To be more productive and improve both quality and building performance the construction industry needs to innovate. To rise to this challenge the increasing use of offsite construction has been identified as one of the key areas of innovation. Recognising the need to build differently, the Government has a presumption in favour of offsite on publicly funded projects.
But is it just a question of adopting different technologies and products? Evidence from other sectors suggests that it won’t be that simple.
The trend towards digital transformation being pursued in many sectors highlight the pitfalls. According to Forbes 84% of such projects will fail in at least one important aspect. Around half just won’t work at all. These data are pretty much in line with results from any significant change programme.
The chief reason for failure is that organisations focus on products rather than behaviour, forgetting the fact that innovation is a process.
The danger for the construction sector is that offsite products (whether volumetric, panelised or components) are simply replacing traditional methods and materials – the process doesn’t change. There may be some marginal productivity gains but nothing like the leap forward needed.
A Value Engineered Process
The real value of panelised offsite is that it facilitates a better process, one that is design-led and tightly integrated. This process is built around different behaviours and different types of relationship.
SIPs have many inherent advantages over traditional construction materials. These include precision manufacturing, rapid installation and built-in thermal and acoustic performance. But it’s the different approach to projects made possible by the technology that delivers the biggest benefits.
Innovaré is the only SIP solutions provider in the UK to design, engineer, manufacture, deliver and install offsite-built structures. This means that we are in control of the process and that the process is optimised to deliver the maximum possible gains.
There is always one project manager who coordinates everything and is accountable for achieving the project goals. The supply chain is simple and easy to manage because it mainly includes our own resources.
The fact that Innovaré consistently delivers projects faster (Bishopton School; Reigate Primary School) and within budget is down to the fact that process, product and people are all aligned with the goals of greater efficiency and performance. Inserting a different product into the same old fragmented construction process won’t deliver the change the industry needs – it’s also about working differently.
