At the moment, there are lots of buzzwords in the construction industry around digital, construction technology.

Typically, these large structures are put up overnight by a small team of trained operatives.In a budget-conscious industry, every hour counts, so assembly is planned to be as quick as possible, and disassembly is just as quick.

It would be even quicker if the tent was pre-erected, of course, but this doesn’t make sense from a transportation and logistics perspective.Instead, they use a component kit-of-parts that is easily handled and takes up very little space during transportation.A permanent building may have different drivers, but lessons can still be learned from highly efficient on-site works such as the circus tent.. One aim of a fully considered DfMA strategy is to enable smooth running of the construction site.

To create a well-orchestrated assembly line with productive workers carrying out pre-determined, standardised and well-understood tasks in predictable timeframes..In short, we want construction sites to be more like factories.. Off-site and modular construction: are factories really all that great?.

Prefabrication in factories (off-site construction) is often thought of as a panacea, a sure-fire way for construction sites to achieve greater productivity.

However, factories can also be run inefficiently, and if traditional construction methods are simply shifted into a factory setting, the benefits of MMC can be diluted or lost..I will therefore go into 2025 with optimism and a determination to carry on trying to build connections and collaborations.

Building on some well-laid foundations of thinking and action, I will try to come together with others to accelerate positive change.I will count my worries and fears as friends helping guide me on a safe path.

You are welcome to come along..Professor John Dyson spent more than 25 years at GlaxoSmithKline, eventually ending his career as VP, Head of Capital Strategy and Design, where he focussed on developing a long-term strategic approach to asset management..