ABSTRACT
Construction differs from manufacturing in many ways. First, there is a wide variety of products, and each is made only once. It is also a mobile industry. Manufacturers bring in materials, process and assemble them at their facilities, and then ship them out to customers. Construction firms must take both their materials and their equipment to the customer’s site and do all the processing and assembly there. One major difference between the construction industry and most manufacturing industries is the historical separation between design and implementation. Traditionally, a separate firm or developer has handled each aspect of building design, from the initial conception to the architectural plans and design appraisal. A proposed project may involve relocating a manufacturing plant away from a group of condominiums to an industrial park, after which the old site can be used for more condos or for athletic fields.
