Construction Magazine January 2018 | Page 104

JAMES L WILLIAMS MIDDLE EAST
one we had to be efficient to grow and survive ,” he says . “ This is a market of efficiencies . If you ’ re not an efficiently-run company , you ’ re not going to be able to survive in today ’ s market because , whilst work is plentiful , the margins aren ’ t there . It ’ s a very aggressive market to be in .”

Technological innovation

Part of this efficiency undoubtedly stems from the company ’ s technological prowess . For instance , the company first began using 3D modelling several years ago and is now moving towards advanced state-of-the-art 4D and 5D technology . Boufarhat says these advancements are critical as they allow the firm to conduct precision on and off-site installation and to control time and cost , and they can also produce smart building information and engineering analysis .
“ Construction companies and people don ’ t like change , especially some of the old-timers ,” he adds , “ but you ’ ve just got to keep pushing the technology if you want to be efficient .” With this technology ,
James L Williams Middle East can efficiently prefabricate off-site . This means that the company can design , procure and install components offsite with precision engineering and then transport these to site for fixing . “ What you effectively do is work off-site in a well-ventilated workshop , on floor / table height level rather than working on a construction site with a 45-degree ambient temperature , at an elevated height on a ladder or scaffold with the chaos of a construction site . By prefabricating off-site , we are really increasing our efficiency ,” explains Boufarhat .

Prestigious projects

With mega-projects underway such as the Dubai Mall expansion , Al Maryah Central , Bluewaters Hospitality , Masdar Neighbourhood 2 and ICD Brookfield Place , James L Williams has garnered a reputation as a reliable and trustworthy MEP company . The company is selective over which projects it undertakes and these mega-projects all have one thing in common - James L Williams ’ also trusts in them .
104 January 2018