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Collaboration is often described as the “secret ingredient” of major project success – yet, across sectors, it remains notoriously difficult to achieve in practice. As we look ahead to our February seminar, Breaking Silos: The power of collaboration in major projects, we’re shining a spotlight on what meaningful, purposeful collaboration really looks like on the ground.
To help set the scene, we’re delighted to share this insightful blog from Seda Cross, Supply Chain Manager, HS2 Ltd, whose reflections capture both the opportunity and the challenge of embedding collaboration in complex programme environments. Drawing on her experience across HS2’s supply chain, Seda explores how openness, early engagement, and shared learning can transform delivery, strengthen outcomes, and reshape industry culture.
Having spent many years in the automotive industry, my first year at HS2 has been a refreshing shift in mindset, one that introduced me to a new and powerful concept: collaboration.
In the automotive world, competition is ingrained, even with suppliers. Collaboration was rarely a priority. But working at HS2 with Arm’s Length Bodies and Government organisations has shown me a different way. These entities don’t need to compete. Instead, they support one another, share knowledge, and work together for the greater good, benefiting the government and ultimately, the taxpayer.
At HS2, the Supply Chain team engages with a broad network of stakeholders. Internally, we work closely with delivery, operations, and procurement teams. Externally, we collaborate with trade organisations, working groups, and joint venture partners. Each relationship is unique, but the goal remains the same: to learn from one another and grow together.
One of the most impactful initiatives I’ve led is our regular collaboration hub meetings with joint venture delivery partners. These sessions are entirely voluntary, and the consistent engagement from JV representatives reflects the tangible value they see. The purpose of the Hub is to identify opportunities and risks early, enabling ‘best for project and/or programme’ decisions around procurement, efficiency, and capacity constraints. By sharing market intelligence and mitigating risks proactively, we create a space focused purely on collaborative opportunity and the results speak for themselves.
From cost savings and risk avoidance to sharing AI solutions and practical tips, the benefits are clear. But beyond the measurable outcomes, this collaboration fosters innovation and continuous improvement—strengthening the programme and setting a precedent for future projects.
It’s incredibly rewarding to see one station contractor supporting the next to avoid repeating the same challenges. When a design doesn’t work as specified, we don’t wait for the next contractor to encounter the same issue. We act early and design out the problem. The value of early design involvement is now widely recognised, and I believe there will be strong interest in applying this approach to future projects.
From the outset, it was clear that some compliance requirements would be difficult to meet. For example, achieving a 60-year design life when the supplier lacked the historical data to validate it. In such cases, early discussions around the acceptability of British Standards compliance saved a significant amount of time.
A great example emerged during one of our lessons learnt sessions: laminated glass must meet specific testing and compliance requirements. However, the sizes and thicknesses required for testing weren’t being manufactured, which led to an eight-month renegotiation process, something later JVs were able to avoid thanks to this insight.
Dedicated procurement workshops enabled us to explore the most effective procurement strategies without compromising commercially sensitive information. Comparing different procurement options, helped identify which approach worked best for JVs further ahead in the construction timeline, ultimately easing the path for those that followed.
In some of the larger work packages, it became essential to break them down into smaller components due to limitations in market capacity. Identifying this early on proved to be a significant advantage, allowing us to tailor procurement strategies more effectively.
Crucially, this isn’t just about supporting those who follow. When it comes to demand management and market analysis, there are ongoing opportunities to share insights across the programme. Through collaboration hubs, we examine common items and services that all civils and stations JVs will eventually require. Understanding these collective needs is vital for assessing market capacity and engaging trade associations and working groups in advance, helping to resolve potential challenges before they escalate.
Of course, collaboration isn’t without its challenges. Legal and regulatory constraints, such as commercial sensitivity and market saturation, can limit what’s possible. For example, if a collaborative buying opportunity covers more than 10% of market capacity, it may breach competition law.
These limitations can stall progress, but we choose to treat them as lessons learned, not roadblocks. It takes courage and persistence to navigate this space, but even small steps can lead to meaningful, compliant collaboration that sets a precedent for future efforts.
One aspect I’d like to see change is how collaboration is perceived within organisations. Too often, it’s treated as a non-priority, leading to low commitment and engagement which is disappointing. If we’re constantly firefighting and never make time for improvement, we’ll remain stuck in a cycle of reactive work, unable to reach a more efficient and proactive state.
There’s so much we can learn from each other. Whether it’s how to overcome a specific challenge or how to leverage new technologies to streamline tasks. We all have a responsibility to contribute our best, so that together, we can elevate our industry to a state of excellence.
Join the conversation
Seda’s reflections highlight precisely why collaboration remains such an important focus for the major projects community. From shared intelligence to early design thinking, from tackling capacity constraints to navigating compliance, her experience at HS2 demonstrates what becomes possible when organisations choose partnership over protectionism.
If you’re interested in diving deeper into these themes – and exploring how we can collectively break down silos across companies, sectors, and programmes – join us for our upcoming event (please note: a virtual option is available for those unable to attend in person).