Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty is a big business. Its turnover in 2007 was £7.5 billion and it employs
35,000 people throughout the world. The company serves international markets, specialising
in construction, civil engineering and infrastructure, and transport and power systems.
It manages complex projects that demand advanced technical skills and the highest
standards of service and reliability.
Collinson Grant has been working regularly with Balfour Beatty since 1996. The company’s
organisational structure depends on delegating authority to local managers for achieving
agreed targets. In our work in the various operating companies, and at a corporate
level, we have been careful to reinforce this culture, while investigating the possibilities
for exploiting synergies and sharing resources.
A number of consultants have worked on assignments in Europe and the United States
largely devoted to examining overheads and the options for reducing costs. This
prolonged campaign has helped to strengthen the understanding and control of costs
throughout the business, balancing the devolved culture with common understanding
of best practice. We have also supported the reorganisation of the USA regional
centre, helped to integrate two American acquisitions, and improved managerial controls,
information systems and processes in other operating companies.
Balfour Beatty has achieved strong performance in the last five years by promulgating
core managerial values while empowering its employees to respond quickly to customers’
changing needs. Its particular success derives from the way it has been able to
do this throughout its worldwide operations.