On site, downtime is in short supply. Between scheduling work, making sure you’ve got the materials for the days and weeks ahead, as well as the right trades when you need them, there’s a lot to juggle.
Then throw in compliance, Building Control inspections and sign-off, and it’s not surprising that most builders don’t clock off when they leave site, or let things like training and refreshing vital skills fall to the bottom of the to-do list.
At Jewson, we want to help you ease some of these time pressures and help you do your job more easily. In a recent survey*, we asked small to medium sized building firms to tell us about the barriers they might face throughout the build process – from design to completion – and the realities of life on site.
The best part? We’re developing a range of products and services that can help you with your day-to-day every step of the way.
Expert knowledge
Passing a Building Control inspection is an art form. The process starts right from the design phase when you plan a project in line with Building Regulations and RCDs. Fast-forward to the completed build, and it’s all about the airtightness and acoustic tests, and getting the paperwork in order.
Build Aviator, available at Jewson, comprises a range of services that can help get a project off to the best start. Working with a team of experts, you can plan and design your build so that it’s SAP approved, saving you time in finding products that meet your project requirements and meaning you can crack on with the job. It’s something that many SME builders are already masters of as, according to our research, 90% have never failed a Building Control inspection.
Reducing the risk of remedial repairs
Substituting products increases the risk of having to make remedial repairs on a project, and while 38% of survey respondents do not substitute products as a rule, client request, cost and product availability mean that it’s sometimes a necessity.
Using programmes that offer estimations and Bills of Materials, such as Build Aviator, can help reduce this need. Based on the SAP-approved design, these estimations ensure you can order the products you need in advance of when you need them, therefore reducing the risk of remedial repairs.
Having a better overview of what you need up front can also help identify possible savings on material costs, and help you stay on budget too.
Taking the time for training
An SME builder wears many hats (and we aren’t just talking about the hard kind). Doing so many jobs takes time, something that’s often in short supply. This could explain why only 29% of SME builders say they took part in a training course or skills refresher in the last 12 months.
With the skills shortage an all too common conversation on site, it has never been more important to take the time out for training. To help make this happen, think about the tasks you’re doing on site and speak to your local merchant to find out how they can lend a hand. It may be that there’s an online tool or in-branch service that can give you a little more flexibility in your day. Not only that, you’ll be able to get things done more efficiently as well.
Being in the know
We know you’re the experts at spinning lots of plates, but let’s face it, everyone could do with a helping hand from time to time. Your local Jewson team isn’t just useful for making sure you get the materials and supplies you need, when you need them. They can also help you get up to speed with services like Build Aviator to help take some of the pressure off.
In fact, over half (66%) of SME builders already use services like Build Aviator for SAP assessments, estimations, air tightness and acoustic testing and thermal bridging for this reason.
So, if you know someone who’s a little snowed under with projects, or you’d like to find out more about the services on offer from Build Aviator, head to: www.jewson.co.uk/buildaviator
*Survey carried out between September and December 2018
