The construction industry faces challenges as manufacturers lag on digital compliance.
- A majority of product manufacturers are unprepared for post-Grenfell safety changes.
- There is a widespread lack of understanding of digital documentation.
- These hurdles impact the essential ‘golden thread’ principle for building safety.
- Industry leaders highlight the urgency of adopting holistic data strategies.
Most construction product manufacturers remain unequipped to comply with the essential post-Grenfell safety recommendations. According to a survey conducted for the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), there is a significant gap in understanding the shift towards digital project documentation among these manufacturers.
This digital documentation is critical to the ‘golden thread’ principle, a concept introduced by Dame Judith Hackitt in her comprehensive review of building regulations and safety, which was initiated in response to the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy. The ‘golden thread’ insists on maintaining an accurate and current record of a building’s design, construction, and occupancy, incorporating digitised product information.
Even though the foundational recommendations by Dame Judith, aiming to reform construction procedures, were published as early as 2018, a recent survey involving 80 executives from product manufacturers revealed a profound lack of awareness regarding what digitisation entails and why it is fundamentally crucial for improving safety, product traceability, and sustainability within the industry.
The survey indicated that most companies still provide product details predominantly in PDF formats or hard copies. In contrast, the CLC advocates for a “holistic data strategy” that is seamlessly integrated throughout all corporate levels. This strategy should ensure that product information is dynamically updated through API connections rather than manual updates, streamline sample requests via CRM and product databases, and facilitate the downloading of dynamic certificates from verified sources with comprehensive change histories.
Richard Robinson, the CLC’s deputy chair, and president for the UK and Ireland at Atkins Réalis, has urged businesses to consider operational changes. He noted, “Eighty per cent of the 80 manufacturer leaders interviewed for this research understood the importance of digitisation. However, only a few placed ‘digital’ highly in their priorities, [and it was] well behind other pressing concerns.” He further elaborated on the fragmentation of digital transformation journeys within organisations and the often misplaced investments resulting from a lack of clarity about the scope and benefits of digitalisation.
The construction sector must prioritise digital transformation to align with safety standards and future regulations.
