Sustainable engineering for a construction major

Supported a construction multinational’s route to market in Design for Manufacture and Assembly, at the leading edge of sustainable construction.

DfMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly) has cost and carbon advantages over traditional construction methods. Our work assessed the future shape and direction of the industry to determine how the client could build on a bold investment in manufacturing capability to optimise their participation in the value chain. We then supported them to implement the strategy across their organisation, processes, and capabilities.

Context

Our client, a global construction company, had made a bold and visionary early investment in DfMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly), building its own capacity to manufacture modular construction components. DfMA uses less energy and carbon, creates less waste, and is safer than conventional building methods.

Before investing further, they needed to decide their route to market, based on an assessment of the future shape and direction of the construction industry, and their own capabilities. And having wrestled with the question in numerous internal exercises, they appointed Eden McCallum.

Approach

To determine the future shape and direction of the industry, our work looked at the value drivers for all stakeholders in the construction ecosystem, such as design teams, architects, project owners, and specialist contractors. We mapped the competitive landscape, and considered government policy, as well as the internal capabilities required for this fundamentally new way of working.

From here we developed a set of route-to-market options and developed an optimised DfMA strategy in which the capacity would be retained exclusively in-house, creating a distinctive proposition in the market.

Impact

To follow successfully through on the bold vision, DfMA required a fundamental redesign of construction methods and processes. Successful delivery also demanded a significant uplift in the efficiency of the client’s new manufacturing operation.

The client has launched implementation of the strategy, including our recommendations on operating model design, process redesign, strengthening internal capabilities and making senior hires to bring in new skills.