Portakabin

Portakabin specialises in modular construction, a form of offsite construction. The company has won numerous awards for its architecture and environmental practices, among other things. Portakabin has been operating for over 55 years and now has over 50 local visitor and hire centres around the UK, ensuring its building specialists are always close to projects.

Modular construction involves manufacturing parts of a building, such as separate rooms or hallways, in a factory. These modules are then then fitted together by crane at the site location. Portakabin modules are created using many different products and components.

Portakabin’s modular style of construction is up to 50% faster than traditional construction projects. This makes the company extremely efficient, with 99.7% of their projects delivering on time and in budget, which is over 33% higher than average industry standards.

Q-Lean Solutions

Q-Lean Solutions supplies products to Portakabin for use in its modules. This includes Stair Nosings and other profiles from Quantum Flooring Solutions, Dacatie and Q-LEAN. All of these companies operate under the QPSL banner.

All Q-Lean products are made according to Lean manufacturing principles. A major factor in Lean is the ‘Just-in-time’ production method. This holds that products should only be created as and when they are needed, minimising the need for storage space and product waste.

Q-Lean profiles can be manufactured for next day supply, according to demand. This means that there is no need to hold any stock. When a product order is complete, it can be delivered straight away. All Q-Lean profiles are fully Building Regulation compliant, so they can be fitted straight into modules on delivery.

Offsite in Practice

Q-Lean’s production system fits perfectly with Portakabin’s business model. Portakabin can place an order, and the next day Q-Lean will have the correct volume of products ready for delivery. The profiles can then be taken to the modular factory for fitting. This minimises the need for either company to hold stock which isn’t ready for use.

Portakabin’s green credentials are also in step with Q-Lean. All Q-Lean products are fully recyclable, with in-house recycling of materials also in practice at the QPSL factory. Modular offsite construction is less wasteful than is traditionally the case. Portakabin can check that everything is fitted correctly before the module is taken to site. Plus, due to the uniform nature of the modules, the amount of product needed is known accurately before the delivery from Q-Lean.

Offsite construction is proven to be cheaper and more time-efficient than traditional on-site work. Companies such as Portakabin and Q-Lean are showing that offsite construction can be environmentally friendly, as well as cost-effective.