The pressure this causes for our industry in terms of escalating costs and potential disruption to timelines, is likely to be the biggest threat to the recovery of the sector post-pandemic.

For experienced sub-contractors, with a network of long-term partnerships between designers, contractors and manufacturers, the pressure may not be as great, but still poses a challenge in terms of planning. With increased regulation on the horizon in the form of the Building Safety Bill, and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) becoming increasingly mainstream, perhaps this is the moment to see what learnings we can take from the current crisis that could minimise the likelihood of it having as big an impact if it happens again in the future?

Caught off guard by the strength of the bounce back

 Although the overall volume of construction is not notably high – ONS statistics show that in June 2021 the level of construction output fell below its pre-pandemic February 2020 level  – the speed at which demand bounced back after the pandemic has left the sector reeling. With the perfect storm surrounding materials availability, production pipelines were impacted and supply chains have had to pull together to keep projects moving.

What have we learned?

At Eden Facades we’ve found that working with clients early on to provide different options for material pricing and availability has helped them to make a more informed decision should they need to choose an alternative, which has in turn helped to keep their project schedules on track.

• Taking an open-minded approach

MMC has proved to be resilient throughout the pandemic; with early planning and design processes already built in, modular and off-site builds are particularly efficient at managing manufacturing and logistics, and with social distancing guidelines in place throughout the pandemic it has been an advantage to have fewer people needed on site.

This is our opportunity as an industry to think about new processes, smarter technology, and sustainable materials – as used in MMC. Early engagement with design teams and the producers or vendors of materials means enough visibility ahead of time to plan and procure. Not only is planning more streamlined and build time reduced, there is less wastage and therefore contributes to a more sustainable construction industry.

• Early planning and collaboration is key

Although the Building Safety Bill is primarily focused on fire safety, a large portion of the Bill is around creating a regulatory body with the aim of strengthening the regulation of construction materials.

The ‘golden thread’ initiative, recommended by Dame Judith Hackitt in the bill, should help to simplify the system in the long-term. The ‘gateways’ proposed under the Building Safety Bill will mean that for commercial builds it will be necessary for plans to be approved before starting on site, an adjustment for all design and build firms.

Whilst it may delay building works in some areas, the gateway points put in place by the new legislation may go some way to smoothing some of the current pinch points in the system.

It will be interesting to see the impact of these adaptations. We already ask our clients to provide us with as much detail as possible in the early stages of their enquiry. Having sight of detailed drawings and specifications, as well as expected timings, delivery and storage, all helps us to minimise the chance of delays.

• The importance of digital

The construction sector is one of the least digitised industries, but through the increased use of technology as early as possible in the process, it’s possible to make significant efficiencies. At Eden Facades, we found that moving from a paper-based QA process to an online system several years ago was immediately beneficial in terms of productivity, saving hours of administrative work for our team and helping us deliver better result for our clients.

As Tony Hill, Managing Director at Eden Facades has previously commented, “We don’t want our industry to be labelled as ‘inefficient’, and we certainly don’t want to contribute to the problem. We’re proud of the high standards we set ourselves and it’s important to ensure that we have the right processes in place”.

There will, no doubt, be further processes that can be modernised, and it’s possible that further platforms and software will be built specifically to aid with this. We all have a part to play as we work our way through this challenging period, and at Eden Facades we are committed to doing a good job and ensuring our clients’ projects run as efficiently as possible so will be keeping an open mind about further digitalisation.

To find out more about how we work with clients and our supply chain to mitigate delays, get in touch on 01268 744199 or email office@edenfacades.co.uk.