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The Golden Opportunity for M&E Contractors and off-site manufacturing?

Written by Adrian Fowler | May 22, 2020

In the wake of Covid19, we have heard adjectives such as unprecedented and unparalleled to describe the current situation we find ourselves in. One thing is certain however, the future will not go back to business as before. This pandemic has forced everyone to reappraise the way work is done and social distancing will be here to stay for the foreseeable future. So, will this be the Golden opportunity for the construction industry contractors to shift further towards offsite manufacturing?

Historically, the construction industry’s rate of change is relatively slow. The biggest challenge lies in shifting the mindset of the practitioners. Offsite manufacturing is not new to the industry. It has been advocated by the Government and we have seen a number of benefits for companies who have embraced this method throughout the years, such as: quality assurance, time and cost saving, increased labour efficiencies, reduced wastage to help the environment and H&S benefits.

The impact of the Covid19 pandemic has seen the construction sites adapting and re-evaluating their processes and procedures to deliver projects. So surely this is where offsite manufacturing plays a more significant role.

Here at MIDFIX, our in-house DfMA (design for manufacturing assembly) team create bespoke support solutions for M&E contractors across the UK and Europe. Harnessing the latest products, software for design, load calculations and engineering reports, together with our dynamic manufacturing team and facilities. Our aim is to make offsite manufacturing simple and friction free for our customers. We understand the urgency and the time and cost pressures, but right now there is another challenge. To deliver M&E projects on time, within budget and meeting the needs of social distancing and potentially less staff.

Offsite manufacturing facilities like MIDFIX have remained open during the Covid19 crisis, to service critical projects in the UK and Europe. So now, as we have over 80% of construction sites restarted in the UK, this unwelcomed pandemic might just be the catalyst that the industry needed to rethink offsite manufacturing. Let's seize the opportunity.

For further advice on DfMA and how this can be deployed on your next project, contact our team today.