Maintaining the market advantage for a panelised system provider

Contact

Rob Littlewood
07827 258 016
Rob.Littlewood@akerlof.co.uk
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Overview

Our client, a panelised, Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Category 2 Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) provider, wanted to assess its product against competitor offerings within the industry through performance benchmarking, cost appraisal, and programme analysis. This assessment could then be used to identify market proposition that can be consistently articulated both internally, to employees and externally, to potential developer clients.

What we did

Akerlof was commissioned to complete an independent assessment on behalf of our client to understand the viability and competitiveness of their system. This included:

  • A technical comparison of the solution against competitor offerings including the performance and wall thickness
  • An analysis of the price point against competing technologies by establishing the cost of building with the product
  • Time-related benefits of the product compared with alternative forms of construction, by building a suite of programmes aligned to build sequence
  • An overarching value proposition for the product

The impact

  • Confidence over the performance of the product relative to competitors and the 2025 Future Homes Standard
  • Clarity over the commercial position relative to competitors by comparing a series of house types, delivered through different build technologies, against the product
  • Cohesive strategy through which to determine the route to market
  • Identification of a clear suite of next steps through which to develop the product further and establish a leading market profile in low-rise housing

Jamie Hillier

Partner
Contact
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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
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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.