74 - The Prefab Queen: One Woman's Quest to Transform Construction

Change can be difficult, but if you look at it from a growth perspective you will see that the risks that come with change are nothing compared to what you can gain. Prefabrication is being rapidly adopted across Construction and presents lots of profit opportunities for contractors who are willing to learn and adapt.  In this week's Construction Genius podcast episode I talk with Amy Marks. She is the Head of Industrialized Construction Strategy and Evangelism at Autodesk, but is better known in the industry as the Queen of Prefab. She gives valuable insights on why there is limited awareness of the prefab revolution that's happening, the barriers of the adoption of prefabrication, how to overcome the project mindset to move up the learning ladder, and a lot more.  This is an interview that will open your mind to what change in this industry looks like and why you should adapt now.  Here are some of the great takeaways from this episode.  What's Discussed in This Episode:  How Amy became known as the 'Queen of Prefab' [2:45] Amy's transition from Xsite Modular to Autodesk [3:38] Why there's a limited awareness of the industrial revolution that's happening [6:38] How companies struggle to pitch prefab to owners for better understanding [9:16] Barriers of the adoption of prefabrication to the AEC industry [11:18] Educating on how to integrate prefab and how it might affect designs upfront [13:49] Why making money should not get in the way of integrating prefab [15:58] The need to upgrade your skill set to integrate prefabrication [19:12]  Reason why a disruption in the construction industry has not happened yet [20:25] Overcoming the project mindset to move up the learning ladder [22:11] What the industry will look like 5-10 years from now [26:00] How Autodesk is positioned to help those in construction scale [28:03] Where to find the resources to begin educating yourself [35:10] The government's role in driving prefabrication [39:27] Actions GC's and SC's can take to become more part of the AC ecosystem [44:45] About the Guest: Amy Marks is a leader, innovator and changemaker. Before joining Autodesk, she was the CEO of XSite Modular and pioneered a path to become the world's preeminent prefabrication consultant and is often called the Queen Of Prefab. Literally creating the role as the first prefabrication consultant.  Amy champions the use of optimized prefabrication across many building types including high-tech, healthcare, hospitality, data centers, residential and commercial buildings. She is a unique and outspoken agent for change that is well-respected across many industries and is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and chairperson of conferences on prefabrication.  Resources:  Connect with Amy Marks on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amykulkamarks/)  Visit AutoDesk for more information (https://www.autodesk.com/solutions/architecture-engineering-construction/construction)  Connect and Construct Autodesk University (https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/conference/las-vegas/connect-construct-summit)  Advancing Prefabrication (https://www.advancing-prefabrication.com/)  Beckhard and Harris "Change Formula" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_for_change)  Connect with me on LinkedIn. For more podcast episodes, you may also visit my website. Tune in and subscribe to the Construction Genius: A Leadership Master-Class Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.