Ltd

Mtech Group Limited is the leading independent consultancy in the field of offsite techniques and modern methods of construction. They have unrivalled experience in the every day practical issues of using offsite construction systems and processes and are uniquely placed to help clients, architects, contractors and product manufacturers alike.

Their knowledge enables them to rise to the challenges facing the constructions sector in the pursuit of continuous improvement and sustainable building solutions.

Their skills ensure that they deliver measurable gains in construction performance through off-site techniques, modern methods of construction and sustainable engineering that meet the needs of the construction sector globally.

NFB Training

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) is the construction industry's longest established trade association that has grown in stature since its origins in the late 19th century. In 2005, in recognition of the role training plays in raising standards within the industry, the NFB enhanced its service offering to include a dedicated team of training professionals, providing training assistance to its member companies. Now, working closely with CITB-ConstructionSkills, Constructing Excellence and other industry partners, the NFB Training team combines industry experience with innovation to supply comprehensive training programmes to the construction industry as a whole - 'Training developed by the industry for the industry'.

Peplow

• Leadership, Management and Team Development specialists
• Experienced in both public & private sector
• Managerial Assessment of Proficiency MAP – diagnostic tool that unveils your people’s potentials
• Interactive and effective workshops
• Inspiring Coaching & Mentoring
• Proven record of successful interventions

Over the last thirteen years The Peplow Group has helped over one hundred and twenty organisations to develop themselves, their teams and their key individuals. Their work with commercial organisations focuses on the management of change through effective team and individual development.

We consistently demonstrate our ability to add value in some of the most competitive and measured parts of industry and the professions. Their aim is to deliver positive business change through effective development.

All of Peplow's programmes are designed to encourage and promote effective team working while focussing on solving key business challenges.

Perago Consulting

Perago Consulting is a dynamic consultancy of facilitators specialising in business improvement and change, knowledge management and strategic procurement. They help organisations to succeed and learn.

Perago's aim is to add real value to an organisation by helping people work together more effectively. Whether through small project teams or large conference events they have assisted organisations successfully implement projects and products, improve what they do and deliver positive, tangible results.

They have a practical and down to earth approach which is effective at all levels across an organisation, from the executive team to the factory floor/construction site. They bring rigour, energy and a sense of fun to all our workshops.

Perago's philosophy is to work closely with their customers before, during and after each meeting or workshop to ensure their objective has been successfully achieved.

With a wide range of experience to draw on, from within their core team and circle of associates they can help your organisation to succeed and learn.

Randla Hunt Limited

An experienced private sector General Manager with a background in sales, marketing and business development, with particular emphasis on B2B manufactured products (building products, lighting, specialist mouldings, OEM components, retail and contract furniture, and home improvement) through distributive channels. Commercial skills gained in both blue chip and SME environments. Extensive knowledge of construction, furniture and OEM industries, with considerable exposure to European environment.

• Strategic planning and implementation
• Start-up and Market entry
• Turnaround
• Developing brand equity and market share
• German language (excellent spoken/written skills with a high level of technical competence)
• Intercultural competence
• Industry lobbying and creating business alliances
• Import/Export (Europe, Far East, North America)
• Supply chain optimisation
• IT Fluent (SAP, Lotus Notes, MS Applications, Web and new media)

Shaw MS Ltd

Shaw MS Ltd is a four person consultancy specialising in business improvement for building contractors and their public sector clients.

The business is about to enter its seventh year and offers expertise in the following areas:

• Partnering
• Bid Management
• Business Strategy Development and Business Planning
• Business Development
• Performance Management
• Lean Construction
• Continuous Improvement and Quality

The Shaw MS Ltd team deliver:

• Diagnostic analysis of organisations
• Board, management and workforce level group meeting
• Training workshops
• Project facilitation
• Report preparation
• Input into PQQ/ITT preparation

Other Services are:

• The development of IT solutions to inefficient processes
• Executive recruitment and headhunting for senior and middle management posts

Sprunt Ltd

Sprunt Ltd engage with clients and users to design, deliver and sustain imaginative buildings and places. They seek to design elegant buildings which enhance their surroundings; delivered with a life cycle strategy to ensure that they adapt, endure and improve with age.

They provide clients with inventive, sustainable design solutions, from whole communities to individual schools, and healthcare facilities.

What sets Sprunt apart is that they solve the whole problem...not just the strategic and financial...not just the aesthetic, spatial and environmental...not just refurbishment, procurement or maintenance...but all of them.

Their work focuses on urban regeneration, with experience in health, housing and education with emphasis on working with communities to involve them in design solutions.

Alongside their architects, Sprunt's consultancy and building surveying teams provide business and project management advice focused on whole life costing and delivery.

Transform Business Improvement Limited

The tbi team comprises business professionals who have themselves, many years experience of implementing business change. They are a leading practitioner in the implementation of Lean and continuous improvement to the Construction sector, and have helped many companies enhance quality, delivery and cost performance.

• Improve competitive performance through lean transformation
• Review your business, to assess where your business needs to improve
• Develop business strategy for now and the future
• Deploy strategy and implement improvements
• Grow in-house capability in the implementation and management of change
• Develop a culture of continuous improvement

The tbi team can help you enhance your organisation, culture and people to transform your business.

UK First

ukfirst offer support for all organisations in the furniture supply chain, whether large, medium or small. Their aim is to accommodate the whole sector and special provision has been made to encourage small manufacturers to become involved.

ukfirst not only support manufacturing and process improvement initiatives within individual companies but also implement projects that will provide industry wide benefits; promoting the concept of a common approach for process improvements throughout the industry.

With increasing global competition, the need to improve has never been greater. Improvement is not just about your company it is also about your customers’ ever increasing demands for improvements in quality, cost and delivery.

ukfirst works with furniture manufacturers to assist in the generation of sustainable process improvements that will not only improve competitiveness but will also enhance customer satisfaction.

Achieving world class performance requires the very best expertise and, through ukfirst, organisations are able to:

• make step change improvements in production performance
• implement supply chain strategies that complement their manufacturing ethos
• adopt best practice by learning from other manufacturers
• educate senior individuals in modern manufacturing techniques
• engender cultural change throughout the workforce

Wemtech Ltd

Wemtech is a not for profit organisation based in the Midlands and manages the CE Marking Association. The compliance club was established late in 1993 under a national initiative by the DTI. The initial purpose of the club was to transfer knowledge from Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), Low Voltage (LV) and Machinery experts to companies in the manufacture, import or distribution of machinery or electronic apparatus for sale within the European Economic Area (EAA) who have a need to meet the provision of EC Directives 89/336/EEC (EMC), 73/23/EEC (LV) 89/392/EEC (Machinery). The club forms part of a National Forum of clubs throughout the UK. Today, only a few clubs survive and Wemtech continues to be the largest, most successful and cost effective.

Wentworth

Wentworth Consulting Group is a multi-disciplined management consultancy practice that has focused on the Construction Industry and its supply chain for the last 10 years. Concentrating on the management and commercial aspects they have "lived" the change that the industry has seen in recent years and provide expert practical support in areas of Leadership, Team Building, Managing Change, Motivation, Supply Chain Benchmarking and enhancement, Customer Relationship Management and Business Strategy. Over the last five years, Wentworth have developed support services in the topical subject of Stress, both personal and organisational, which in 2006 lead to the successful launch of Wentworth Charter which provides de-stressing breaks for executives.

WMQC

WMQC supports organisations working with National and International Quality Standards such as ISO9001:2000, ISO14001, OHSAS18001, Investors in People and Lexcel.

WMQC provide a complete service from free, initial diagnostic, to advice and implementation support, to assessment through their UKAS accredited sister company. They are also the only accredited Assessment Centre for Investors in People in the West Midlands.

Their team of Client Account Managers and Business Advisers will work with you to identify your business needs and the services and resources available to you.

From getting the most out of your people, to Quality, Environmental and Health & Safety Management, we can support you and your business.