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Building certainty: What’s next?
As we’ve seen, certainty is a strategic asset, a scarce resource, and one that’s rapidly vanishing.
Today, success is about being ready for whatever comes next. That means facing uncertainty head-on and building certainty by design. Not finding it. Not waiting for it. Building it, deliberately, urgently, and across the full lifecycle of construction.
To do that, we need to rethink how we work and our approach to technology, data, and people.
An end to endemic uncertainty
Construction has always been a traditional industry. But tradition is no excuse for complacency. Technology and materials have advanced. But the overall approach would still be familiar to the craftsmen who built the Tower of London in 1078.
Construction still largely depends on people and materials being on site at a specific time and place. Most projects are built from scratch, outdoors, and follow a unique design. They involve many teams, joining at different stages, over a long period of time. This makes the industry especially vulnerable to risks like labour shortages, supply chain disruption, and even weather!
The bigger threat, though, is the uncertainty we create ourselves.
Incomplete designs, unclear decisions, rigid procurement and confusing contracts all add to the uncertainty. These systemic issues reduce our ability to properly plan, and adapt to deal with external pressures and consequently make the whole system more fragile.
We cannot control external factors like inflation or weather. But we can forecast their impact, plan ahead, and build in resilience. That starts with fixing the risks within our own processes.
“ Systemic uncertainty stifles innovation. It slows reaction times. It bakes in inefficiency. It makes construction more vulnerable to the things it can’t control, and less capable of adapting to them.”
Nick Gray
COO UK and Europe Currie & Brown
This is where we must focus. If we want to manage the unknowns, we need to fix what’s broken in the system. Because it’s not enough to adapt to change, we must be built for it.
And that means a reset in thinking. A deliberate shift in mindset and action:
— More agile, collaborative delivery models
— Smarter, clearer risk allocation
— Stronger planning from the start
— An industry-wide willingness to do things differently
We’re not the first to call out these challenges. However, as our research shows, the cost of uncertainty is becoming too great for the industry to stomach. Now is the time for open discussion and collaborative action to build greater certainty into the future of construction.
Changing minds to build a better future
If we want better outcomes, we need to think differently.
It starts with honesty. We must admit the system isn’t fit for purpose. Then we must have the courage to question habits, challenge assumptions, and rethink what’s possible. And it needs collaboration. We must talk, listen, adapt, and improve.
The most successful organisations in our research were the most agile. But agility isn’t about reacting faster. It’s about being ready. Planning thoroughly. Preparing wisely. Collaborating intentionally. Building flexibility into the foundation.
Adaptability must be embedded early, from concept to early-stage planning, through procurement, into delivery and operation.
This isn’t just the responsibility of one stakeholder, it’s a whole-system shift. Governments, regulators, asset owners, consultants, and contractors all play a role in defining success and shaping the conditions to achieve it.
“Uncertainty” can no longer be an excuse for poor planning or missed targets. We must build better, smarter, together.
To do that, we need to reframe how we think about three critical levers: technology, data, and people.
Case study
Agility in action: Delivering through disruption
When Europe’s largest Holiday Inn Express faced delays and disruption, the team didn’t dig in, they adapted.
Currie & Brown worked closely with them. We supported a shift in procurement, helped reprioritise workstreams, and applied value engineering to strengthen the plan. The result was a more resilient delivery strategy, built to respond in real time.
Instead of firefighting, stakeholders came together to collaborate. Timelines and expectations were reset, fast. That clarity kept the project on track. And ultimately, it was delivered on time and on budget.
This is what agility looks like in practice: bold decisions, made early, to stay ahead of uncertainty.