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Completing your project faster means you get paid sooner. Finding ways to reduce time to completion is a perennial goal for property developers. So I speak with Peter Ward from Drouin West Timber a Truss about pre-fabrication or panelisation, which simply put means producing large sections of the building in a factory and then bolting it all together on site. I see real opportunities for property developers to speed up their time to completion by using panelisation techniques. In this conversation with Peter we talk about how you define pre-fabrication or panelisation, when can it be used, and some of the benefits of going down that path for construction. I hope you find it thought provoking and interesting. I don’t know about you, but I like the idea of finishing construction 6 months ahead of schedule. How awesome would that be! Lessons for property developers I took quite a few thoughts away from my conversation with Peter, including these: 1. Consider different ways to build Have you explored different building techniques or ways to construct. There is lots of innovation happening in the building game, and also other industries that can be used to help improve the efficiency of your project. For example I have read that Henry Ford got his idea for the assembly line from a meat packing factory, which very efficiently moved the animal carcass along a line while butchers progressively removed and packed the parts. Perhaps you can speak with your builder or designer about possible new techniques, or check out industry bodies to see what is new or innovative in that sector, for example I saw a video of a robot bricklayer which would greatly reduce the time it takes to lay bricks on a site. 2. Consider different construction materials What about looking at the eradication of elements, like bricks, which can slow down the building process. Can you use a light weight cladding rather than something else? There are lots of alternatives out there, so again speak with your designer, builder or industry bodies about what options you may have. 3. Is there a building system solution you can use Think about whether you can work with a panelisation or pre-fabrication supplier to produce a product that meets your markets’ expectations and helps you get through the project quicker. You may be able to find a supplier that can offer a design and production package that you are happy with. There are a few alternatives to the standard building package so do some research and see what you can find. You might just surprise yourself! Don’t forget to find me on Instagram @propertydeveloperpodcast for my project photos and development videos. Links Drouin West Timber a Truss - http://dwtt.com.au