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You have so much more control over a job performed on Gem's shop floor. The unpredictable surprises discussed above are not encountered, or encountered much less severely and frequently. You can estimate more precisely and confidently. You don't have to build-in "fudge factors" to cover those unpredictable situations. You can establish and utilize you own standards and controls for particular operations based on repetitive experience in your own traceable environment. But there are other benefits prefabrication can deliver.
Responsive scheduling
When you are assembling in Gem's shop, you can control schedules. You can keep the crew busy on one job or another without regard to the general contractor schedule. You may even finish a job weeks ahead of time if your schedules allow. Even with no pressures from external sources, you are better able to balance workloads and schedules and better utilize the talents and experience of your labor force in a controlled shop environment. You become a more efficient and productive contractor as a result.
Safety and environmental factors
When Gem has control of the environment, crews aren't exposed to the surprises of the job site in their day-to-day work. Work is not as likely to be interrupted by accidents; workman's compensation demands aren't as frequent. Worker morale is higher when the work place is safe.
Quality control
Quality control is improved because within the shop, conditions are uniform from one project to the next. Tools and equipment are where they're supposed to be. Supervision and inspection can take place regularly and when it's needed because supervisors and inspectors are always available. There's less need to improvise. Fittings and joints can be made and trued on a workbench instead of "in limbo".
Propriety methods can be developed and honed. There's always a better, more efficient way to perform almost every process. Within the confines of Gem's shop, those techniques can be developed, tested and put into everyday use. They become a competitive advantage if they save time or require smaller crews. It's difficult to develop similar methods in the field because of the many variables.
A demonstrated commitment to cost saving. Working with Gem's prefabrication operation means that management is committed to finding ways to plan and manage the business more effectively. Management is committed to establishing standards and measuring performance, usually with the aid of computerized estimating, design and manufacturing techniques. Shop fabricators understand what is expected of them and they perform confidently.
For many, prefabrication is a change from their traditional ways of doing business, and it will take some getting used to. But the change is usually more evolutionary that revolutionary. Once a system is delivered, installation should be only a matter of making a few connections.
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