Member Spotlight - Graitec
Twenty-odd years in MMC, a practical approach to technology, and absolutely no appetite for chasing spreadsheets. We think Pete is going to fit in rather well.
This month we're delighted to welcome Pete and the Graitec UK team to the Offsite Alliance.
Pete is Solution Sales Director for Fabricate at Graitec UK. He's spent more than 20 years working across offsite construction and MMC, helping businesses improve the way they design, manufacture and deliver projects. Today that means bringing together digital tools including StrucSoft, Onyx, Graitec Steel and CMS, helping manufacturers work smarter, not harder.
Two decades in this sector also gives you a pretty good idea of what works, what doesn't, and what makes life unnecessarily complicated.
“Twenty-odd years of seeing what works, what doesn't, and what ends up costing people time and money. I like to think I bring a fairly practical approach. Technology should make life easier, not more complicated.”
Pete had known about the OA for some time before joining Graitec, so thankfully no arm-twisting was required. He'd seen what OA was doing, and joining the business gave him the chance to get involved. He's still fairly new to the community, but he's already found his people in the honest conversations, particularly the willingness to talk about what isn't working as well as what is.
His view on collaboration is equally straightforward.
“For me, it's when everyone leaves their ego at the door and focuses on solving the problem. The best projects happen when people work together early and pull in the same direction.”
Pete describes most successful offsite projects in much the same way. Manufacturers, technology providers and project teams each bring different expertise, and the magic happens when they bring it together around a common goal.
It's also one of the reasons Graitec joining OA makes so much sense. Our community is at its best when different parts of the sector are around the same table, sharing what they know and learning from each other.
LESS CHASING. MORE BUILDING.
Ask Pete what he'd fix in construction with a magic wand, and there's no hesitation: disconnected data.
“The amount of disconnected data. Too much time is wasted recreating information that's already been created somewhere else. We should be spending our time building, not chasing spreadsheets.”
Anyone who's spent an afternoon working out which version of a spreadsheet is actually the right one will sympathise.
For Pete and the Fabricate team, the opportunity is better connected workflows: a smoother flow of information from design through to production, and helping manufacturers get more from technology they've already invested in. Software alone won't do it, though.
“Software is important, but people and processes are what really drive success.”
Over the next 12 months, he expects the businesses that get those connected workflows right to put themselves in a really strong position.
Joining Graitec and building momentum behind the Fabricate solutions portfolio in the UK has been Pete's proudest achievement this year, helping more manufacturers understand what's possible with connected digital workflows. At the same time, a team with a huge amount of knowledge has quickly come together around him.
“Seeing how quickly the Fabricate team has come together. There's a huge amount of knowledge across the team, and everyone is genuinely passionate about helping customers succeed.”
There's plenty more to come, and the ambition is simple. For Pete, building better means:
“...making it easier for people to deliver great projects through better processes, better technology and better collaboration.”
That's exactly why OA fits.
“We believe the future of construction is collaborative, and OA brings together exactly the sort of people who are making that future happen.”
Pete says the biggest value of OA membership is the people: a network willing to share experiences, challenge ideas and learn from one another.
So, a very warm OA welcome to Pete and everyone at Graitec UK. We're looking forward to having your experience, ideas and practical approach around the table. Less jargon. Fewer disconnected spreadsheets. More people pulling in the same direction.
We can definitely get behind that.
Want to talk connected workflows, Fabricate, or why spreadsheets are public enemy number one? Catch Pete at the next OA Regions event, or connect with him and the Graitec UK team on our OA app or LinkedIn.
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