The UK construction industry has had to battle against unprecedented challenges over the past two years. Unfortunately, rather than getting easier, it is predicted that we will be entering the eye of the storm in the year ahead.
Ben Brocklesby, Director at Origin, anticipates the biggest hurdles are yet to come and explains how, as one of the UK’s most successful manufacturers, Origin has updated its operations to help professional builders weather the storm.
Overcoming Materials Shortages
According to the Construction Products Association, the cost of building materials increased by an eye-watering 42 percent at the end of 2022. Supply chain issues caused by the pandemic, Brexit and the war in Ukraine have pushed prices up dramatically, while over 90 percent of builders have experienced project delays due to shortages, according to NAHB.
The only way to prevent this happening is to work with manufacturers that have safeguarded their operations against global shortages. At Origin, we have heavily invested in our internal infrastructure to guarantee our we can deliver our products within just 24 hours of an order being placed.
A 55,000sqft warehouse facility, opened in 2021, is now home to an abundant reserve of aluminium profile. By futureproofing the business against economic and environmental uncertainty, we have created our own robust supply chain. This ensures we can always supply systems to our Partners. The warehouse, known as ‘The Ark’, has also increased manufacturing capacity for greater productivity at our other facilities.
Additional changes to our internal IT infrastructure have also been made to support Origin’s ‘On Time, In Full’ delivery promise. As part of our ‘one-click’ vision, we have automated our internal processes so that when an order is placed via our revolutionary online software, Origin Sale Safe (OSS), stock is automatically re-ordered to replenish the warehouse. The order is processed without any human involvement for complete reliability.
All areas of the business have invested in change to protect Origin’s delivery promise. The R&D department, for example, has even redesigned systems to remove materials that will be in short supply in the future.
Achieving Future Homes Standard
A dramatic rise in the cost of gas and electricity, plus the introduction of ‘Part L’ of the Future Homes Standard, has propelled the thermal performance of homes to the top of the priority list. In new homes, windows and doors must achieve a U-Value of 1.2 W/m2K, while replacement systems require a U-Value of 1.4 W/m2K.
U-Values and Window Energy Ratings (WER) need to be explained to homeowners to help them make an informed decision and ensure they invest in glazing systems that meet the new criteria. While some manufacturers have opted to offer triple glazing as standard to achieve the latest regulations, they might struggle to meet the stricter targets when they are introduced in 2025.
We have invested in innovation to ensure the highest level of thermal performance, without compromising functionality or style. In the year ahead, the Origin R&D department will be further updating all systems with clever design features to ensure they exceed the targets set out in the Future Homes Standard in 2025.
Supporting Growth
For professional builders to be able to successfully grow during challenging times, it is vital that they are supported by their manufacturing partners and suppliers.
Origin Sale Safe (OSS), our revolutionary ordering and quoting system, allows Partners to quote and order whole house projects in minutes. Adjustments can easily be made at any stage and the system will immediately provide a revised quote.
Updates to the software in 2023 will allow our Partners to automatically add their margins onto the cost of a project and quote for intricate projects quickly and easily online. By offering an efficient and accurate ordering system, we can save them valuable time to support their business growth.
In the words of Henry Ford: “obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal”. Even through the pandemic, Brexit and a UK recession, Origin has remained committed to service excellence and growth. Challenges provide us with the opportunity to adapt our business to offer an even greater level of support to our Partners in the year ahead.
For more information about Origin visit www.origin-global.com
