The Construction Innovation Hub has published the first edition Product Platform Rulebook. 

Following consultation with more than 200 industry and government stakeholders, the rulebook has been updated to deliver a clear path to deploying a platform approach to construction.

The 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.

The Construction Innovation Hub says it is an important tool that will drive greater productivity in construction, supporting the development of new skills, new ways of working and collaboration, both across and within organisations. 

Following the release of a beta edition, the hub conducted extensive consultation with industry and government stakeholders. 

Taking this feedback, authors made several important edits and additions. 

These include the addition of an eighth Rule for Circularity, additional guidance on intellectual property and liability in the context of the Demand, Develop, Deploy Product Platform Framework and enhancing the case studies to provide practical application of the defined product platform rules and models.  

The Construction Innovation Hub’s continued focus will be on deployment – including embedding the rulebook in platform construction and working with industry and government clients to move from concept to delivery.

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.”

Industry leaders have welcomed publication of the rulebook. 

Construction Leadership Council co-chair Mark Reynolds said: “The publication of the rulebook is another step forward in the work to transform our sector and ensure we are equipped to answer the increasingly complex challenges we face. 

“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 for not just the construction sector, but society as a whole.”

Ben Carlisle, global practice leader for DfMA at Mott MacDonald added: “It is a pleasure to see publication of the first edition of the rulebook and to be part of the very welcome launch. 

“The journey so far to create the rulebook has been neither straightforward nor easy, but 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 in our industry and indeed in society. 

“Crucially, this is not the end of the journey. This rulebook is an enabling and guiding tool for platform approaches but, 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 and meet the increasing demand we are seeing both in the UK and globally.  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.”

Click here to view the Product Platform Rulebook.