Similarly, while it is certainly important to maintain a focus on bringing apprentices and young people into the industry, we also need to prioritise graduates and master’s degree students.
For example, Xometry, a company in the United States, is already being used by major manufacturers.Xometry sends the digital file of the required components out to its distributed network of pre-qualified manufacturers all over the USA.
They then get a price.Once the customer is happy with that price, they bring the components together.This allows them to tap into an enormous network of individual specialists, all through one, single website..
The Construction Innovation Hub is an initiative backed by the UK government, with a remit to drive innovation in the construction industry.The Hub is working to bring manufacturing expertise to construction.
As a result, we’re now starting to see concepts like Advanced Production Quality Planning (APQP) coming into the industry.
This framework is how manufacturing ensures the consistency of products, and it’s also how they track their progress.However, he says that people are genuinely looking for ways to de-risk programs of work and make additional profit.
He also notes that programs and build times are coming down, and that people are looking for ways to modularize and make things work.All of this requires proper digital coordination.
The tier one contractors are trying to drive innovation in a different way, he says, and the smaller players are looking for a point of difference..Conversations about DfMA are also starting in Australia, with some large contractors setting up their own DfMA plants.