Commercial & Procurement Strategy

The built environment is in the midst of transformative change. As societal and business needs evolve, so must the commercial models that underpin delivery. . Drawing on extensive experience delivering major projects across multiple sectors, we bring fresh thinking to procurement, contracting and value - helping clients achieve better outcomes within budget.
From intelligent procurement strategies and alliance working, to industrialised construction appraisal and PMV analysis, we serve investors, developers and manufacturers seeking commercial solutions that actually work.

Our commercial services

Cost planning, design and value optimisation

  • Cost planning and analysis of kit of parts
  • Appraisal and guidance on MMC versus traditional methods
  • Optimisation of cost, carbon and PMV for sustainable profitability
  • Robust commercial delivery strategy development
  • Value definition, engineering and management informed by an outcome-based approach

Procurement and Supply Chain

  • Procurement strategy development 
  • Expertise in contract selection and new models of alliancing
  • Supply chain demand and capability analysis
  • Pre-manufacture procurement strategy development
  • Carbon-intelligent procurement
  • Analysis and appraisal of direct client procurement options

Cost and product benchmarking

  • Cost and product benchmarking
  • Pre-Manufactured Value (PMV) benchmarking and outcome analysis
  • Due diligence and third-party project cost reviews
  • Fund monitoring

Financial administration

  • End-to-end quantity surveying
  • Strategic cost control of construction works
  • Expertise in tendering and contract execution (main and sub-contract)
  • Cashflow analysis
  • Post-contract cost control and reporting


Discover more of our commercial work below.

Landsec thumb

Landsec residential rulebook

Lock street thumb

Achieving viability and certainty through MMC

Kings Meadow View thumb

Confidence in residential delivery through MMC

Jamie Hillier

Partner
Contact
Linkedin Twitter
jamie.hillier@akerlof.co.uk
07791 718 377

With a penchant for tweed and jackets with leather arm patches, Jamie began his career as a quantity surveyor, before climbing the ladder to lead major projects for a Tier 1 contractor.

Eventually expanding his book collection beyond copies of SMM7, Jamie has interest in a broad range of subjects linked to delivering better outcomes for society and the environment.

His strategic insights on MMC and behavioural science have made their way into numerous government, industry and academic publications, including the Construction Playbook, Transforming Infrastructure Performance Roadmap to 2030, the Platform Rulebook and the RIBA DfMA Overlay.

John Handscomb

Partner
Contact
Linkedin Twitter
john.handscomb@akerlof.co.uk
07305 486 581

Construction is in John’s blood. Learning from his father who was a planner and project manager, John began his career by working on some iconic projects in both the public and private sector.

As a procurement expert and integrator of new ways of working, John has pioneered the integration of platform principles, DfMA processes and supply chain within over £5bn projects in the last 15 years, for some of the largest building programmes in the UK. Despite his considerable expertise, John keeps it simple, communicating complicated ideas with ease and helping to equip the industry with new knowledge and skills.

Outside of Akerlof, John enjoys his executive role with technology start-up ScanTech Digital, spending time with his family, taking trips down the football, playing a bit of golf with friends and the odd pint. 

Our name is shared with George Akerlof, a Nobel Prize-winning economist.

His seminal paper, Market for Lemons, demonstrated the devastating consequences of making decisions under the conditions of quality uncertainty and unequal information between buyers and sellers, increasing the chance of buyers ending up with a ‘lemon’.

This 50-year-old concept continues to retain parallels within the construction industry.

Through our insight and experience, we can rebalance this information asymmetry on behalf of our clients, levelling the playing field to deliver better outcomes.