1
ITP Research Symposium 2022
Published 2022
Southern Institute of Technology | Te Pūkenga 133 Tay Street,
Invercargill 9840 New Zealand
ISBN: 978-0-473-66652-1
Copyright © 2022, Southern Institute of Technology | Te Pūkenga
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Savage J. L. & Bodkin-Allen S. (Eds.) (2022) ITP Research Symposium 2022 Book of Abstracts. Southern Institute of Technology | Te Pūkenga.
https://doi.org/10.34074/proc.2207
Cover photo, symposium logo, and document layout by James Savage.
Rehan MASOOD 1 Sadegh ALIAKBARLOU 2 Alick HU 1
1
School of Architecture & Built Environment, Faculty of Trades and Technology, Southern Institute of Technology, Invercargill
2
School of Building Construction, Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland
Skill Matrix for Prefabricated Construction – A case of NZ Modular company
ITP 120
Content
• Background & Objective
• Literature review
• Methodology
• Results
• Conclusion & Future research
Background & Objective
Background
• New Zealand housing is less affordable than 32 other countries, including the UK, Australia and Canada. Ranked as sixth least affordable, the report shows NZ's
'affordability ratio' (the cost per square metre as a percentage of income), is 17.8%
1 .
• Increasing trend for housing affordability index (Avg. house value/Ang household income) from 5.3 (2005) to 8.7 (2022) 2, 3 .
• Prefabricated construction, as non-traditional innovative approach, has potential to supply building stocks with short time, cost-effectiveness, high-quality, safety and sustainability 4,5,6,7,8 .
• Current prefab potential value for residential (circa $7.16 bn) and non-residential (circa $6.02 bn) 9 .
• In last decade, underlying growth rate amongst residential projects is 12% pa and non-residential is 7% pa 9 .
• Scarcity of skilled workers is among the major barrier to prefab uptake in NZ 10 .
Background & Objective
Background
• Skill shortage issues for prefab construction in NZ context
• Factory environments (manufacturing world) require constant workflow, access to tools and machinery, and appropriately-trained staff, so increase skill bases is needed
11 .
• Lack of transferable skills from manufacturing to prefab 12 .
• Skilled worker shortage challenge: Lack of prefab vocational Cost education; poor mechanisms for salaries; employee retention; lack of prefab experience; lacking skills to manage offsite and onsite issues 13 .
• Unprecedent need for job creation and stability 14 .
• Lack of apprenticeships and internships; public awareness; Government support; Skill sourcing; education and training 15 .
• Lack of adequate skills, technical capability and availability of local (specialized) suppliers 9 .
Objective
• This study aims to develop a prefab skill matrix (profiles and skills) for a modular company.
Literature review
Prefabricated construction concept
Prefab (Offsite) jurisdiction
Literature review
Prefabricated construction terminologies
Offsite manufacturing (OSM): off-site/offsite + manufacture/manufactured/manufacturing
Factory-built: factory built/factory-built/factory assembled/factory-assembled
Offsite construction (OSC): off-site/offsite +
construction/constructed Transportable: transportable/relocatable/movable Offsite production (OSP): off-site/offsite + production Pre-assembled: pre-assembled/preassembled/pre-
assembly/preassembly Offsite fabrication: prefab/prefabrication/prefabricated Pre-built
Prefabrication (Prefab) Pre-cast
Manufactured (Manu) Ready-made
Industrialized:
industrialized/industrialised/Industrialized building(IB)/Industrialized building system (IBS)
Containerized: containerised/containerized
Modular:
modular/modularity/modularisation/modularization Panelized: panel/panelised
Customization Modern methods of construction (MMC)
Literature review
Prefabricated construction (Building) technologies
DELIVERY – COST - QUALITY
PERFORMANCE – FLEXIBILITY - INNOVATIVENESS
Prefab Classification/Categories/typology/nomenclature drive from the concept
of prefabrication and assembly from offsite to onsite
21Literature review
Prefabricated construction company (Supply chain perspective) – Macro view
Producers
23; Manufacturers/suppliers
24;
Supply network acting as suppliers at different tiers
25; Offsite companies in the organisational perspective
26; Industrialised house-building companies
27;
Offsite manufacturing SME
28; Prefabricated construction company
29Prefab (Offsite) construction company dynamics
17Various definitions
Literature review
Prefabricated construction company (production perspective) – Micro view
Literature review
Prefabricated construction company skill profiles’ characteristics
Relationship of technical and business competence on organizational level
30Emerging professions - Prefabrication Engineer
“I see a category emerging within broader prefabrication of what I’ve termed the prefabrication engineer. This is somebody who would
optimise a given design solution to suit each prefabrication methodology. They will have a broad and very thorough knowledge of different prefabrication types specific to a company or a supplier, and would be able to take an architectural design and break it down
into components, to be optimised for that system.”
Dr David Bylund – Program Manager, WoodSolutions.
31Literature review
Prefabricated construction company skill profiles
80% onsite –20% offsite
Literature review
Prefabricated construction company skill category and skills
Skill category Skills 34
Digital design Training in DfMA and BIM, design integration with logistics, three- dimensional visualisation, product information modelling, pre-project planning and design, computer- aided designing technician, advanced OSC technical skills for design, integrated design Estimating/commercial Estimator, procurement of OSC suppliers
Logistics Transport and logistics management, transshipment, JIT
Offsite manufacture Production manager, manufacturing awareness, product quality inspectors, line supervisor, factory operator, production line manager, operation manager, production operator, quality manager, safety manager, production repair manager, production technical manager, production technician, production technical supervisor, material management, production planning, inventory control, timber engineering, computer- assisted sawing, laser controlled manufacturing, online design production, supplier
Onsite placement and assembly Assembler, onsite installer, contractor Site management and
integration
Coordination of processes, project manager, systems engineer, systems analyst, system design and integration, site management ONSIT E O FF SIT E
Skill set configuration; Multi-skills
35; Learning Skills; Common skills; Skill resourcefulness
36Literature review
Prefabricated construction company skills clusters
Prefab (Offsite) construction skill clusters by dimension
36Prefab (Offsite) construction skill clusters
35Prefab (Offsite) construction
sector dynamics
29Methodology
Case study research method applied 38
1. Selection of modular construction company
2. Documents review the organizational structure to identify profiles.
3. Interview various profiles to understand their job specifications.
4. Mapping skill profiles against job roles of modular construction company 33
5. Mapping identified technical (hard) and managerial (soft) skills against the standard 39
6. Report the key findings.
Results - Company profile
• Structural material: Cold-formed steel
• Dunedin and Christchurch based
• Company provide an economical range of housing solutions that are flexible and desirable. Bedsit, and 1-3 bedrooms unit (customized solution) with three specification approaches
• 100% New Zealand owned and operated.
• Market disruptor: Exceptional housing solutions that exceed
New Zealand building standards, at a price that average New
Zealanders can afford.
Results – Organization structure
Director
Steel Detailing Team Leader
Steel Frame Detailer
Architectural Team Leader
Architectural Detailer Steel Frame Assembly
Delivery
Architectural Detailer Steel Frame Assembly
Team Leader Manufacturing
Timber Mill foreman Steel Frame Assembly
2 x Steel Frame Assembly Offsite Construction Onsite Construction
Steel Frame Assembly Offsite Construction
Administration
Social Media &
Marketing
GM Design/Sales GM FranchiseDevelopment
Managerial
Supervisory
Worker
Job description not provided
Results – Profiles and core Skills
Profile Min Exp
(years)
Skills Relevant roles
33T/M
39Director 10 Manage the business GM TMM
GM Sales 10 Ensuring design is functional and manufactured to fit framing needs. Work directly with clientele, from initial contact through to final delivery of their project.
Engg. Mgr; Supply, distribution & procurement
managers; OSC estimator;
contract, program and project administration
TM
Steel Detailing Team Leader
5 Manages design team and liaises with clients in ensuring high quality standards.
Supervisor TM
Steel Frame Detailer
3 Provide drawings for structural components from conceptual designs.
Included dimension, material and other information to ensure detail drawings were clear and complete for use in fabrication and field.
Conducted field dimensions and verifications. Responsible for documenting job progress and maintaining scheduled activities to meet delivery dates
CAD technician; surveying technician; product quality
controller
T
Architectural Team Leader
5 Works on ensuring the project design is architecturally sound and in line with engineering standards.
Arch. Mgr. T
Team Leader Manufacturing
5 Identified problem areas and suggested training needs. Monitored all manufacturing steel frame work. Performed light to complex assembly when needed. Tracked goal attainment and deadlines. Reported all issues to management. Ensured all manufacturing met quality standards.
Manufacturer; Production Mgr.; product quality
controller
TTM
Results – Profiles and core Skills
Profile Min Exp (years) Skills Relevant roles
33T/M
39Timber Mill foreman
3 Inspected materials and products for defects and ensure conformance to specifications. Pushed dual control buttons and moved controls in order to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment safely. Loaded materials and products into machines and equipment, or onto conveyors, using hand tools and moving devices. Recorded production and operational data, such as the number of materials processed. Satisfactory in safety and production with minimum product loss. Met deadlines on product delivery. Loaded and Unloaded machinery and products upon delivery.
Foreman; timber and wood process; safety
inspection;
Machine operator;
T
Steel Frame Assembler
1-2 Construct steel frames and structural supports for buildings. Cut and weld steel pieces. Make repairs to existing steel frames and infrastructure elements. Verify the alignment of steel building elements to ensure they're straight and sound.
Read and interpret blueprints and building plans to map out where steel pieces should go.
Machine operator;
Structural steel and welding trade; product
assemblers;
product quality controllers
T
Administration 3 Not available Purchasing and
supply logistics clerks; Store
person
MM
Relevant role
33; T = Technical (hard) skills; M = Managerial (soft) skills
39Conclusion & Future research
Conclusion
• Profiles not used or subcontracted such as construction manager; surveyors and spatial scientists; air-conditioning and refrigeration mechanics; cabinet makers; carpenters and joiners; electricians; floor finishers; paint trade workers; plasters; crane, hoist, lift operators;
fork lifter drivers; building and plumbing labourers; insulation and home improvement.
• All profiles cover overlapping and sharing skills.
• Managerial/supervisory profiles focus on hard and soft skills.
• Worker profiles focus on technical (hard) skills.
Future research
• Case study will be conducted for component, panelised, and volumetric companies.
• Develop a common skill matrix for whole prefab sector.
• Review and contrast prefab profiles on SEEK and LinkedIn for job description.
• Identify transformable skills for construction/manufacturing workforce.
• Match the formal qualification with identified skills.
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