She suggested that MEP companies need to focus more on building “products” rather than “projects.” These should be products that can be used on many, if not all, of the projects they are part of. Once these products are defined, they should be improved as needed to make them as repeatable as possible – in true manufacturing fashion.
Of course, this product focused mindset results in a finite number of design choices available for projects. And that means contractors are responsible for enlightening others on what prefab products they supply and what they will not supply. For this reason, among others, collaboration is paramount to the informed decision making and trusted relationships that bring success on a project. Marks recommended collaboration among owners, designers, general contractors, and subs using building information modeling (BIM) for data transparency when working in the model. Autodesk Revit and BIM 360 are examples of digital platforms for this collaboration and communication.
As Marks reminded, the controlled build environment of prefab isn’t merely moving processes to an offsite location, it’s fine tuning the manufacturing techniques that will improve productivity, overcome skilled labor shortages and make costs and scheduling more predictable.