Why It’s Wrong To Think In Terms Of ‘Unlocking’ Productivity Gains
We need to build over 300,000 new homes each year. This is something the house building sector will not achieve without a massive increase in productivity. It’s common to talk about productivity gains as something that can be ‘unlocked,’ but is that a helpful way to look at it?
The implication is that there are opportunities hidden somewhere in the process waiting to be identified and harnessed. In reality, what you need is a better process. One that is inherently more productive.
When it comes to traditional construction methods the industry has been trying and largely failing to discover and unlock productivity gains for decades. Meanwhile, we are in a period of massive uncertainty as the economy and labour markets deal with the impact of Covid-19 and Brexit. Increased productivity matters more than ever.
A Better Process
Building differently is the only option. We can then stop talking about increased output as an opportunity and start enjoying the practical benefits.
Awareness of modern construction technologies is growing, which can only help. This is doubly important because the modern methods that lead to transformational productivity growth are the same methods we need to achieve energy efficiency and carbon zero goals.
Pleasant Places to Live
With this greater awareness comes the understanding that using manufacturing processes to create homes doesn’t mean a compromise when it comes to design. MMC is a digital design-led process. It lends itself to imaginative design and the creation of aesthetically pleasing environments and neighbourhoods.
With design freedom comes an opportunity for repeatability and cost-saving. It’s possible to standardize the design of building elements and even complete buildings. Unlike with traditional methods – which are essentially repeated iterations of one-off projects – standardization with MMC translates directly into time and cost savings.
Rather than seeking to identify productivity gains, MMC offers the opportunity to select methods and materials that are inherently more productive. They drive the maximum amounts of time, cost and uncertainty out of the process.
Find out more about how Osborne brings improved productivity and performance to housing projects.
