What is the Mace approach

Global consultancy and construction firm, Mace has a particular approach for working in a sector that is in the aftermath of the collapse of Carillion.
 

With year-on-year growth and a turnover of £1.97 billion in 2017, it’s a strategy that has served the privately-owned company well.

Mace is responsible for some of the world’s most iconic buildings, including the UK’s Shard, Heathrow Terminal 5 and More London.

Renowned for its innovation, quality of delivery and safety, the Mace’s strategy has clearly served the firm well. But what exactly is ‘The Mace approach’?

Developing the right talent

Rather than growing through acquisition, Mace prefers to grow organically, building on its stable and long-serving executive team. It’s all about attracting and then maintaining the right talent.

“Most of our board members have been here for 20-25 years,” says Gareth Lewis, COO for construction at Mace. “Our core values of putting safety first, a client focus, a drive to always do the right thing, and creating the right opportunity for employees to excel remain consistent.”

Establishing a successful supply chain

For Mace, the quality and longevity of its supply chain is paramount to its reputation and growth.

This is one of the reasons that Mace has committed to a fair payment charter – one of the few contractors to do so.

“If we don’t get paid on time, we still pay our suppliers,” says Lewis.

Mace works closely with its suppliers to help ensure stability and thus a repeat-order supply chain. As well as knowing what’s happening within their business, Mace provides tailor-made training programmes in management and construction with a view to developing the working relationship.

Choose your projects carefully

Key to Mace’s approach is choosing who to work with. Bidding for a project often depends on whether the client considers value outcomes or whole-life costs.

“We prefer to work with enlightened clients who can set out expectations that we can respond to,” says Lewis. “We want to have a conversation about suppliers, agree a risk margin, talk about innovation and get moving.”

Collaborating with clients

Right from the start of any project, Mace will work with clients from a design point of view. It’s an approach that makes sure the brief is correct from the beginning, helping avoid any surprises at a later stage.