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Averill Electric Explains the Benefits of Prefabricated Construction and How It Can Save Your Company Money

Today, many businesses are looking for ways to save money. While cutting corners on electrical construction is never recommended, there are useful methods that can help to reduce costs while preserving the quality of your project. Prefabricated construction has been used for centuries, and electrical prefabrication is steadily gaining in popularity.

Averill Electric is an experienced electrical contractor in Massachusetts. Frank Averill explains the benefits of electrical prefabrication and how it can make a positive impact on your construction budget.

What is Prefabrication?

Prefabricated construction involves assembling parts of the electrical system at a central facility rather than doing all of the installation work at the job site.

The most popular ways to incorporate prefabrication in a project include outlet boxes, temporary power units, raceway assemblies, wire bundling, conduit bends, and precut cables and wires. All of these components of electrical construction take time and require a certain degree of precision, which prefabrication methods can easily handle.

Advantages of Prefabrication

Following are some of the many advantages that prefabricated construction confers on a project. Prefabrication results in a streamlined process that makes the shop more efficient and saves both costs and time.

Precision Assembly

When components are prefabricated, the parts are assembled with greater precision in a controlled environment. This means that job site conditions do not come into play when assembling the electrical system.

When work is done repetitively, employees become experts at doing the job. Employees who are accustomed to assembling certain components do better quality control, meaning that there will be fewer errors in construction.

Greater Volume of Jobs

Prefabricating components allow electrical contractors to take on a greater volume of jobs. Productivity is raised, and companies can get jobs done with fewer employees. Contractors are also able to take on complex and sophisticated projects that would have been difficult when all assembly was being done on the job site.

Better Construction Scheduling

Contractors who use prefabrication report that their project schedules were sped up by more than four weeks. Accelerated scheduling brings greater client satisfaction and can attract more jobs in the future.

Accelerated scheduling also makes it easier to fit new jobs into the company’s workflow. When companies are able to handle more jobs in the same amount of time, they will make more money in an efficient manner.

Overall Cost Savings

The cost of materials is lowered when companies use prefabrication techniques in electrical construction. Prefabricating can help to reduce costs by making it possible for companies to buy materials in bulk.

Prefabrication encourages companies to standardize their components across many projects. This enables them to get the work done at a faster pace and makes the job site more efficient.

Labor Costs and Shortages

Another component of cost savings is the cost of labor. Prefab shops can employ more apprentices and commercial workers, reducing labor costs. Licensed electricians can then be used to install the equipment at the job site.

Prefabrication can help to lessen the effects of a shortage of qualified electricians. Licensed electricians are in short supply in many parts of the country and being able to use trainees for prefab operations makes it easier to get jobs done.

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an 8 percent growth in the number of electricians by 2029, but it is not known whether there will be enough electricians to meet increasing demand. Prefabrication can help get the job done even while there are labor shortages.

Greater Productivity

Productivity is increased on the prefab floor. The manufacturing environment allows workflows to be tailored to the project, meaning that the processes are more efficient and there is very little wasted time.

Restricting idle time is one of the greatest benefits of prefabricated construction. When companies learn to improve their workflow to the point where there is a smooth transition between one job and the next, they will be taking a major step toward running a shop with little wasted time.

Reduced downtime is another way that prefab construction can help with project efficiency. During times when work is slowed down, licensed electricians can help at the prefab shop, assembling materials that will be used in current and future projects.

Better Materials Handling and Supply Chain Management

Another advantage of prefabricated construction is better materials handling. All of the components can be shipped to a central location, rather than to far-flung job sites. It is easier to keep track of materials inventory and to keep a handle on supply chain management across the board.

Job Site Safety

Prefabrication also makes the job site safer. When materials are constructed indoors under controlled conditions, it is less likely that the installers will become injured on the job. With solid processes for each component, employees have less room for error and are less likely to hurt themselves on the job.

Leveraging Prefabricated Construction

When all of these advantages are taken into account, it is clear that prefabricated electrical construction presents many advantages both in efficiency and cost savings. Averill Electric uses these methods in its shop and has experienced better results. Frank Averill encourages all electrical contractors to consider building prefab shops.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes

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