Page 45 - HW October 2020 NEW

frame & truss
Mark explains that National Estimating Manager Daniel Hopkins, now National Technical Resource Manager, not only has PlaceMakers’ National Estimating Unit (NEU) reporting to him but now also all of the head detailers in the plants.
As a result, says Mark: “I don’t like the word synergy but, from what we quote to what we detail to what we make, there’s been a lot of learnings in terms of
how we can improve the whole
process. Dan and the head detailers
have already made big strides since
we changed the structure two
months ago.”
that in the Waikato, which is very busy and where our detailing resources have been stretched.
“In the past they would have to deal with that on a regional basis. But we’re now approaching that on a national basis,
so we’re able to flex our resource to meet demand where it’s centred.”
Is this leading PlaceMakers
towards a one-size-fits-
all approach? Not a bit says Mark Buckenham, it’s still “bespoke manufacturing”, fully capable of catering to regional differences in demand.
And, while some branches and some plants will still have detailers, now there’s a system in place to connect them all and share and learn from the knowledge that may previously have stayed in the head of an individual or plant.
“So, we’re improving what we estimate and how we estimate. It has [also] created much more flexibility. We’re already seeing
To sum up, faced with something of a last-minute rush, frame & truss is currently struggling to cope with demand, to the point where both new and existing hardware players are looking hard at adding to capacity in frame & truss.
Conversely, although being open to adopting and adapting to new ways of working and new technologies, there still appears to be a residual, almost stubborn resistance to the uptake of new materials.
As they say, what’s perceived as an obstacle for some may be an opportunity for others...
“It only takes two or three builders to decide that they want to make a change. People take notice of successful builders and say, ‘if they’re prepared to give it a go, we’ll try it too’”
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OCTOBER 2020 | NZHJ 43