April saw the highest UK construction output of the year so far, thanks to civil engineering and residential projects.
The figures, according to the Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index, reveal a solid start to Q2, with a sharp rise in civils activity (the best performing sub-category in April) and the highest level of residential building this year.
Tim Moore, author of the report, described the results as ‘a positive start to the second quarter of 2017’, highlighting the ‘resilient economic backdrop’ which has encouraged new work.
In turn, this has led to the fastest pace of job creation for almost a year and a greater demand for construction materials.
However, this had a knock-on effect on the construction pipeline, and the report notes ‘a sharp and accelerated deterioration in vendor performance, with lead-times from suppliers lengthening to the greatest degree since June 2015’.
Therefore it’s clear to see that accurate and consistent financial processes are key to maintaining civil engineering’s contribution to the construction output. Estimating software can play a major role, helping to ensure that resources are maximised and margins are maintained on civil engineering jobs.
Find out more about the report here.
