Design for Manufacture and Assembly promises 30-40% schedule reductions. In practice, most projects abandon DfMA principles by week three of design development — not because the concept fails, but because the handoff between architect and manufacturer happens too late.
The fundamental error is treating DfMA as a procurement decision rather than a design constraint. By the time a modular manufacturer is engaged, structural grids are fixed, MEP coordination is done, and connection details are already baked into permit drawings. The manufacturer inherits a design that was never manufacturable.
The firms getting this right engage manufacturers at RIBA Stage 1 or equivalent — before massing is locked. The result isn’t just faster delivery; it’s fewer RFIs, fewer site clashes, and modules that arrive ready to stack rather than ready to argue about.