By Russell Furnival, Operations Director, Winvic Construction

For Winvic, self-delivery is about having greater control over the elements of a project that can have the biggest impact on programme, quality, responsiveness and cost.

Through businesses within the Winvic Group, including Sitecrete, Premier Plant & Tool Hire and Direct Building Materials (DBM), we can self-deliver key services using our own workforce, equipment and expertise. This complements our wider supply chain partnerships and gives our project teams greater flexibility to deliver the best outcomes for our clients.

The starting point is always the client’s requirements. Every project is different and having these capabilities within the Group means we can adapt our approach to suit the specific needs. 

Premier Plant is a good example. The business supplies plant, machinery and surveying equipment across our projects, but the benefit goes beyond simply having access to equipment. Our teams can specify exactly what is required for each project, including equipment standards, service levels and response times.

This can be particularly valuable on highways projects, where programmes and working conditions can be demanding. Night-time works, lane closures and short turnaround periods can require specific plant to be available at very short notice. With our own plant operation and fitters on call, we can respond quickly to changing requirements and keep works moving.

DBM provides similar advantages from a materials perspective. As our own builders’ merchant, it gives Winvic access to a broad nationwide network while maintaining a direct relationship with the people responsible for sourcing and supplying materials.

This combination provides responsiveness and value. DBM continually reviews the market to identify competitive rates and suitable suppliers, while its position within the Group provides flexibility in how materials are sources and managed. 

It also helps us identify and respond to potential issues early. If a long-lead item or delivery concern arises, the site team can work directly with DBM to explore alternative products or suppliers before an issue affects the programme.

Sitecrete brings another dimension to self-delivery capability. On projects requiring significant volumes of concrete, Sitecrete can establish a mobile batching plant directly on site, producing concrete close to where it’s needed.

This can provide both programme and environmental benefits, reducing the need for long-distance haulage and associated emissions, while reducing reliance on external batching plants and haulage networks. Most importantly, it gives the project team greater control over when concrete is available, helping to manage pours around the wider programme.

There are also quality benefits. Sitecrete works directly with our teams to understand the technical requirements of specific concrete mixes, preparing the right solution, and controlling the batching process. Quality can therefore be managed at both ends of the process, helping to minimise delays and rework.

Across all three businesses, the direct relationship between our project teams and the Group companies is an important part of the model. Regular face-to-face discussions mean feedback can move quickly in both directions, allowing issues to be identified, solutions explored and decisions made without the layers of communication that can sometimes exist with external suppliers

Ultimately, self-delivery is about enhancing our wider supply chain. It’s about understanding where greater control can add genuine value to our clients and projects.

By combining the capabilities within the Winvic Group with the expertise and capacity of trusted external partners, we can create a more responsive, flexible and resilient delivery model, giving our clients greater confidence that we can adapt to changing requirements and manage challenges quickly.