Offsite construction is safer, faster, greener and cheaper than traditional methods, according to a survey by the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA) of businesses in the electrotechnical and engineering services industry.
Almost two thirds (61%) of respondents reported increased productivity, and nearly one in two (47%) reported enhanced employee safety. More than half saw improved quality of work (57%), reduced operational costs (59%) and less project downtime (55%). Meanwhile 43% also experienced a reduction in their carbon footprint.
However, there were also barriers to carrying out offsite manufacturing, including a lack of suitably skilled staff, a high level of ongoing investment required, and installation onsite. The number of clients specifying offsite was also lower than expected and maintaining a stable flow of work for offsite facilities therefore challenged its viability.
Despite these barriers, 81% of businesses agreed that offsite manufacturing will offer them new commercial opportunities in the future. And 42% of larger businesses (those with turnover of £5m plus) said that they would be using offsite construction within five years, in part due to requirements from their buyers.
