The Spending Review 2025 has injected a palpable sense of optimism into the construction industry. The Chancellor’s pledge of £39 billion for affordable housing over the next decade is a significant investment that the industry has long advocated for, especially after years of uncertainty. Brittany Harris, co-founder and CEO of Qflow, emphasizes that this commitment provides a clear pipeline of work that could have a transformative effect on the built environment, both in upgrading existing assets and constructing new ones for the benefit of all.
The Government’s broader commitments, including substantial investments in nuclear power and low-carbon transport schemes, signal a proactive approach to tackling the UK’s most pressing infrastructure challenges with sustainability in mind. The industry has responded positively, particularly to the 10-year funding horizon, which allows for long-term planning and greater certainty.
However, the path to success is not without its challenges. Having worked alongside Tier 1 contractors on some of the UK’s largest construction projects over the past five years, Harris has witnessed firsthand how even the most ambitious government funding can fall short of its potential. The lack of real-time visibility of materials arriving on site is a consistent cause of budget overruns. Incorrect materials arriving at the wrong time lead to waste and delays, with non-specified products sometimes being installed, resulting in costly rework, extended schedules, and unnecessary safety risks. These issues are precisely what the industry must avoid to maximize the benefits of this historic investment.
The construction industry’s productivity challenges and the persistence of rework and waste are well-documented. What is often overlooked is the significant role that poor data quality plays during construction execution. A recent data quality in construction report revealed that 80% of contractors lack structured delivery data tracking systems, and 91% of product and waste data requires enrichment to become actionable. With materials representing 40% of project budgets and 90% of industry-embodied carbon emissions, quality data is not just desirable but essential. Without addressing these data issues, the industry risks squandering this investment opportunity and missing the chance to tackle construction’s colossal carbon footprint.
The solution lies in adopting smarter information capture and analysis during construction. By ensuring projects receive the right materials at the right time, the Government and industry can deliver these mission-critical projects efficiently, maximizing value for every pound invested. This approach not only saves time and money but also lightens the industry’s environmental footprint. The ambitious targets set out in the Spending Review can only be achieved if the industry builds differently, embracing digital technology and getting on top of data to deliver results faster, with fewer errors, lower carbon emissions, and greater compliance.
Tools like Qflow already exist to make this the standard rather than the exception. Accurate data is just the starting point. The industry must rethink how it delivers infrastructure through smarter procurement, better training, and clear metrics for productivity and sustainability. The old adage “you can’t manage what you don’t measure” has never been truer. As civil engineers, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape how infrastructure is delivered in the UK. We also have a critical responsibility to ensure that the future we build is sustainable—able to support us today without compromising future generations. Let’s ensure we don’t let this opportunity pass us by because we didn’t have the right data.