CAE and BRANZ to lead KPI Project(November 2004) 
CAE has confirmed plans to launch a national set of Key Performance Indicators for the New Zealand construction industry with BRANZ who are the sole sponsors and key supporters of this initiative.
CAE Programme Manager Amanda Warren says the indicators will show how New Zealand compares internationally. Armed with this knowledge, the industry and owners will be able to set targets to improve in any weaker areas such as time, cost, safety, quality and profitability, and measure their progress. “In short, it’s about being able to demonstrate a faster, cheaper, safer, better and more sustainable construction industry which is truly World Class.” “ The New Zealand construction industry at its best can compete with the world, but there are underlying concerns regarding the industry’s image, profitability, customer focus, workforce development and the consistency of completed projects. Fundamentally it lacks a system for measuring performance and creating any differentiators other than price. This results in a “lowest price” culture which in turn encourages adversarial behaviour and discourages innovation. International experience with national performance data shows a range of benefits. Construction firms can set realistic targets for project delivery. Performance-raising efforts are focussed on issues that show room for improvement and are critical to success, and there is less tendency to say 'it can't be done'. For owners there is an ability to assess value beyond just price and set policies for improvement, including benchmarking within a sector. The final project deliverables, including wall charts, guidelines and a training kit, will be launched at a national conference at Te Papa on April 12 and 13, 2005.
A KPI Project Steering Group, comprising a number of prominent buyers and sellers in the construction industry, is currently being formed. For more information or to volunteer for a role in the project, contact Amanda Warren, Programme Manager, CAE, Phone 09 356 1116 a.warren@cae.canterbury.ac.nz. | 
