Importantly, effective master planning also allows the client to explain simply – and sell – their issues, requirements and planning to other (senior) internal stakeholders, demonstrating clearly how to move from a present state to potential future states, and the benefits of doing so.. Bryden Wood’s master planning process.
Ideas addressing small business and regional initiatives were particularly welcomed, as the team were keen to support lesser known voices outside of the big firms.Some of the projects chosen were as follows:.
Transitioning to an automated construction supply chain: future business model innovation for SMEs.: This compelling project, led by The University of Reading, explored the opportunities and constraints for SMEs in the adoption of robotics and automation.The work explored limitations posed by current business models and the changes that would be necessary to move towards automation of the supply chain, and the wider adoption of technology.. Design Optimisation and Prototyping for Affordable Rural Housing.
: Robert Gordon University in Scotland was selected for this project, focused.on transforming the delivery of rural housing via design optimisation and prototyping, in order to facilitate faster, scalable and digitally integrated production.
The project also offered the added benefit of attracting digital natives into housing construction.
: A program by the University of Sussex in association with the British Parking Association, TransPark explored how car parking could be revolutionised.Ideally, this would be a neutral broker, such as Government.
And there is even a partial precedent here in the UK in the form of G-Cloud, the UK Government’s Digital Marketplace for cloud technology and specialist digital services..Creating a digital marketplace for construction procurement would have benefits that far outweigh the challenges.
Even the steps on the journey, as focus on interoperability, data standards and consistent specifications, would help accelerate the digital shift that is already underway.There is plenty to think about, but I hope we can continue the debate and, together, create the common vision that will add a whole new dimension to our journey of transformation.. To learn more about our Design to Value approach and Modern Methods of Construction, sign up for our monthly newsletter here:.
(Editor: Ultra Masks)