Period 6

CIOB GSC 2015 - Period 6

Competition, risk and uncertainty are generating movement in the rankings

'Smurf Village' from HKU has moved up 4 places to displace 'Tempe Construction' of HKPolyU from first place with 'Tempe Construction' now second. Chongquing University CIOB Student Center' has risen 8 paces to enter the top six in 3rd place, they could be the first mainland Chinese team in the Final. Glasgow Caledonian's 'Saltire' has also joined the top sixth in 4th place from 10th and maybe we'll see GCal in the Final again. Curtin's 'The Might Ducks' have also joined the top six in 5th place rising from 9th. Curtin are competing to be in the Final for the first time. Australia's Newcastle University's 'UoN Nobbys' have slipped from 3rd to 6th. So we have three new teams in the top six. Those slipping out are 'RMIT CJ Team' down from 2nd to 12th, 'Team 2 Curtin CM' down from 4th to 8th and Lougborough's imaginatively named 'Loughborough' team are down from 6th to 16th .

What this indicates is the turbulence in the rankings generated by the decisions that teams are taking, the competitive market that means not all decisions work out causing some uncertainty.

However there are bigger movements below the top ten as the chasing teams gather to press for the top places. With the average improvement in scores being 45% there is still everything to play for with four more rounds to go. The top six are not yet comfortable so they have to work hard to protect their positions but usually the chasing pack are highly motivated to try harder.

Every decision has an effect and so teams need to be sure that they have organised a disciplined approach and system to decision making so that the consequences of each decision and the risks associate are well understood. This should inform the compromises the teams or Boards of Directors are taking wise and calculated decisions and risks.

Period 6 results

Preliminary results, subject to change.
(Teams with a negative 100% have requested late submission or have been asked to resubmit)

Top 10

Team's improvement

Period 7

CIOB GSC 2015 - Period 7

Time to review strategy?

The top six remain the same but the order has changed HKU's 'Smurf Village' remains 1st, GCal's 'Saltire' are up to 2nd from 4th, 'HKPolyU's 'Tempe Construction' down to 3rd from 2nd Curtin's 'The Mighty Ducks' are up to 4th from 5th and Newcastle's 'UoN Nobby's are up to 5th from 6th, Chongquing's 'Chongquing University CIOB Student Center' are down to 6th from 3rd. Challenging the top six are teams from London Southbank, HKU, RMIT and Curtin and the points difference is not great.

Universities with teams in last year's final but not in the top six, yet, are RMIT, last year's winners, Loughborough and Greenwich. There are considerable movements below the top ten so there is still plenty of time.

It's time to review strategy.
Teams set out with a strategy, a set of objectives, a game plan how to achieve their targets. After three rounds it is a good time to review how well the original strategy is working. Evidence of good leadership is to have the strength to review your strategy and make changes if necessary. Clinging on to a strategy that isn't quite delivering results isn't good management. Real directors have their strategies continually challenged by the dynamic nature of the market, competition for work and staff, uncertainty and risks. This calls for flexibility in response.

Period 7 results

Preliminary results, subject to change.
(Teams with a negative 100% have requested late submission or have been asked to resubmit)

Top 10

Team's improvement

Period 8

CIOB GSC 2015 - Period 8

Stasis?

An unusual stability in that HKU's 'Smurf Village', CGU's 'Saltire', HKPolyU's 'Tempe Construction', Curtin's 'The Mighty Ducks' and Chongquing's 'Chonquing University Student Center' all held the same places as the last round that is 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th. However the spread of the scores is marginally wider. The team out of the top six was Newcastle(Australia)'s 'UoN Nobbys' who slipped to 7th to be replaced by London Southbank's 'HK Global'. The chasing pack is still there so we expect some changes in the next two rounds.

Below the top six movements have been limited mainly to one or two places but 'RMIT CJ Team' has slipped a little more than that.

The psychology at this stage is usually interesting with the leading teams tending to get a) twitchy and b) cautious and this gives opportunities for those in the chasing pack with flair and courage to catch them. It's time to take some decisions that earlier you might have considered as risky. This is when leadership and disciplined decision making should show its value.

The ratio of turnover to company capital is an important indicator at a level of 9 times the company capital the questions start to be raised as to whether your company have enough assets to support its work load. But it also indicates that the company capital is working hard. If the ratio is much lower say 5 it indicates that the company's capital is not working hard and your Finance Director needs to consider how to respond. Grow the company's turnover, invest the capital outside the company or reduce the capital. It is not only the construction side of estimating and completing projects that determine a successful company. The financial side is equally important.

Period 8 results

Preliminary results, subject to change.
(Teams with a negative 100% have requested late submission or have been asked to resubmit)

Top 10

Team's improvement

Period 9

CIOB GSC 2015 - Period 9

One round to go and the top six isn't secure as yet!

HKU's 'Smurf Village' retain first place even stretching their lead a little over GCU's 'Saltire' who remain in second. CURTIN's 'The Mighty Ducks' strengthen their place in top six by rising one place to third and 'Chongquing University CIOB Student Center' do even better by rising two places to fourth. HKPolyU's 'Tempe Construction' slips two paces to fifth and can't afford another slip in the next round. Back in the top six after an absence is University of Newcastle Australia's ' UoN Nobbys' who secure the sixth place rising from seventh. London Southbank's 'HK Global' slipped out f the top six. Deakin who nearly made it last year are lurking with last year's winners RMIT a bit further back. It's tight at the top and at within 5% below sixth place are all teams up to eleventh.

Looking at the complete list of teams the largest rise was of 8 places and the biggest drop was of 10 places. So there is considerable movement and if repeated with a top six team dropping and a lower one rising in the next and final round could produce some interesting changes.

At this stage it is important to get every decision sound, for example an imbalance on the spending side: if too much can drive up costs reduce profits damage overall performance; if too little can reduce outputs, delay projects, reduce cash inflows or bidding opportunities and reduce overall performance. It is critical to have disciplined decision making controlling all factors such as head office staffing, estimating effort, bids, project manager selection, project staffing, company capital, borrowings, investments, dividends, retained profits etc. They all matter. At the start the advice was to think like company directors, act like company directors, be company directors but no one said a director's job was easy. With one round to go strong leadership is required to make critical decisions those that are successful will be described as heroic and inspirational other decisions less successful might be described as foolhardy. The margin between these two outcomes is fine and that is the judgements that you face.

Period 9 results

Preliminary results, subject to change.
(Teams with a negative 100% have requested late submission or have been asked to resubmit)

Top 10

Team's improvement

Period 10

CIOB GSC 2015 - Period 10

A dramatic final round

There is always dramatic moves towards the end. The task of defending a leading position is more difficult than it looks and the chasing pack are always highly motivated and are tempted to take brave decisions.

GCal's 'Saltire' move into first place from second, Curtin's 'The Mighty Ducks' also move up one to second and HKU's 'Smurfe Village' drop from first to third. Newcastle Australia's 'UoN Nobbys' climb two places to fourth as do HKU's 'Unity' up from seventh to fifth and Deakin's 'JJSV' up from eighth to sixth. There was a big move from Loughborough's 'SSTW Construction 'up from fourteenth to seventh. Sadly teams also move down and 'Chongquing University CIOB Student Center' slip from fourth to tenth place and HKPolyU's 'Tempe Construction' move down from fifth to eighth.

The rankings at this stage are not a clear indicator of the eventual Champions. With eight rounds in the final in a more competitive environment anything can happen. Last year's Champion was lying third at this stage.

Period 10 results

Preliminary results, subject to change.
(Teams with a negative 100% have requested late submission or have been asked to resubmit)

Top 10

Team's improvement

Period 12

CIOB GSC 2015 - Period 12

Period 13

CIOB GSC 2015 - Period 13

Period 14

CIOB GSC 2015 - Period 14

Period 15

CIOB GSC 2015 - Period 15

Period 16

CIOB GSC 2015 - Period 16

Period 17

CIOB GSC 2015 - Period 17

Period 18

CIOB GSC 2015 - Period 18