Product Platforms in Construction

A product platform is an integrated systems approach that balances variability with repeatability.  Essentially  a product platform has a shared and stable core  (this may be physical components,  processes, knowledge or relationships), combined with variable elements to enable an organisation to efficiently develop and deliver projects (or parts of) by balancing commonality with customisation and creating economies of scale and flexibility 

Applied in the right circumstances, platforms can potentially enable:

  • Cost reduction –through standardisation and economies of scope and scale
  • Improved predictability – greater certainty on cost, time and quality outcomes
  • Enhanced quality – consistent manufacturing processes reduce defects and rework
  • Faster delivery – reduced design time and accelerated construction through pre-engineered solutions
  • Sustainability gains – reduced waste, better resource management and design for disassembly
  • Supply chain stability – long-term relationships that foster investment and innovation
  • Workforce development – stable employment and skills development in manufacturing environments
  • Continuous improvement – learning embedded across multiple projects and programmes

Akerlof, alongside Mott MacDonald and Atkins, co-authored the Platform Rulebook – practical guidance on the development of Product Platforms in Construction.  This guidance establishes eight rules that define what constitutes a genuine product platform:

  1. Deployability – capable of being deployed on real construction projects
  2. Configurability – adaptable to meet varying client and site requirements
  3. Common, Repeatable Elements – built from standardised, reusable components
  4. Defined Interfaces – clear specifications for how elements connect
  5. Quality Standard – consistent quality assured through controlled processes
  6. Structured Approach to Configuration – systematic methods for adapting platforms to specific needs
  7. Openness – accessible and transparent to enable market competition
  8. Circularity – designed for disassembly, reuse and recycling

Successful platform adoption requires action from both clients and industry through three interconnected phases:

  • Demand – Clients must articulate clear, harmonised requirements and aggregate demand across programmes. This provides the market certainty needed to justify investment in platform development.
  • Develop – Industry develops platform solutions that meet client requirements, investing in the design, manufacturing capability and supply chain relationships needed to deliver at scale.
  • Deploy – Platforms are specified, procured and delivered on projects, with feedback loops enabling continuous improvement across the portfolio.

Platforms are a primary mechanism for implementing industrialised construction principles. Where industrialised construction represents the broader shift towards manufacturing-led delivery, platforms provide the practical framework for achieving this transformation.

A platform approach embeds industrialisation by:

  • Reducing unnecessary variation between projects
  • Enabling investment in manufacturing capability
  • Creating stable demand that supports supply chain development
  • Establishing common data standards and digital workflows
  • Fostering collaboration between traditionally competing organisations
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Platform Rulebook (Version 1.2)
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Platforms in Tier 1 Contracting
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Platforms in Healthcare
Future Construction Industry
The Platform Journey: TIP Roadmap to 2030

Read more about our thinking on product platforms here:

 

Jamie Hillier

Partner
Contact
Linkedin Twitter
jamie.hillier@akerlof.co.uk
07791 718 377

With a penchant for tweed and jackets with leather arm patches, Jamie began his career as a quantity surveyor, before climbing the ladder to lead major projects for a Tier 1 contractor.

Eventually expanding his book collection beyond copies of SMM7, Jamie has interest in a broad range of subjects linked to delivering better outcomes for society and the environment.

His strategic insights on MMC and behavioural science have made their way into numerous government, industry and academic publications, including the Construction Playbook, Transforming Infrastructure Performance Roadmap to 2030, the Platform Rulebook and the RIBA DfMA Overlay.

John Handscomb

Partner
Contact
Linkedin Twitter
john.handscomb@akerlof.co.uk
07305 486 581

Construction is in John’s blood. Learning from his father who was a planner and project manager, John began his career by working on some iconic projects in both the public and private sector.

As a procurement expert and integrator of new ways of working, John has pioneered the integration of platform principles, DfMA processes and supply chain within over £5bn projects in the last 15 years, for some of the largest building programmes in the UK. Despite his considerable expertise, John keeps it simple, communicating complicated ideas with ease and helping to equip the industry with new knowledge and skills.

Outside of Akerlof, John enjoys his executive role with technology start-up ScanTech Digital, spending time with his family, taking trips down the football, playing a bit of golf with friends and the odd pint. 

Our name is shared with George Akerlof, a Nobel Prize-winning economist.

His seminal paper, Market for Lemons, demonstrated the devastating consequences of making decisions under the conditions of quality uncertainty and unequal information between buyers and sellers, increasing the chance of buyers ending up with a ‘lemon’.

This 50-year-old concept continues to retain parallels within the construction industry.

Through our insight and experience, we can rebalance this information asymmetry on behalf of our clients, levelling the playing field to deliver better outcomes.