The Construction Innovation Hub has published the first edition of the Product Platform Rulebook. This edition is an update on the beta version published in May. It draws upon feedback from more than 200 industry and government stakeholders.
The Product Platform Rulebook is an open-access guide designed to support industry – clients, consultants, contractors, manufacturers and product suppliers – in building capability and capacity to develop and deploy product platforms to meet demand.
According to the Hub, it will drive “greater productivity in construction, supporting the development of new skills, new ways of working and collaboration, both across and within organisations”.
Originally, the beta version set out seven rules:
- deployability;
- configurability;
- common, repeatable elements;
- defined interfaces;
- quality standard;
- structured approach to configuration; and
- openness.
Now the updated first edition adds an eighth rule for circularity. Other updates to the beta version include additional guidance on intellectual property and liability in the context of the Demand, Develop, Deploy Product Platform Framework. The case studies have also been enhanced to provide practical application of the defined product platform rules and models.
Addressing government’s ambitions
Construction Innovation Hub director Keith Waller said: “This is an important milestone for the Hub’s legacy to industry and government. The updated, improved Rulebook is a practical tool that will help deliver the schools, hospitals, homes and buildings of the future.
“It addresses the government’s ambitions – set out in the Construction Playbook and TIP Roadmap – to accelerate the development and adoption of a platform approach – boosting productivity, innovation and quality and contributing to economic growth.
“Our focus will now turn to deployment, taking the Rulebook and working with industry and government to embed it in projects.”
Construction Leadership Council co-chair Mark Reynolds added: “The Rulebook will provide a vital route-map as we deploy and embed a platform approach for construction, ensuring clarity and a focus on real results.”
What happens next
Ben Carlisle, global practice leader for DfMA at Mott MacDonald, revealed: “The journey so far to create the Rulebook has been neither straight forward nor easy. We have brought together individuals from across the sector, often from competing organisations, to collaborate on this vital work. This is a testament to our collective determination and commitment to addressing the challenges we face.
“Crucially, this is not the end of the journey. This Rulebook is an enabling and guiding tool for platform approaches. To continue to drive transformation, we need to establish the commercial models, feedback mechanisms and increased application to allow product platform development and deployment to thrive.
“At Mott MacDonald, we have committed to this through the establishment of a dedicated practice team and a strategy to support our approach. I know we are joined by many of our clients, partners and competitors and I look forward to working with them towards delivering a better built environment for all.”
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