ABSTRACT
This chapter considers small works in the context of the large client organisation where particularly challenging demands are placed on the staff responsible for small works procurement and management. The larger the organisation the higher is the small works workload and the more critical this area becomes if optimal resource utilisation and maximum effectiveness are to be achieved. Whereas many small clients have only a limited understanding of construction, the majority of large client organisations have a reasonable degree of expertise in building procurement. For most organisations property is second only to staff payroll in terms of cost, and by a considerable margin. Routine small works operations will be characterised by their repetitive nature and the relatively stable environment in which they take place, compared to the project environment. Most organisations exist in increasingly hostile and turbulent environments: technological, political, and economic.
