Another international field of teams from around the world began the challenge of managing their Global Construction Business, a journey that would ultimately lead to one of them being crowned the Enginuity 2023, and 14th Enginuity Champions!

The ENGINUITY Competition is not designed to be an easy challenge, and is intended to reflect how difficult it can be to run a multinational construction business in the real world. To be successful will require an effective business strategy to identify new work, secure the work in a competitive bidding environment, and then manage jobs progressed profitably, dealing with the many problems that will arise, such as job delays and managing risk. There will be many ups and downs, and excellent leadership and management skills will be needed to deal with adversity, and keep the business growing.

And so to the early action, and over 95% of the teams were able to post positive growth figures in period 5, with a real international feel at the top of the first leaderboard. For the first time in Enginuity History two teams share the lead at the end of the first round, "Hammer Time Co" (Arcadis, Australia) and "Glasgow ES&T" (Jacobs, UK) with 1,371 pts. However, the early leaders cannot rest on their laurels with the chasing pack close behind, led by "Whatever it takes" (Stantec, Italy) (and it will take a lot to be the 2023 Champions), and there are just 40 points separating the top 12 teams going into the second round, and many teams lying in wait should the leading teams slip us.

And a word of caution to the leading teams, and hope for those lower down the leaderboard. The top teams at the end of the first round normally have high workloads after successful bidding, and their infrastructure size then limits their ability to win a high volume of work in period 6, as well as giving them the 'growing pains' of needing lots of additional labour to handle the additional workload. In contrast, those who did not perhaps start too well are in the reverse position, and can improve their forward workload and margin significantly in the second round, providing, of course, they set competitive bids. It should be a very interesting leaderboard again in the next round!

And so to the first of this year's ENGINUITY TWITTER FEEDS :-

• New to the Competition this year are Rider Levett Bucknall, an independent global construction and property consultancy providing management and advice throughout the built environment, with a number of teams taking part. And what a start by two of them, "Building stuff asbestos we can" (Rider Levett Bucknall, UK) and "RattLeBox" (Rider Levett Bucknall, UK), with the former in particular making an outstanding start, and sitting in 10th place, but they will need to work hard to maintain their position.
  
  
• Last year's champions, Jacobs, are once more well represented with teams from all over the globe. It will take a monumental effort to repeat the success of "Babble Royale" in 2022, but they are already showing that they mean business again, and as well as "Glasgow ES&T" (Jacobs, UK) in second, "briJ" (Jacobs, India) are well placed in 5th in the inaugural table.
  
  
• In recent years Network Rail teams have been consistently on track in the Competition, and had a finalist in 2022. This year their two teams have once more risen to the challenge, and signalled their intention to match last year's success. Both teams are in the top 20, with "Train Wreck" (Network Rail, UK) in 12th just ahead of "Off the Rails" (Network Rail, UK) in 18th.
  
  
• Over the last few years Stantec have consistently been the best represented sponsor, and this year is no exception with another large number of teams taking part, and they have had many finalists in the past, but as yet no Champion. However, with 5 teams already in the top 20 could this finally be their year ? Watch this space!
  
  
• The Enginuity Competition is a stern test of endurance, and team collaboration skills, and this will be put to the test in the next period for a number of teams languishing at the wrong end of the table. One of the keys to their recovery will undoubtedly be their ability to secure new work with more competitive bids, and in particular analysing likely rival bidders to ensure that their margins are set low enough to undercut their rivals, but still make a reasonable profit.
  
  

2022 was a turbulent year for the UK, both politically and economically. Rishi Sunak became the third Conservative Prime Minister in 12 months in October, and the surge in demand post COVID, coupled with goods and energy supply problems caused largely by Brexit and the Russia-Ukraine war, caused a cost of living crisis with soaring inflation and rising interest rates.
The upshot was that many observers, including the influential CBI, predicted that the UK economy could contract by 0.4% in 2023, with further interest rates rises, weak productivity, a continuing squeeze on consumer spending and inflation expected to stay above the Bank of England’s target, although it is expected to peak during the year.

Further afield global economic activity is experiencing a broad-based and sharper-than-expected slowdown, with inflation higher than seen in several decades. The cost-of-living crisis, tightening financial conditions in most regions, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the lingering COVID-19 pandemic all weigh heavily on the outlook.
Global growth is forecast to slow from 3.2% in 2022 to 2.7% in 2023, with challenges to be faced including the potential of higher financing costs, heightened financial market volatility, inflation risks driven by rebounding growth and supply-chain bottlenecks, ongoing labour shortages and intensifying climate risks.

League table at the end of period 5

Sponsor league tables (3 or more teams):-
AECOM
Arcadis
Atkins
Cundall
Hatch
Jacobs
Laing O'Rourke
Mott Macdonald
MWH Treatment
Rider Levett Bucknall
RSBG
Stantec
Tony Gee and Partners
WSP

Just like the real world it simulates, Enginuity is designed to reflect the ups and downs of managing a global construction business, and the growing pains on the journey have to be overcome, and management teams need to adapt and come up with innovative solutions to keep their businesses on the right lines.
This was perfectly highlighted in period 6 as many teams that made substantial gains in period 5, due to winning lots of work, suddenly found period 6 to be more challenging. Carrying a high workload going into period 6, their infrastructure (capital base) restricted them from being able to win much new work, and forward workload and margin KPIs fell. To compound this the extra work that was won in period 5 needed to be progressed, and extra labour (own or subcontract) was required, incurring training costs for own new labour, or subcontract premiums. These all added to the cost base, and gross profit and operating profit to turnover KPIs suffered, and growth rates were largely down for many, but encouragingly 86% of the teams still managed to post positive growth figures.

The result of this upheaval amongst the leading teams was major turbulence in the leaderboard in period 6, with 9 new entries into the top 12, and qualifying places for the final at the end of period 12. At the top of the table as the previous leaders fell back, the leaders' jersey was taken up by another Australian team "Minimum STANdards" (Stantec, Australia), who completely defied their team name as they made a massive 57-place gain to takeover top spot with 1,501 pts. The new leaders also opened up a 50 point gap to the chasing pack, led by "Yaycobs" (Jacobs, Switzerland) and "Enginuity State of Mind" (Jacobs, United States), with the largest sponsors, Stantec and Jacobs, now occupying 8 of the top 12 places. After the drama of period 6, it is almost certain that the league table will see lots more changes in the next round as the teams who did not do so well this week are expected to come storming back, and those that faired well will be trying to consoldiate their gains.

And so to the latest ENGINUITY TWITTER FEEDS :-

• Who were the star performers in terms of overall improvement and positional gain this week ?
  In terms of performance the accolade went to "Stantec Australia QLD 3" (Stantec, Australia) with a stunning 39% growth that catapulted them 69 places up the leaderboard. However, even their meteoric rise was outdone by "Liquef-Action" (Stantec, Chile) with an amazing 77 place gain from 116th to 39th, highlighting the high standard already bein achieved by a number of the Stantec teams from South America.
  
  
• RSBG have once more entered a number of teams, all of whom are currently doing well, and one of them, "Blue Pell or Red Pell" (RSBG, UK) have already made a big impact, climbing 45 places in period 6 to 7th place, and hoping to become the first RSBG team to qualify for the final.
  
  
• Risks that strike can have a major impact on job profits, and this was the case on a number of jobs in period 6, including contractors that secured the large contract to build a new training complex in the Olympic Village for the Paris Olympic Group in France. Unfortunately personnel issues believed to be related to performance related pay, that were not unexpected as they had been highlighted as a high risk, cost around 140k, and impacted on the job's profits in the project's first quarter.
  
  
• Looking further down the league table, success can be measured in many ways, including turning things round after an indifferent start. There are many examples of teams that were able to do this, and the "Water Wizards" (MWH Treatment, UK) are one that stand out after pulling away from the foot of the table in period 6 with an impressive 22% improvement, giving hope to others who are hoping to do the same.
  
  
• Brisbane based Waterline Projects, a multi-discipline engineering company that provides services that support the mining industry, are new to the Competition this year. All 4 of their teams have started well, which is in no small part due to their intensive trialling before the Competition started. Currently holding the bragging rights in their internal battle are "The Water Boys" (Waterline Projects, Australia), just inside the top 20 after a 51-place gain in the round.
  
  

With KPI points hard earned it will become increasingly important that the management teams look very carefully at every aspect of their business for potential improvements, and those that are most successful in doing so should prosper the most. Two areas that the teams need particular attention are Marketing strategy and Procurement (rival bidders), which are discussed in more detail below.

Marketing is possibly the area of the business that requires the most thought, as there are numerous strategies that could be adopted. The market trend can only be gauged for one year ahead, and not always accurately, and as marketing departments are expanded, the choices of where to direct the marketing effort are wide ranging, by sector, country and job size. The task is not an easy one, but has a major impact upon procurement options, and the future work undertaken, and ultimately on the long term prosperity of the company.

Another important consideration is that rival bidders do not necessarily stick with the same bidding strategy, and as time goes by they can change their strategy according to market conditions. This makes it imperative that teams keep a close eye on the margins rival bidders are applying, and how they may be changing. Evaluating these strategies could make the key difference between success in securing work, or not. To complicate matters even further there may be UNKNOWN rival bidders, and the only clues to these may be in the ENGINUITY NEWS NETWORK (ENN) for the period.

League table at the end of period 6
Improvements, or otherwise, during period 6

Sponsor league tables (3 or more teams):-
AECOM
Arcadis
Atkins
Cundall
Hatch
Jacobs
Laing O'Rourke
Mott Macdonald
MWH Treatment
Rider Levett Bucknall
RSBG
Stantec
Tony Gee and Partners
WSP

Period 7 proved to be a toughest quarter so far with around 27% of the teams posting negative growth figures, and once more there was lots of movement in the league table with 7 new entries into the top 12. Not surprisingly the two major sponsors, Stantec and Jacobs, are well represented with 4 teams a piece, and Stantec in particular will be keen to keep up their momentum as they chase their inaugural success, but Jacobs will be determined to defend their crown, although others could well put a spanner in the works.

Teams from Down Under continue to shine, with previous leaders "Minimum STANdards" (Stantec, Australia) still defying their team name as they still head the rest of the field on 1,590 pts, but their lead has been cut significantly by the chasing pack, who lie just 17 points further back led by the joint leaders from period 5, "Hammer Time Co" (Arcadis, Australia), and "Enginuity State of Mind" (Jacobs, United States) in 2nd and 3rd respectively. And what a week for another team from Australasia, "S.P.A.C.E.S" (WSP, New Zealand), whose incredible 110 place gain catapulted them from 114th to 4th, and not surprisingly they also posted the best growth results in the round, a 26% improvement. There is still very little between the leading teams with less than 80 points separating the top 12, and a large group of teams vying to break into the qualifying places for the final.

And so to the latest ENGINUITY TWITTER FEEDS :-

• Every year the Enginuity Crystal Ball tries to predict dark horses in the Competition. One team that has already caught the eye this year is "Building stuff asbestos we can" (Rider Levett Bucknall, UK) who made an excellent start in period 5 as they sat in 10th place, but then they dropped back to 87th, but in period 7 they have come storming back into 15th after 17% growth, and they are showing the right credentials for being serious contenders for a place in the final.
  
  
• Although a number of teams slipped back in period 7 in terms of growth, encouragingly just one team are now below their starting total KPI of 1,000 points, and even then only just, showing how well the teams are adapting to the challenge of running their virtual construction businesses.
  
  
• Atkins have 4 teams competing this year, two from Atkins India and for the first time 2 from Atkins China. It is an intriguing internal battle between them, with Atkins China just holding the edge at the moment with "ACL HK Team 1" (Atkins China, Hong Kong) just ahead of "SAKASA" (Atkins India, India).
  
  
• Every week we see examples of the phrase from the famous Billy Ocean song, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going", and one that stood out in period 7 occurred at the foot of the table as the "Mavericks" (Stantec, India) reversed a previous 22% decline with a 16% improvement, raising hopes amongst their stakeholders that better times lie ahead.
  
  
• It was 3 years ago, in 2020, that Hatch had their last finalist, with "Hatcha la vista", but hopes are high that they could repeat this in 2023 with every one of their teams performing well, and 4 already in the top 30, led by the "Million Minions" (Hatch, Canada) in 12th place.
  
  

IEWP = SUCCESS

A leading industry think tank have come up with a simple formula for running a successful construction business.

1. IDENTIFY new work
2. EXPAND the infrastructure (capital base) of the company to take on more work
3. WIN new work through competitive bidding
4. PROFITABLE PROGRESS of the jobs won

Another essential part of running a successful business is being able to form an effective Risk Management Strategy to keep the business as profitable as possible. This can take a number of forms, firstly by building sensible risk contingencies into the original bids based upon the likelihood and cost of the risks occurring. Secondly, and just as importantly is mitigating the affects of any risks that strike through targeted investment into risk management companies, using a BIM model if available, and employing the most suitable project managers to jobs in progress. However, even when these mitigating actions are taken, risk can still be costly to job and company profits, and during period 7 problems with additional remedial works affected the construction of a new rail link to the terminal building for the Scottish Airport Group in Glasgow in the job's first period, with an estimated risk cost of around 200k before mitigation.

League table at the end of period 7
Improvements, or otherwise, during period 7

Sponsor league tables (3 or more teams):-
AECOM
Arcadis
Atkins
Cundall
Hatch
Jacobs
Laing O'Rourke
Mott Macdonald
MWH Treatment
Rider Levett Bucknall
RSBG
Stantec
Tony Gee and Partners
WSP

As the teams reached the halfway point in the Preliminary Rounds, it is appropriate to reflect on how success can be measured. Teams at the top of the table, and battling for a place in the 12-team final at the end of the Preliminary Rounds will consider their position in the table a measure of how well they are running their business. Teams at the wrong end of the table will now look to success being able to turn round the fortunes of their companies, and this can only be achieved by focusing on the key areas that could improve their growth rates i.e., competitive bidding to secure new work, and managing their jobs in progress as profitably as possible, and close analysis of past performance will be important to prevent past mistakes from reocurring.

Period 8 proved to be the toughest quarter so far, with over 50% of the teams posting deteriorating results, and there were just 4 new entries into the top 12. Many of the declines were down to teams struggling to win new work, with UNKNOWN rival bidders such as The Crayford Road Group and Sharami International undercutting them, and those who put all their eggs in one basket by bidding for just a select few jobs suffered the most.

For the fourth round on the trot an Australian team hold the leaders' jersey, as "Hammer Time Co" (Arcadis, Australia) returned to the top of the leaderboard with 1,717 pts, but their lead is just a solitary point from last year's Runners Up "Whatever it takes" (Stantec, Italy). The team from Down Under will be trying to hold off teams from Jacobs and Stantec who occupy 10 of the current 12 qualifying places for the final, with the other sponsor represented by "The Decision Box" (Cundall, UK). Of the 4 new entries into the qualifying places for the final it was the "Jacobites" (Jacobs, India) who made the most impressive move, a 57 place rise into 10th place, and once more emphasising that one really good round can make a huge difference to a team's standing in the table, which will give encouragement to many teams.

And so to the latest ENGINUITY TWITTER FEEDS :-

• Who were the star performers in terms of overall improvement and positional gain this week ?
  In both cases the accolades went to "Are You Smarter Than An EIT?" (Stantec, United States), who lived up to their team name with an impressive 24% improvement that enabled them to make a meteoric rise of 84 places from 130th to 46th.
  
  
• Last year's champions, "Babble Royale" from Jacobs, had team members from the UK, Ireland, USA and Saudi Arabia. The top of the Enginuity leaderboard this year already has a similar international feel, with team members from around the globe, and it would be no surprise if the 2023 Champions were also spread far and wide, but there is still a long way to go.
  
  
• The oracle that is the Enginuity Crystal Ball is still happy with pinning its reputation on "Building stuff asbestos we can" (Rider Levett Bucknall, UK) as potential dark horses this year, but even an old sage needs to hedge its bets, and it has also highlighted "WSP's Dream Team" (WSP, Australia) as one to watch, as the team from Down Under has been in 7th, 10th, 38th and now back up to 16th, and with 5 Australian teams in the top 20, could this be the first year for an Australian Champion ? Watch this space.
  
  
• UK based MWH Treatment have four teams taking part this year, and although none are in the leading positions, as with a lot of sponsors they have their own internal battle taking place. "Water Waste of Space" (MWH Treatment, UK) currently hold the bragging rights after 7% growth in period 8 saw them leapfrog the "Water Wizards" (MWH Treatment, UK), but with four more Preliminary Rounds still to play, there is bound to be further changes.
  
  
• The Enginuity competition is a stern test of resolve, and the ability to recover from setbacks; a real test of character. There are many examples each week of teams who demonstrate this, and in period 8 the "The Frisch Prince of Pell-Air" (RSBGUK, UK) grew by 10% that moved them up 33 places, and away from the foot of the table, and the handful of teams who are currently below their starting position back in period 5 will be hoping for a similar reaction in the next round.
  
  

Running a successful construction business requires effective internal decisions to be made, such as bidding competitively to win new work, and progressing jobs as profitably as possible. However, external economic, political and environmental WORLD EVENTS can also impact upon the business. Clues to some of the events, but not necessarly all of them, are reported in the ENGINUITY NEWS NETWORK (ENN) each period, and close examination of this valuable new source may influence the current and future strategy of the business. For example, in period 8 an article in the ENN reported that "As preparations continue for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, construction companies operating in the country fear a shortage of workers in the next 6 months, and are looking at sourcing the shortfall from elsewhere. The shortage of labour would raise labour costs, and increases build costs on jobs progressed for contractors operating in France, affecting profit margins.

League table at the end of period 8
Improvements, or otherwise, during period 8

Sponsor league tables (3 or more teams):-
AECOM
Arcadis
Atkins
Cundall
Hatch
Jacobs
Laing O'Rourke
Mott Macdonald
MWH Treatment
Rider Levett Bucknall
RSBG
Stantec
Tony Gee and Partners
WSP

As the teams entered the second half of the Preliminary Rounds, the problems with UNKNOWN bidders from the previous round were a distant memory for most with encouragingly 80% of them recording positive growth during period 9. Significantly there were also only 3 new entries into the top 12, as the top of the leaderboard finally began to settle down, which often happens at this stage as the teams begin to find their level.

At the top of the table an Australian team finally relinquished top spot as the consistency of "Enginuity State of Mind" (Jacobs, United States), in third spot for the previous 3 rounds, paid dividends as an 11% improvement enabled them to takeover top spot with 1,873 pts. And very spookily their current score of the leaders is exactly the same as it was in 2022 Competition at this stage, when the "Ministry of Wopus" (WSP New Zealand) held top spot, and they went on to finish 4th in the Final; read into this what you will!

The new leaders have opened up a 36 point gap to their nearest challengers, "Whatever it takes" (Stantec, Italy), with another US based Stantec team "Stanchievers" (Stantec, United States) climbing 8 places to 3rd. Jacobs and Stantec teams still dominate the leading places, occupying 10 of the current 12 qualifying places for the final. Of the 3 new entries in the top 12, the largest gain was made by "Factory X" (Jacobs, Germany/Israel/UK), with a 14% climb, and one of teams on the radar of the Enginuity Crystal Ball, "WSP's Dream Team" (WSP, Australia), returned to the top 12 in 11th place.

As many teams look to trying to secure a place in the Final, it is worth looking back at the last year's Competition, and what level of KPI growth was needed to qualify for the Final. In 2022 at the end of period 12 a score of 2,086 pts was enough to secure a place in the Final. In average terms this is equivalent to growing by an average of 136 additional KPI points each period, based upon each team starting the Competition at the beginning of period 5 with 1,000 points. Currently the team occupying the last qualification place for the Final, "Engineering4Future" (Jacobs, Italy/India/UK) have averaged 146 points each period so far, indicating that the Competition is unfolding in similar vein to last year, and it is something to bear in mind for the teams hoping to break into the top 12 by the end of the Preliminary Rounds.

Diversifying through Targeted investments can produce benefits to jobs being progressed through reductions in both build costs and risk costs and delays, which can make a real difference to job and company profitability. However, occasionally this can be a risky strategy when the company being invested in is in danger of going bust, and those investing in Drivedown Piling Ltd were warned in period 7 about 'the company issuing profit warnings', and then in period 8 of the 'threat of administration next period', and in period 9 Drivedown Piling Ltd did indeed go bust, and only 49% of the investment was recovered for those that had continued to invest in the company.

And so to the latest ENGINUITY TWITTER FEEDS :-

• Who were the star performers in terms of overall improvement and positional gain this week ?
  In terms of performance the plaudits went to "Barbie Builders" (WSP Australia, Australia) with an impressive 28% improvement, making Ken very happy this week. The most impressive postional gain came from "Spark Plug" (Jacobs, India) with a stunning 59 place climb from 87th to 28th, and into contention for a place in the final, although they will need to keep up this momentum in period 10.
  
  
• It was a great week for the three Cundall teams taking part, with each improving, and in their own internal battle it is still "The Decision Box" (Cundall, UK) who lead their challenge, and they are still well placed in 15th, just outside the top 12, and waiting to pounce should teams above them falter.
  
  
• The Enginuity Crystal Ball has been working extra hard this week, scanning the league table for signs of a team that are going unnoticed, under the radar so as to speak, but who could mount a late challenge for a place in the Final. "Stage 6" (Hatch, South Africa) have now caught's its eye. Having been in the mid twenties during periods 6 and 7, then slipping well back in period 8, in period 9 an 18% improvement lifted them back up to 17th, their highest position to date, and one to keep an eye on!
  
  
• After a bright start by all the Waterline Projects' teams, they began to find the going tougher than even they could have expected, but period 9 saw improvements across the board, and none more so than by "The Water Mavens" (Waterline Projects, Australia), whose 19% growth enabled them to climb 39 places, just eclipsing "The Water Boys" (Waterline Projects, Australia), who they now lead in their own internal battle, and both are in a good position in the table for the remaining 3 Preliminary Rounds as they seek to reach the final, which would be an impressive feat in their first appearance as a Company in the Competition.
  
  
• As always we like to cast an eye on the lower reaches of the table, and in period 9 to the relief of their shareholders "Business Geek" (Atkins India, India) recovered from an alarming 24% decline in period 8 to post an encouraging 20% improvement to suggest that their management team had resolved a few internal problems, and perhaps they are now back on an upward trajectory.
  
  

League table at the end of period 9
Improvements, or otherwise, during period 9

Sponsor league tables (3 or more teams):-
AECOM
Arcadis
Atkins
Cundall
Hatch
Jacobs
Laing O'Rourke
Mott Macdonald
MWH Treatment
Rider Levett Bucknall
RSBG
Stantec
Tony Gee and Partners
WSP

At this stage of the Competition you can usually expect a level of stability in the league table, with less movement in and out of the top 12, and so it proved in period 10 with just 3 new entries into the qualifying positions for the final at the three-quarter point in the Preliminary Rounds. Overall it was another good round for many teams, with 85% posting positive growth, and a number of teams at the wrong end of the table rallying well once more. With just 2 Preliminary Rounds to go before the finalists are revealed, there is all to play for, with many teams just outside the top 12 still well placed to make their move should the leading teams slip up, and it will be a fascinating finale to the first stage of this year's Competition.

At the end of the first round, "Stanchievers" (Stantec, United States) were languishing in 55th place, but what a turnaround in fortunes it has proved since then for the team from across the Atlantic. After quickly catapulting themselves into the top 12 at the end of period 6, they have gradually climbed up to finally takeover the leaders' jersey with 1,993 pts, and in doing so they have opened up a sizeable 60 point gap to their nearest challengers, and barring some calamity they are looking well set for a place in the 2023 Final.

Behind the new leaders, you can't keep "Hammer Time Co" (Arcadis, Australia) out of the limelight as they bludgeoned their way back up to second, narrowly ahead of "briJ" (Jacobs, India/UK), who moved up one place to third, and in fourth are the only team with all UK players, "StanWreckers" (Stantec, UK). Of the new entries into the top 12 the most impressive move was made by "Shark Tank" (Poland/South Africa/India), who beared their teeth with a 24 place gain. "The Decision Box" (Cundall, UK) moved back into the top 12, and they will be hoping to bring to an end their yo yoing with the top 12 by staying there until the end of the Preliminary Rounds.

A recent report in a leading international construction journal posed the question "What makes a successful construction business ?". The author's answer, backed up by some leading industry experts, was that the essential ingredients are an effective marketing strategy, competitive tendering and successful completion of contracts, but there are many other factors that can make the crucial difference between being a 'successful', and an 'outstandingly successful' business. These included targeted investments, employing the most suitable staff and effective overhead management
Also, increasingly important is the role that an effective risk management policy can play. Take the 17m project in New Zealand to complete phase 4b of a hydroelectric plant development near Wanaka, Otago. Environmental protests had been identified as a high possibility for this sensitive scheme, and not surprisingly during period 10, the first quarter of the job, they caused problems for the contractor at a reported cost of around 280k. However, it could have been far worse if the chosen contractor had not employed one of the most highly respected project managers in the Energy field, along with an investment stake in a risk management company, all of which helped to mitigate the affect of the environmental protest, and reduce the final bill.

And so to the latest ENGINUITY TWITTER FEEDS :-

• Who were the star performers in terms of overall improvement and positional gain this week ?
  Both accolades went to teams from Hatch, with the most improvement team being "You’ve been HATCHed" (Hatch, Canada) with an impressive 19% growth, 1% more than their colleagues "HatchCon" (Hatch, South Africa) who achieved the best positional gain, a 44 place rise to 18th in the table.
  
  
• Every year there are a few new sponsors to Enginuity, and this year's first timers are Atkins China, Bigen Africa Services, Infraco Consulting, Rider Levett Bucknall, Subsea 7 and Waterline Projects. If they had their own NEWBEE mini league table at this stage it would be "Building stuff asbestos we can" (Rider Levett Bucknall, UK) currently at the top closely followed by "The Water Boys" (Waterline Projects, Australia) and "The Water Mavens" (Waterline Projects, Australia).
  
  
• The internal battle at Atkins has taken another twist with "SAKASA" (Atkins India, India) taking a firm grip over their rivals from Atkins China, "ACL HK Team 1" (Atkins China, Hong Kong). During period 10 an impressive 16% growth lifted them 35 places up the table and up to 33rd, and with an outside chance of qualifying for the final if the teams above them slip.
  
  
• The Enginuity Crystal Ball locked itself away in a dark room this week, but the darkness was soon illuminated as its light shone on "SCART" (AECOM, UK). It was 2015 when AECOM were last Champions, with 'Newbee', but after a steady start, then slipping well back during period 6, "SCART" (AECOM, UK) have never been out of the top 20, and they are now well placed in 15th to secure a place in the final and repeat AECOM's previous success.
  
  
• As has been said before, the Enginuity competition is a stern test of resolve, and the ability to recover from setbacks; a real test of character. Once more period 10 saw some fine examples of this resolve, and in particular "Follow me, I know Seaway" (Subsea 7, UK) who grew by an impressive 15% that moved them up 6 places, and away from the foot of the table, and the handful of teams who are currently below their starting position back in period 5 will be hoping for a similar reaction in the next round.
  
  

League table at the end of period 10
Improvements, or otherwise, during period 10

Sponsor league tables (3 or more teams):-
AECOM
Arcadis
Atkins
Cundall
Hatch
Jacobs
Laing O'Rourke
Mott Macdonald
MWH Treatment
Rider Levett Bucknall
RSBG
Stantec
Tony Gee and Partners
WSP

The penultimate round of the Preliminary Rounds encouragingly saw 74% of the teams post positive growth figures in period 11, and as the final comes into sight 10 teams retained their positions in the top 12, with just 2 new entries, but there is still a sizeable chasing pack still in contention, and the tension is palpable, and there are sure to be more surprises before the identity of the 12 finalists is revealed next week. And with teams in the top 12 representing all regions of the world, another global final is on the cards.

And so to the action in period 11. At the top of the table "Stanchievers" (Stantec, United States) are STANding firm on 2,085 pts, although their lead has been cut to just 21 points by "Enginuity State of Mind" (Jacobs, United States), who returned to second place, with "briJ" (Jacobs, India/UK) remaining third. The 2 new entries into the top 12 were the joint leaders back in period 5, "Glasgow ES&T" (Jacobs, UK), with a 29 place rise after 15% growth, and the leaders from period 6, "Minimum STANdards" (Stantec, Australia) There is still only 150 points separating the top 12, and although Stantec and Jacobs teams still dominate the make up of the teams, "Hammer Time Co" (Arcadis, Australia) and "The Decision Box" (Cundall, UK) are still well placed in 6th and 10th respectively.

The teams that qualify for a place in the Final will carry on with their businesses as they are at the end of the Preliminary Rounds, or early years. However, the final, or later years will present a number of new challenges. In particular, each of the 'human' teams will be in direct competition for work against each other, with just one additional simulated rival. This adds more uncertainty to the bidding process, and added to this contract awards are not just based upon price, but upon client relationships, so relationships built up over the early years take on added significance in the later years, and marketing strategies assume added significance as niche markets become very attractive. Only the team able to cope the best under the increased pressure, and with the most effective and robust strategy for competing in this challenging global environment, would eventually emerge as the 2023 Champions.

And so to the latest ENGINUITY TWITTER FEEDS :-

• Who were the star performers in terms of overall improvement and positional gain this week ?
  Both accolades went to the same team, "The nameless squad" (Stantec, Peru), whose impressive 23% growth catapulted them 58 places up the table, from 86th to 28th.
  
  
• What makes Enginuity is so challenging is that just like the real world it simulates, it can be very unpredictable, and as well as the KNOWN bidders that can adjust their bidding strategy as market conditions dictate, there are also potentially UNKNOWN rival bidders for each job, who can be very aggressive on price, such as the Nevada Energy Corporation in period 11. The only way to counter this threat when bidding is to set margins a lot lower than anticipated, but this also comes at a price in that any jobs won will then have a lower profit in the bid, but on the balance of risk this is a strategically better decision to guarantee future workload.
  
  
• In the final round of the Competition there are always surprises, and one or two teams make a late move into the top 12, as happened last year when 2 teams timed their last Preliminary Round to perfection to claim a place in the final. This year the Enginuity Crystal Ball has been busy looking at what will be needed by teams currently outside the top 12 to achieve this, and has noticed that in 2022 the team occupying 12th place at the end of period 11 was only 7 points better off than this year's current 12th placed team. The reveered sage has hence made the bold prediction that a score of over 2,100 should be enough to qualify for the final. We shall see!
  
  
• In the internal sponsor battles, one of the most intriguing is continuing to unfold at Hatch. Different teams have led their mini league table each week, and currently "Stage 6" (Hatch, South Africa) hold the bragging rights, and just inside the top 20 they are also well placed to claim a place inb the final should teams above them falter in the final Prelimianry Round.
  
  
• One really encouraging aspect again this year is how many of the teams are heeding the words of the title of the 1985 Billy Ocean classic, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going", with now the least number of teams, only 2, below their starting position of 1,000 points at this stage than for many years.
  
  

League table at the end of period 11
Improvements, or otherwise, during period 11

Sponsor league tables (3 or more teams):-
AECOM
Arcadis
Atkins
Cundall
Hatch
Jacobs
Laing O'Rourke
Mott Macdonald
MWH Treatment
Rider Levett Bucknall
RSBG
Stantec
Tony Gee and Partners
WSP

There is an old saying that 'timing is everything', and so it proved in the final Preliminary Round as 4 teams moved into the top 12 to the dismay of those they replaced in a tense conclusion to the first stage of this year's Competition. The teams rejoicing at their late surge were "Engineering4Future" (Jacobs, Italy/India/UK), who returned to the top 12 after a 28-place gain from 34th to 6th to shock their rivals, and they also posted the best improvement in period 12 with a 20% improvement. "Stantogether" (Stantec, Australia) climbed 15 places to 8th, and one of the Enginuity Crystal Ball's tips for success, another team from Down Under, "WSP's Dream Team" (WSP, Australia), moved up 10 places to 10th, and the last team to move into the top 12 were "Stage 6" (Hatch, South Africa), with 9% growth that enabled them to claim the last place in the final 12.

However, amongst the joy there was bound to be anguish, and spare a thought for the teams that just missed out, and in particular "Yayobs" (Jacobs, Ireland/UK), who lost out on a place in the final by just 3 points, and previous leaders "Hammer Time Co" (Arcadis, Australia), who lost a key bid by the smallest of margins to dent their forward workload and margin KPIs. Just like the real world it simulates, the Enginuity world can be a cruel and unforgiving place, but there is always next year.

Going into the final in pole position are last year's Runners Up, "Whatever it takes" (Stantec, Italy) with 2,217 pts, one of 5 Stantec finalists, and they will be hoping that their experience can secure Stantec's first Enginuity Champion. However, the competition will be fierce with another previous finalist "Enginuity State of Mind" (Jacobs, United States) close behind, and they are also one of 5 finalists from Jacobs determined to retain the title for their sponsor. The other teams in the final representing WSP Australia and Hatch WSP will have other ideas!

There is just 162 points separating the 12 finalists, and in another international field there are teams from all over the globe, and a number with team members from several different coutries. With so little to choose between the finalists, even the sage that is the Enginuity Crystal Ball, so active again this year, is not prepared to try and predict who will ultimately triumph and lift the Enginuity 2023 crown, with 6 tense and competitive rounds ahead spread over 3 weeks, in which KPI points can quickly be eroded away as the increased pressure of the final puts endurance, team dynamics and company strategies to the ultimate test.

The 12 teams that have qualified for the final, and the order in which they will start the final are :-

And what of the teams that did not make the final ? Encouragingly, 98% of the teams that began the journey back in period 5 completed the early years with stronger, more sustainable companies than they started, a testimony to the skill and application shown throughout by the management teams.

There have been so many internal sponsor competitions within the main event that have caught the imagination over the last 8 weeks, and it is only fitting that we pay homage to the victors in their own mini battles. So here is the ENGINUITY 2023 Sponsor Podium at the end of the Preliminary Rounds :-

In the end there can only be one Champion ... tune in from June 3 to June 21 to find out who!

League table at the end of period 12
Improvements, or otherwise, during period 12

Sponsor league tables (3 or more teams):-
AECOM
Arcadis
Atkins
Cundall
Hatch
Jacobs
Laing O'Rourke
Mott Macdonald
MWH Treatment
Rider Levett Bucknall
RSBG
Stantec
Tony Gee and Partners
WSP