THE DEVELOPMENT OF NETWORKS BETWEEN ENGINEERING CONTRACTORS AND THEIRCLIENTS - THE SPECIAL CASE OF PARTNERING

This paper sets out to show how partnering arrangements between engine ering contractors in process plant contracting and their process indus try clients have led to increasing collaborative contributions at the 'front end' of capital asset formation. Partnering arrangements are se en here as formalised long-term contracts between process plant contra ctors and their clients, intended to apply to engineering and other se rvices in major capital projects over a number of years. While researc h does not appear to have been affected to a significant extent, partn ers seem to be interacting increasingly on process development and des ign. One outcome of partnering is to increase the contractors' involve ment in their clients' overall business objectives. As a result of thi s change in the character of their services, contractors are more incl ined to seek opportunities to improve efficiency, rather than followin g specifications. This interaction of entities with a different focus and, to some extent, different skills is a potential source of innovat ion which to date has not been realised to any great extent.