It's no secret that the construction industry is years behind the rest. More than once we have heard that construction should move from Industry 1.0 to 2.0, while Industry 4.0 is being rolled out in other industries like the automotive industry for example. This comparison shows clearly just how far behind we are. More than a hundred years behind in terms of productivity, costs, benefits, etc.

2021: Building Momentum In The Construction Industry Post-COVID-19 - Source: Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/franksorrentino/2021/04/22/2021-building-momentum-in-the-construction-industry-post-covid-19/?sh=15dc5038533e

This is not up for debate, just by looking at the number we see that approximately 0.52 labor hours are needed to build a square foot of a car, while each square foot of a house takes 3.61 labor hours. This is mainly due to the fact that the home construction process is mostly by hand and with no organization, without any applied study of the production process to optimize it, nor to eliminate all unnecessary tasks (those for which the client does not want to pay). This is no longer a question of should but can a homebuilder jump into Industry 4.0?

Of course they can and the way to achieve this is not necessarily by investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment, robotization or automation, but by applying any of industrial optimization methodologies, such as World Class Manufacturing (WCM). WCM is a Japanese system based on 10 Technical pillars and 10 Managerial pillars. Overall, this system defines all activities which do not generate value and focus on reducing and even eliminating them when possible (activities in which there are no physical or chemical changes to the materials, such as looking for, walking to, etc). Aiming towards a stock free production. 

Innovation and constant analysis over the production allows for a continuous improvement system. For instance, the Hüga project applies that idea in an eloquent and well thought manner. Bringing to the construction industry numbers such as a reduction in 90% of the waste materials, 46% reduction in labor per square foot, and a 99% construction off-site. This means, fewer costs in production, fewer delays in construction and a better overall work experience. Resulting in a more effective workforce, a better product, and of course, happier customers.

We thank you for reading this far and if you want to know more about this and many other topics regarding the construction industry, its pain points and how to overcome them click on the link below.

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