The theme of the InstallerSHOW2024 was “prepare to be surprised” and that theme resonated well with the leadership team at the helm of the Digital Twin Skills Academy ‘DTSA’.
Earlier this year and building on a longstanding working relationship, Nathan Garnett, Business Development Director at Nineteen Group [the organisers] kindly extended an invitation to Dr Bola Abisogun OBE, our Founder & Chief Excitement Officer, for a couple of scheduled commitments, which took place, over the events three (3) days.
Dr Abisogun is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor by profession and Fellow of the RICS [i.e. FRICS] and his contribution across two (2) separate speaking engagements in the form of panel discussions, shed light on his constantly growing body of work, fusing ‘traditional’ construction with ‘digital construction’ with a nod to the digital twin and its intrinsic relationship with a successful delivery of the ‘Golden Thread’.
The legacy of Dr Abisogun’s work from the University of Cambridge / Centre for Digital Britain, has even more relevance given the operational date, commencing the 6th April 2024, when ‘new’ regulatory regime, under the Building Safety Act, when live.
With kind support from NessaA Primus, our new Deputy CEO, and during his preparation for the InstallerSHOW, it slowly became obvious that this event, unlike many others across the sector was designed to create value for those ‘actually working on site to deliver construction projects’ many of whom may also be FMB Members and particularly where staying ahead of the ‘knowledge curve’ demands a constant awareness of any (new) innovation, materials, methodologies and/or technologies. This event was a great fit and platform, both ‘culturally and operationally’ with what we are seeking to do, and deliver, at the DTSA.
Enter the digital twin, where Dr Abisogun was making the case for what he has termed “supporting the last line of defence!” equipping all to become more knowledgeable of the daily risks that they remain exposed, regardless of the size or location of the business that they may work for or with. Compliance with ‘the Act’ has got to become a continuous and seamless team effort.
The ‘net zero’ agenda also provides a more deserving ‘commercial’ reason [not that we need one!] to begin to digitise legacy (existing) assets, particularly as the need to maximise the operational efficiency of existing buildings, becomes a wake-up call to those ‘actively’ seeking to invest in them, whilst simultaneously preserving the planet.
Day 2, was moderated by the amazing Mike Ward, Managing Director of ASFP [the Association of Specialist Fire Protection], and it was through these conversation, that Dr Abisogun, amidst his well-documented body of work, demonstrated that historically and successfully, he had pivoted from Building Safety into Net Zero [i.e. the retrofit and decarbonisation space] leveraging the same digital process(es) and BIM enabled workflows.
Of course, there are a number of ‘key and critical’ factors to consider, value and quantify, as was discussed on both days.
Aside from the increasing complexity of current construction projects [notably within and across the Retrofit sector], the need to accurately capture and reflect the work ‘actually’ being done on site, has never been more important. Before and after photos are no longer enough, and the burden of proof now rests with the entire supply chain.
To that end, as proffered to the audience, the need for the (UK) industry to ‘upskill’ has proved to be a major barrier to both progress and legislative compliance with the Building Safety Act. Since the 6th April 2024, the industry simply cannot continue to operate like this; construction phase, programme risk must be mitigated, in real time.
Credit: WBEF / RICS
The urgent ‘training and upskilling’, an immediate industry wide requirement, sits at the core of what we are doing at the Digital Twin Skills Academy, and in a post-Grenfell [new-normal] our reach and dialogue has become an international one. Newly mandated by the presence of the 6th April 2024 operational date, the normalisation of project complexity, has forced the hand of many cultural norms, most of which now need to change, urgently.
Credit: Dr Bola Abisogun OBE /Langley
Inevitably, the ‘additional’ requirement for EVERY tradesperson, “to be able to both evidence and demonstrate their competence”, means that EVERYONE working on a construction project, from the initial design into the planning and through the entire construction phase, will have to maintain their competence and recognise their own ‘individual’ contribution to the projects ‘Golden Thread’. The Golden Thread has finally become a legal requirement, where projects must move from ‘as-built’ information into ‘as-managed’ information
Key to the ‘successful’ delivery of any ‘project-wide’ Golden Thread is the timely collation of product information, all of which should happen from inception of the project and be maintained in ‘real-time’.
To help articulate this key and critical element of understanding, Amanda Long, CEO was present on behalf of the Code for Construction Product Information.
Amongst other things, a noteworthy theme began to emerge, ‘we need many more, (new) competent individuals, from a diverse range of backgrounds, and we need them urgently!’. The business case for greater [not lesser] equity, diversity & inclusion, has finally arrived.
Working with our commercial partners, we continue to focus on career pathways both for the younger cohort [16-25yrs] and increasingly, the more mature ‘career changer’ upto and beyond the 50+
Initially, we have chosen to support a key and longstanding industry ally David McMahon, Director of the London Office of Ryder Architecture [and sister company Okana, led by Dr Graham Kelly] with their ‘work experience’ programme which will specifically, offer young people an introduction to the design and/or digital construction profession, and cover an array of activities during the short introduction into the workplace.
Social value, in recent years, has also become a real commodity not only to winning commercial work [delivering professional services], but also to creating more of those ‘value-based’ outcomes that clients and project owners are increasingly asking for.
The InstallerSHOW2024 was a commendable attempt to shine a light and exhibit the latest advancements in any (new) innovation, materials, methodologies and/or technologies.
To date, the InstallerSHOW has successfully inherited the claim of being the “UK’s biggest event focusing on the sustainable delivery of heat, water, air and energy, and includes everything that the UK construction sector needs to deliver it’s decarbonisation goals”.
With a focus on housing and specifically, the Retrofit Agenda, we are keen to focus on the housing sector, the massive shortage of supply and the increasing opportunities for both existing and new talent to enter the sector.
Credit: MOBIE
If you are interested in digital construction, and/or responsible for your organisational success in upskilling your people and achieving your ambitions towards positively contributing to a net-zero world, then you must come to next year’s event where we will be partnering with Mark Southgate and his amazing team at MOBIE to deliver something very special in 2025!
Put the date in your diary [now], NEC Birmingham, from 25th-27th June 2025
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