To gain the latest view on the market from a leading contractor, we posed a few questions to Peter Nagle, Managing Director of BW: Workplace Experts.

Q. What is BW’s outlook for 2022? Do you see any lasting market changes resulting from the pandemic?

“Hopefully not, I think if the last few months have taught us anything, it’s just how resilient the market is. The London market in particular has recovered well. That’s not to say we don’t have a long road ahead, we most certainly do! I would strike a note of caution in predicting what next year holds really.

I’ve been with BW for 17 years and so I know that the market can be unpredictable in any given year and you learn never to be surprised with what unfolds. I would be cautious about predicting what next year holds, however the current market intelligence is largely positive.”

Q. Is BW anticipating a big change in the way people work?

“I think things will get back to normality fairly quickly. Of course many organisations will review their workplace strategy and there will be a degree of hybrid working: a mix of WFH and returning to the office, where specific roles allow this of course and it depends what stages people are in their careers too of course. Senior Managers might for instance have space at home for a more dedicated home working set-up but I appreciate that younger colleagues might not. For them, coming into the office is vital for career development and opportunities for continuous learning that just can’t be replicated virtually.

I think there may be some parallels to be drawn in terms of anticipated changes in the wake of 9/11. There was speculation then that people wouldn’t want to go back to work in skyscrapers but two decades on and many tall buildings have since been built and occupied. With coronavirus, I think eventually working practices will go back to the way they were without much notice.“

Q. What are the key success factors in a good sub-contractor relationship? 

“I would say collaboration, honesty and respect. We are only as good as our supply chain and we succeed or fail together. Central to everything we do is being Defect Free at Practical Completion (or DF@PC). Supplier performance management is one of the areas we focus on in regular workshops and training, using feedback and client engagement to pinpoint areas for continuous improvement. BW is committed to being Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and also in terms of our supply chain, we are also constantly looking to improve its diversity and are aware that to appoint more diverse suppliers, we might need to work to encourage and develop them.”

Q. What’s good about your relationship with Specialist Group?

“I’ve been working with Specialist for a decade, which is testament to BW’s relationship with them. I like the fact I have direct access to one of the owners/directors at all times. I love the family feel of SG and how they treat all their staff from top to bottom. They listen and are always responsive when needed which I also like. Also, SG have fully embraced the DF@PC.”

Read the Full Interview Here – The Experts’ Opinion