Construction is a Manufacturing Process - Part 2
/Most of us (reading this post) work in the construction industry, or the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) to put it more broadly. Whether you are a designer or builder, the goal is generally always to construct (let’s ignore academic architects for the time being). And in construction, the ideal process includes the procurement, delivery, and installation of materials in a non-disruptive sequential order, per the design specifications, that together create a functional system satisfying the design intent (that’s a mouthful). In short, we want to get the right material on-site at the right time so that it can be installed by the contractor without screwing up work performed simultaneously by other contractors – get in and out as quickly as possible. “Getting in” is easy, it’s the “getting out” part that is a challenge. “Getting out” isn’t just turning on power and walking away, it’s the successful integration of all components whether its envelope layering or boiler feedwater controls. It is this 10% of a contract requirement that can be the most stubborn and costly for owners and contractors. Does the end product meet or exceed the design intent? Is the owner satisfied? Here’s how thinking like a manufacturer can help.
As mentioned in the prior post, construction is a project type manufacturing process with the end product a building, facility, or structure. Traditional manufacturing, out of necessity, has become more and more efficient at delivering the same product at a higher quality for less. They have taken the deep dive down the lean rabbit hole and are not looking back…
Here are a few ways we can continue to align construction with traditional manufacturing and shatter efficiency targets:
Expand the use of 3D CAD.
Collaborative designing and BIM accelerate the design process, expediting iterations and avoiding major material conflicts.
Incorporate testing requirement expectations.
Commissioning has become more common, but still not every contractor expects it. Embed it in the contract and specifications before issuing to bid.
Make clear ALL expectations.
Relieve some of the contractor errors or coordination complications by clearly communicating every expectation and watch costs come down. If everyone is making money, the market will weed out the greedy.
Start tracking costs better.
Knowing at a granular level that the chiller cost on job Y was 2x the cost on job X, or the labor to drywall 1000 SF was 1/3 the cost on job W is very powerful. Eliminate the mystery behind estimating to achieve optimal value.
With BIM, many field fabricated components can be shifted to a shop environment where quality control is heightened.
Build modular blocks in controlled environments.
Take prefab one step further by building self-supported rooms or spaces offsite, rigging into place at site, constructing the superstructure and finishes simultaneously.
Introduce more industry standardization.
Both on the material side and the technology side (how many different construction management softwares do we need to learn?)
Utilize Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) or other multi-party contracts.
These are the best mechanisms for changing how things get built.
Accept the truth behind all meetings and re-evaluate.
When you realize most meetings are held to inform 1-2 people, you realize there is a better way to approach the problem of communication.
Lastly, teach architects that it’s OK not to be different all the time!
Seriously, not in all cases, but if architects had a better understanding of the implications of their decisions, I bet our built environment would look very different.
