In the Spring of 2023, the Plain Language Group, part of the Built Environment Panel of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) commissioned a qualitative survey of 80 C Suite level individuals who work in companies selling construction products into the UK Market.
We have now self-published the summary report of this research and you can download it here:
DownloadWhat is the research about?
The purpose of the research was to
- Provide insights into the challenges manufacturers face.
- Understand where manufacturers are with their digitisation journey and their plans to digitise further.
- Explore whether manufacturers understand what the benefits of digitisation are, as well as identifying the barriers.
- Understand whether manufacturers have the skills and expertise needed in-house to digitise.
What does the research conclude?
Structured data about construction products and systems is essential to the modernisation of the construction industry into a digital sector capable of meeting the challenges of building safety, traceability and the needs of a zero carbon UK economy.
However, the research set out in this report suggests that:
- The digitisation/digital product information message is not filtering through to construction product manufacturers, especially SMEs who make up much of the sector.
- Key priorities for manufacturers without a commercial incentive to digitise remain their short-term commercial concerns.
- There is a major lack of understanding of what digitisation of construction product information is (joining up sources of information to provide a reliable source, sharing digital information with the supply chain) or why it will be essential to meet client requirements for building safety, product tracing, sustainability etc.
- The need that manufacturers will have for external consultancy in an environment of such ignorance is a potential vulnerability and a risk of exploitation if the profile of construction product information digitisation is raised in a way that doesn’t help manufacturers make informed choices. SMEs are especially not in a position to be able to afford to make mistakes.
Download the report to read more about our findings and see our recommendations to government and industry.
Do let us know your thoughts on the research by commenting below or emailing us at plg@justpractising.com.
Please Note: This research summary was briefly published by the Construction Leadership Council in July 2024 but then withdrawn. It is too important not to be in the public domain.
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