Business development director, Murdo MacDonald of the Ormandy Group, explains that more clients are now opting for the prefabricated approach, and this means suppliers must focus on quality.
The use of packaged plant systems has increased significantly over the past three years or so. This has attracted many companies keen to copy what established offsite manufacturers are doing. However, many do not have the necessary skills or capabilities needed to get this right.


Clients usually don't see the completed system until the handover stage so they are not aware of the potential problems that can lurk behind some of the 'copy' components that are being included in some of these sub-standard systems.
We often hear clients lament: 'If only we had known what we were buying'.
Reputable manufacturers guarantee that the system has been designed to the criteria set by the client, will meet all current legislation and has been approved by Lloyd's Register. Being part of the Buildoffsite Registration scheme also helps. A good offsite solution will include the following:

• Guaranteed maximum price from the start
• No variations unless they are client driven
• Commissioning carried out by the supplier's own trained personnel
• Good track record evidenced by a list of projects and delivering on time
• Quality components only
• Extended warranties offered
• Annual breakdown cover for critical plant
• Longevity of supply

Some members of our industry criticise offsite for passing on the design responsibility and the performance guarantee to the supplier/manufacturer.
They forget the reductions in the design, procurement, and build costs as well as installation time compared to a traditional on-site project.

Also, at a time when it is becoming more difficult to recruit experienced staff with the right engineering background, the offsite option helps to bridge the skills gap by having the expertise under the one roof to deliver good quality solutions time and time again.

Being a complete factory-built system from a single manufacturer does take away the need to 'barter' for every single component on the job, which some people might miss, but which simply ratchets up the price for the end client.
The time wasted procuring mismatched components and then trying to make them fit or link in on-site is one of the biggest contributors to project delays and cost increases.

The offsite option allows the supplier to match components before assembly on the shop floor ensuring optimum performance.

However, offsite cannot be applied to every project and it must be identified early on in the conceptual phase of the project to gain the maximum impact.
The contractor also has to have an open mind and be prepared and willing to work in a different way.

• Ormandy Group recently won the H&V Review Award for heating product of the year for its MiniBreeze Consumer Interface unit.