As the government looks to more effective procurement to cut the cost of public construction projects by 20 per cent over the next three years, Wolseley UK is celebrating a decade of helping organisations cut building, maintenance and repair costs through smarter procurement and supply chain efficiencies.

Ten years ago, Wolseley UK decided to develop a specialist integrated supply division to help organisations achieve significant efficiency savings on construction projects by using its expertise and experience to manage the supply of all materials, rather than procuring through multiple sources.

Now in 2012, the specialist supply chain and procurement division has been renamed Integrated Services and since its launch has helped hundreds of organisations, including hospitals, schools, supermarket chains, local authorities and large residential housing estates, to cut construction costs through smarter and more efficient procurement.

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Grant Richardson, Trading Director Integrated Services & New Channel Development Director - Wolseley UK, explained: "The whole concept was developed to take the headache out of large, complex construction projects where materials were being delivered from multiple sources, adding to both the financial and environmental cost. With our single source supply it means that the products that contractors need are supplied where they want them, when they want them - effectively like a just-in-time manufacturing strategy for construction sites. This means that there is less product wastage and no need to store large quantities of stock on site."

Customers can choose from a suite of options, which includes: a single point of contact to process orders, the provision of implanted staff to work within the purchasing organisation, through to the total outsourcing of stores and materials supply.

Richardson continued: "Back in 2002 when we developed the concept of Integrated Services, the construction industry was experiencing a strong period of growth, very different to today’s challenging marketplace. There has never been more focus on cutting costs from the construction supply chain, both in the public and private sectors. Our decade of experience in this area can make significant efficiencies on the cost of materials supply, particularly if we are involved very early on in the process."

Wolseley’s Integrated Services division now operates from 34 locations throughout the UK, 12 of which were opened in 2011 with 18 more planned before the end of the year.

(GK)