Our Capabilities

Laing O’Rourke’s ambition is to be a Total Solutions Provider to the built and infrastructure environment.  We work with clients, as part of their team, from project conception through to delivery and on-going operations.  This integrated method of delivery along with Laing O’Rourke’s extensive capabilities across all elements of a projects lifecycle, allow us to deliver world-class projects on time, on budget and to exacting standards.

With our focus on innovation we continually strive to develop the solutions which meet and exceed our client’s needs.  Through our self-delivery capabilities, the Laing O’Rourke group are able to deliver a broad offering that drives out waste, mitigates risk and allows us to integrate project resources quickly and effectively, thereby increasing productivity.

Feasibility

At the initial concept phase of a project, Laing O’Rourke work with clients to undertake a full feasibility study, ultimately determining a project's viability and allowing clients to conclude if they should proceed. Through our feasibility work we will engage with our clients to:

>	Give the project focus and outline alternatives where appropriate
>	Analyse and articulate the requirements of clients and stakeholders
>	Identify the impact of the project and reasons that could prevent the project from proceeding
>	Identify the critical success factors & mitigate potential risk early including legal, technical, organisational, environmental and financial
>	Provide quality information to inform decisions
>	Help secure funding from lending institutions and other sources
>	Recommend how to progress and provide a high level delivery plan

By working with our clients at the earliest stages of a project and developing strong relationships at this stage we can ensure a smoother transition from conception through to delivery.

Develop Options

Following the feasibility stages, Laing O’Rourke work with clients to take the findings and develop a series of options which all deliver the clients requirements. We will then work the preferred option through to design stage.

Invest

Laing O’Rourke looks to align objectives through taking an equity position in projects across sectors. By taking a significant investment position we share with our partners the risk and reward of the project, drawing on our expertise in equity investment, development, design, construction and asset management.

Through initiatives like the UK’s Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and Design Build Finance and Operate schemes (DBFO), the public sector can avoid the risks of investing in assets and the provision of routine services, while still maintaining control of the services offered to the public.

We also create our own investment and development opportunities, particularly around urban regeneration, residential and office accommodation opportunities.

Invest

Laing O’Rourke looks to undertake an equity position in projects across our sectors. By taking a significant investment position we share the risk and reward with our partners, over the lifetime of the project. We draw on our expertise in equity investment, development, design, construction and asset management to realise the value of the investment and deliver greater returns.

Design & Engineer

Engineering excellence is at the core of Laing O’Rourke’s heritage and the foundation for sustainable, superior performance throughout the definition, design and delivery of construction projects. Laing O’Rourke’s engineering excellence is not limited to Civil and Structural Engineering; it encompasses all forms of engineering including Mechanical & Electrical, Production and Process Engineering. Through our design and engineering capabilities we:

>	Reduce cost of production
>	Increase time and cost certainty
>	Improve quality and functionality
>	Deliver sustainable solutions
>	Improve health & safety
>	Ensure greater lifetime value

We are able to bring together the very best in design and engineering to deliver world-class projects. Through our capabilities in these areas we aim to develop new and innovative solutions which not only meet, but exceed our client’s requirements.

It is essential that Laing O’Rourke employ the very best people in these disciplines and we are dedicated to providing continual professional development to ensure we attract and retain the very best.

Construct & Manufacture

Off-site manufacturing underpins Laing O’Rourke’s vision to innovate in design and delivery. By designing buildings in a common component set and then manufacturing the components off site, Laing O’Rourke can provide greater certainty of construction times and costs. It also helps to reduce the impact of the skills shortages affecting the construction industry and improves quality and site safety.

Moreover, the use of common components can actually increase flexibility and our ability to produce different types of buildings cost effectively. We have the ability to design and deliver an integrated building component set from structure, through mechanical and electrical (including fully serviced modular plant rooms), to building envelope. More recently we have developed a unique solution for the delivery of bathroom pods in both the Middle East and Europe.

To further develop this capability we are building Europe’s largest manufacturing facility in Steetley, a multi-million pound investment which will be the most advanced factory of its type in the UK. Our Steetley facility will manufacture a range of concrete construction products including walls, floors, columns and beams which will be used on our projects throughout the country.

Through our investment in new technology, processes and consolidated capabilities, Laing O’Rourke will differ by being able to offer lower cost, high volume production of a broad range of customised building components and significantly larger pre-assembly areas. There are already a number of projects benefiting from our diverse manufacturing capabilities across the Middle East and Europe.

Test, Commission & Handover

We pride ourselves on providing peace of mind by ensuring there is a smooth transition from construction through to operation. To deliver this service the asset is fully tested before it is handed over to our clients. This is done on-site where appropriate and remotely for our manufactured elements.

Commissioning is a quality-assurance process to ensure we deliver a new building that meets the expectations of the client. When commissioning a building, a systematic process must be followed to ensure that the building’s numerous and complex array of systems is designed, installed and tested to optimum performance, meeting the intended design and client’s needs. For a truly effective commissioning process we undertake testing throughout the design and planning stages.

Handover to a client’s in-house team or suppliers in undertaken in a methodical and timely manner. Based on the provision of rigorous training and the integration of client teams early in the process we are able to handover a building that our clients are able to use and operate at optimum performance from day one.

Operate & Maintain

Operability is a fundamental feature that we ensure is built into all our projects. Therefore following the construction of a building or infrastructure asset, Laing O’Rourke is well placed to deliver the ongoing operation and maintenance of that asset.

The value we can deliver to customers is in the creation of operations centric buildings that consistently perform at an optimum level throughout their lifecycle. Our approach is to plan operability into the building at design stage which ensures we can deliver optimum operating efficiencies. We are able to take a broader, more holistic view of on-going operations and ensure that we remove risk at critical stages. Our design and installation capabilities allow us to achieve the optimum capital versus operating spend balance and we can develop an integrated and predictive approach to operation and maintenance that accommodates customer’s long term and changing maintenance needs

We take a proactive approach to operations and maintenance to reduce costs, ensure a comfortable working environment and deliver sustainability compliance.

Decommission

The safe and sustainable decommissioning of an asset at the end of its lifecycle is as important as its initial development. Many assets have a finite lifespan, after which it is not economical to continue operations. If the asset cannot be put to an alternative use we will work with our clients to ensure that land which has been in industrial use, is restored to its original conditions.

We will dismantle the asset and dispose of all components in the most sustainable way. We will then remediate the land to ensure the site is returned to Brown Field, or if appropriate, Green Field status. Regulatory requirements are of upmost importance in this work. Laing O’Rourke will also ensure that all work is carried out to those standards.