Dr Ali Saad of the University’s School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering believes the collapse of companies offering Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) is “nothing but good news” and could likely lead to positive change in the industry – comparing it to the aftermath of Napster’s downfall in the early 2000s.
Dr Saad, who’s a lecturer in Construction Engineering and Project Management, says the sector can learn from the mp3 audio peer sharing platform after its demise led to a new lease of life for the music industry with the introduction of platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.
Comparisons can also be made with the failure of electric car company, Fisker when it challenged the established car industry. We now have better and more reliable electric cars as a result.
Making the comparisons, Dr Saad, who’s based within the University’s Construction Management research group, claims how the failures of certain MMC companies shouldn’t necessarily be causing a downturn in public confidence: “The death of MMC organisations is a vital step in establishing a robust and resilient manufacturing base for a modern, sustainable construction sector.
“What’s currently happening within the industry is all part of imminent change. Not much research is needed to understand that the traditional ways of delivering infrastructure are being outstripped by the overwhelming demand, skill shortages and the challenging construction business environment. These are challenges that require urgent solutions, partly due to the sector’s nature to seemingly reject any alternative methodology that does not fit the traditional blueprint. However, I believe we need to look at things differently.
“Numerous industries have seen substantial company collapse in the past – with many developing new ways of working. Many of the organisations that I’ve spoken to when researching this had solid order books, full pipelines and were delivering projects – yet the conditions weren’t right for them to excel in this country. This doesn’t mean the industry is falling on its knees, it’s more of a sign of evolution and a movement towards more MMC, more innovation and more change.”
Dr Saad’s research, which comes in light of last year’s inquiry by the Built Environment Committee, continues to underline how radical change within an industry setting should not be perceived as a failure but as an indication of progression towards broader innovation in the construction sector.
However, Dr Saad says it’s important to take a balanced approach when evaluating the sectors next steps: “My main message is for people to not immediately reject new ways of working but, at the same time, don’t be an innovate technological optimist. There must be a middle ground because it’s not always the innovation itself that’s the issue – it’s sometimes the way we’re interacting with it or the environment it has been expected to grow in.
“When we are talking about these innovations, we really need to be cautious but whilst understanding there is a huge potential for disruption and change within the industry to be quite beneficial. Don’t reject it, don’t advocate against it, let us work together to start to understand how we can all benefit from whatever happens to organisations within the sector. We risk missing out on important opportunities if we don’t.”
Dr Ali Saad recently discussed these topics on the Own the Build podcast.