http://bit.ly/BWNewsUpdatesGuest author: Keith Waller, Programme Director at the Construction Innovation Hub..
It is partly with that debate in mind that I think we should discuss what e-commerce may look like when applied to construction.But it’s mainly because a digital marketplace for construction would be another massive leap forward..
In this article I will look at the reasons for a digital marketplace for construction, the benefits of one and the infrastructure that would facilitate one.. What is a 'digital marketplace' and why would we want one for construction?.In the simplest terms, I’m talking about e-commerce: buying and selling online.I’ll develop this much further below, but a digital marketplace for construction would allow clients to publish their requirements for standard components or repeatable designs, for example, and allow a wide range of suppliers to bid to supply them..
This is obviously predicated on consistency of demand; when every construction project is bespoke, it’s impossible for manufacturers (other than material suppliers who make highly standardised, commoditised products like rebar) to develop products that are likely to be used repeatedly.But consistency of demand will come with other forms of progress, like widespread adoption of construction Platforms.
We will come back to this as well..
When achieved, this will benefit construction in a range of ways.. Firstly: it would provide greater market transparency and diversify the supply chain, meaning that companies of all sizes could engage with large-scale programmes, in the private and public sectors.. Secondly: late payment (particularly between contractors and their supply chains) has been a well-recognised problem in construction for a few decades.Therefore, I hope that we will continue to design for – and use – carbon capture and its benefits for a long time to come.. Footnotes:.
Kätelhön, Arne, et al, "Climate change mitigation potential of Carbon Capture and utilization in the chemical industry.".Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Gabrielli, Paolo, et al, "The role of Carbon Capture and utilization, Carbon Capture and storage, and biomass to enable a net-zero-CO2 emissions chemical industry.".Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.
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