New programme of GIRI forums announced

Diversity, modern methods of construction, the impact of time pressures, and avoiding errors when repurposing buildings are the headline themes for the new series of GIRI discussion forums starting in May.

The online events are scheduled to take place every three weeks from Monday 17th May and will delve into some of the hot topics in the industry. They will consider how new technologies, strategies, and ways of thinking can address issues old and new to improve productivity and quality and contribute to the pursuit of net zero.

The first event will look at the avoidance of error when repurposing existing buildings and infrastructure, and how this type of project – and the problems and errors that could arise – differs from new build. Delegates will discuss the issues around redesigning and repurposing existing buildings in the context of the post-Covid landscape and the need to find new uses for retail and office premises.

More details and how to book: Changing places; how can we avoid errors when repurposing existing buildings?

On 7th June, diversity will be under the spotlight. The forum will consider the importance of diversity in the drive to do things differently, and the direct relationship between diversity of thought and the broader concept of diversity in terms of gender, race, age, education, experience, and socio-economic background. Should lack of diversity itself be considered a root cause of error? And how can GIRI promote diversity in construction as a strategic aim? 

More details and how to book: How can diversity help reduce error in the construction industry.

Off-site manufacturing and its potential to reduce error will be up for discussion at the forum on 28th June. Posing the question ‘is off-site manufacture the panacea for construction error?’, the forum will consider how modern methods of manufacture can transform the construction sector as well as potential limitations and pitfalls, inviting discussion from delegates about how best to use off-site manufacturing to eliminate error and improve productivity.

More details and how to book: Off-site manufacturing; is it the panacea for construction error?

Finally, the impact of time pressures and the ‘tyranny of efficiency’ on both the incidence and impact of error will be discussed on 19th July. We will consider the relationship between time, cost, and quality in construction and whether we need to better understand the trade-offs we make when speed is prioritised. What are the hidden costs of increasing time pressures, and does a desire to do things quickly end up costing more and resulting in lower quality work?

More details and how to book: How can we plan our time to avoid error?

All forums are free to attend and open to members and non-members. In response to feedback, we are extending the forums by half an hour, giving extra time for group discussion of the outcomes from breakout rooms. Videos of the forums will also be available on the GIRI Youtube channel and we will summarise key takeaways after each forum.

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