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The top six are still there but cracks are starting to show. 'PM Kids' from Atkins China remain top but by only 65 points from 'CEG'. Arup's 'OVEachievers' climb three places to third to consolidate their claim for a place in the final. Atkins India's 'That Team' drop one place and 'The Team with no name' stays put at 5th. Waterman's 'Waterman is coming' slip two places to sixth and are only in the top six by four points, it doesn't get any closer. 'Waterman is coming' will need their full concentration to keep their place. I cannot imagine they'll get much real work done this week as they calculate how to defend their position!
Less than two hundred points separate the top six that is close. Outside the top positions there are a number that could well make it. The highest percentage improvement in the leading teams was 19% this round the lowest was 7% a difference of 12%. That difference takes you do to virtually position twenty. So there is still scope for some change at the top. It's tense and you can feel it.
There are a cluster of teams just outside the top places who can still threaten so the top six will try to dig in. Past data suggests that teams in the top twenty at this stage could well disturb the rankings. With one round to go there is some tension in both the top teams defending their position and the chasers still chasing. The positions may well change but it's impossible to predict. Experience suggests that the chasers will take the biggest risks in their pursuit for top place. The top six will probably check everything many times to ensure that they don't make a last minute silly mistake. Lower down everyone is still trying to improve their final position. There is some satisfaction in generating an improvement at this stage.
Will the teams pass this stress test.
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The top six have had a quick shuffle. Atkins China's P.M.Kids and CEG with no sponsor remain first and second. Atkins India's 'That Team' rise by one to third, Waterman's 'Waterman is coming' rise to two places to fourth. Atkins India's 'A team with no name' slip two places to fifth and Arup's 'OVErachievers' slip one to cling onto sixth, care will be needed to stay there. Just outside the top six the big mover was Arup's 'SupernOVAs' rising six places to eighth need to watch they don't simply replace their colleagues. Also rising is Highways England's 'Didn't he do well' Slightly further back big upward movers include Mott MacDonald's 'Mott MacDonald Sheffield' and SWECO's 'Pro SWECO'. It can be done and the top six aren't secure yet. It's time for the chasers to be courageous.
One thing to keep an eye on is the market conditions. If the spend on marketing in the right sectors isn't adequate it will result in fewer jobs to bid for. If the market is tightening this could be significant. This is just one factor. All the others need controlling as well: head office staffing, estimating effort, bids, project manager selection, project staffing, company capital, borrowings, investments, dividends, retained profits. They all matter; no one said a director's job was easy. Enjoy the challenge.
With two rounds to go, at this stage some successful decisions get described as heroic and inspirational, other less successful ones as simply foolhardy.
Maybe it's time to put your cards on the table.
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Two drop out of the top six with 'OVEachievers' from Arup and 'Waterman is coming' from Waterman rising to 5th and 6th. Waterman are a new sponsor for MERIT and they should be proud of their team's performance. 'PM Kids' from Atkins China remain top 'CEG' an unsponsored team are doing well rise to second. The average improvement for the top six was 18% which gives a target to aim at in order to advance.
In past years at this stage the leading teams get twitchy and cautious. A final place seems to be in their grasp but a mistake, an uniformed decision, or a reckless decision that goes the wrong way could change all that. This caution and defensiveness will give opportunities for those in the chasing pack to show their flair and take courageous decisions to catch them. The top six are looking over their shoulder the chasers are breathing down their neck.
For all teams, If your strategy hasn't been reviewed this is probably the last opportunity to do so. It is time for a serious review of the strategy you've been following to determine what changes in the next three rounds will yield the biggest gains. 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. Teams can greatly improve their ranking in these rounds. It takes sense and strength to change your strategy.
Aspects that some teams might like to consider a little more carefully is matching the project manager to the project, a critical factor in efficiency, the number of measurement staff helps recover all you are due, the estimating effort required for accurate estimates and the company's capital. Yes there is a lot of variables and they all interact which is why disciplined decision making is required.
With three rounds to go, no team is safe.