KIER PUTS OFFSITE TECHNOLOGIES ON THE MAP
Embracing offsite manufacture and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) is fast becoming a strategic priority for many businesses. To showcase the diverse range of offsite manufacturers across the UK and beyond, Kier has partnered with the Supply Chain Sustainability School to develop a database specifically for MMC manufacturers.
Through Kier’s behavioural change initiative, The Choice Factory, the company is looking for new ways in which to make offsite manufacture more accessible for colleagues, clients and supply chains. As a team, Kier are often asked which manufacturers to approach when considering adopting a specific offsite methodology for a new scheme, so they wanted to
come up with a dynamic way of communicating this information, as well as making it open and accessible in order to benefit the wider industry.
As the largest regional builder in the UK, Kier is ideally placed to leverage the data held within the business to kick-start the development of an MMC Database. Recognising that MMC has a crucial part to play in any sustainability strategy, Kier saw that they could also use the platform to make it easier for project teams to consider more holistic criteria than simply cost when selecting supply chain partners.
By combining their extensive knowledge of the offsite supply chain with data held by the Supply Chain Sustainability School, the Kier Choice Factory team were able to develop an initial picture of the offsite market, which is now evolving quickly as new manufacturers register on the database. The resulting interactive map is fully searchable, and colour-coded to reflect the full spectrum of MMC technologies available, making it quick and easy to find a manufacturer’s details for a project via the geographical location of their factories.
Project teams can locate offsite manufacturing facilities near to a specific construction site or select suppliers in areas that could most benefit from economic uplift, consciously bringing sustainable employment to these communities by selecting a manufacturer in that location. It is also possible to see whether manufacturers are BES 6001 certified (responsible sourcing of construction products), whether they have waste take-back strategies in place, or whether or not they are registered with the Supply Chain Sustainability School, bringing responsible procurement to the forefront of initial selection criteria.
“It is really important for clients and professional designers to understand the capabilities of the offsite construction supply chain. This interactive map allows offsite manufacturers to have visibility of who does what in the supply chain and to start the process of building those really important collaborations.” Ian Heptonstall, Director, Supply Chain Sustainability School
Over 150 manufacturing facilities have been registered on the new MMC Database so far.
