Fostering a quality culture

“Ashe adopted the tag line ‘Building Better’ ten years ago because that is what we want to achieve,” says Justin Howard, Ashe Group’s construction and quality director. “Building better quality projects is a key strand of that message and has been a driving force within the business for some time. By joining GIRI we believe we will drive that message forward again. Working collaboratively with our industry peers and partners will ensure that we will find new ways to work better and add value for all our clients through innovation and business improvement.”

GIRI brings together clients, consultants, contractors, regulators, educators, professional institutions, and trade bodies with a shared ambition to work towards zero error in construction, without judgement, to deliver better outcomes.

For Justin, The Get it Right Initiative came along just at the right time. “It’s exactly what we were looking for. We want the focus on improving quality to be about reducing errors, reducing costs, and reducing carbon.”

Ashe joined GIRI this spring and will onboard its staff by communicating GIRI’s aims and objectives, ensuring alignment over a transitional period with Ashe’s own. “We went through a similar change with health and safety a decade ago,” says Justin. “We enlisted the help of external consultants to engage with our staff and review our safety culture. We looked at values, attitudes, perceptions, competencies, and patterns of behaviour to help us understand the group’s health and safety culture. GIRI will be the next step of the journey in strengthening our approach to quality.”

Justin says that one of the key benefits of GIRI is the sharing of knowledge and experience between members. Not just understanding how others are dealing with the issues they face but knowing that they are dealing with the same issues. “The construction industry is facing a number of critical challenges and by collaborating during forums and workshops, these issues can be tackled in an open way to improve how the industry operates.

“Recent tragic events have highlighted failures within the industry and demonstrated the importance of good processes and the need to understand the root causes of these failures. Actively managing these potential risks is key to ensuring successful project outcomes. GIRI has the same values and vision, raising awareness of the issues and ultimately improving construction.

“As members, we are looking forward to sharing information and fully understanding the issues facing the industry to ensure we stay current and evolve as a business. We will be focusing on culture, leadership, and responsibility, sharing ideas and approaches with our clients and consultants, improving our supply chain, and engaging with the GIRI training resources.” 

Founded in 1972, Ashe manages the design and construction of buildings for public and private sector clients. From its offices in Hertfordshire, the company works across a number of markets and industries on new construction, internal and external refurbishment, alterations, and fit outs.

“Ashe Group is all about partnering and long-term relationships and we look forward to engaging with our peers and making a difference to the construction industry.”