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The construction industry plays a vital role in delivering the infrastructure that underpins UK economic activity and public services . The longstanding challenges the sector faces are well known however , productivity growth remains stubbornly stagnant . Here Richard Hipkiss , Development Director for the Modular and Portable Building Association ( MPBA ), considers if Modern Methods of Construction are part of the solution .
Pushing up productivity
Low productivity has plagued the construction industry for decades , driving up building costs , reducing profits and adding risk . According to government statistics , since 1997 the annual rate of improvement has been circa 21 percent lower than the wider economy . Efforts to improve efficiency however have proven difficult in a sector too often defined by low margins , aggressive procurement , talent shortages and uncertain work pipelines .
A recent RICS Productivity Survey found that over one in five respondents from the UK and Ireland construction sector said they never measure labour productivity . So how can efficiencies be made if output is not assessed ? The construction sector needs to sharpen up . Can you imagine managers in the manufacturing sector saying they never measure workflows ?
This would suggest that modern construction methods are very much part of ramping up productivity . By taking the construction process offsite into quality-controlled factory settings , production is constantly scrutinised . In the case of volumetric modular systems , the process is standardised and well-honed . Through a combination of people and automation , production lines are digitally analysed and enhanced .
Due to the more dynamic building method , data from members of the
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Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors ( RICS ) shows that volumetric modular technology can be 50 percent faster than onsite approaches such as brick and block . Using cutting-edge digital design and manufacturing technology combined with the ability to carry out onsite groundworks at the same time as manufacturing modules , the efficiency benefits of this most advanced of offsite construction methods cannot be overlooked .
Reskilling the construction workforce
The recent Skills England report , published in September 2024 , highlights a significant opportunity for the expansion of Modern Methods of Construction to address the industry ’ s labour shortages and productivity challenges .
In its analysis , Skills England outlines the urgent need for an additional 252,000 construction workers between 2024 and 2028 , a figure presented by the Construction Industry Training Board even before Labour ’ s house building plans were unveiled . The report goes further , pointing out that the
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