About ABLE
Current at: 28 July 2010 (F)
| Background | Primary reference pages: |
| Local Practice Information & Resources | Profile - James Bertram |
| Open Exchange | |
| Building Professional Participation | |
| Supporters, Partners and Contributors |
Background
What first attracted me to the housing industry was its competitive nature. But when I started to strike technical problems my “competitive” mindset led me to believe that I could not discuss them with my competitors.
My capacity to learn how to make better decisions was limited to what I knew – and what I leant from experience.
Later, when I started providing technical support to the housing industry I found that people would exchange their as-built experiences, especially when it enabled them to make better decisions.
This led me to realise that a better strategy is to compete for work and collaborate on solutions. I established As-Built Learning Exchange (ABLE) to facilitate the collaborative development of useful local practice information and resources.
Local Practice Information and Resources
By providing telephone support to building professionals seeking technical advice and information ABLE learns about local practice compliance and workmanship issues.
If the issue has been raised before then an answer can usually be provided over the phone.
When a new issue arises ABLE will investigate and then provide advice. If the outcome of that investigation suggests the issue is likely to be common to local practice ABLE will develop the relevant information and/or resources.
When the BCA does not offer a useful description for local practice, ABLE’s Common Practice protocol provides a way of developing a regulator recognised outcome. Building Commission (and other regulators) recognise agreed Common Practice outcomes because they are evidence based, non-commercial and published with Open Exchange Use rights. Common Practice Interpretations provide building professionals with a local practice interpretation of a DTS provision and Common Practice Solutions provide a description of local practice that is equivalent to a DTS provision or that meets relevant Performance Requirements.
ABLE also provides a range of technical investigation, research and document development services. When requested, these services are provided under an Exchange Agreement whereby ABLE undertakes the work and the business, association or regulator agrees that what ABLE learns from that work can be used for the development of local practice information and resources.
As Local Practice Information & Resources are developed they are published on the ABLE website with Conditions of Use that apply to all ABLE material. Electronic publication is used because it is the most affordable way to publish material, it allows material to be continuously updated and amended, and it is most likely to be available whenever and where ever needed by building professionals.
Open Exchange
Building professionals are granted Open Exchange Use rights to Local Practice Information & Resources published by ABLE.
These rights reflect the Open Exchange operating process that ABLE has chosen to adopt. ABLE chose this process because it believes that industry benefit is the foundation upon which commercial benefit is sustained.
The underpinning proposition is that it is more affordable to compete for work and collaborate on solutions because, whilst people need the competence (skills and training) to undertake work, it is the capacity of individuals to make better decisions whilst working that reduces errors and disputes, improves building process productivity and sustains industry’s product and service reputation.
In an industry where technical issues have so much in common, Open Exchange provides a more effective way to learn about issues and a more efficient way to contribute to development of recognised solutions for common local practices.
Building Professional Participation
Participation in ABLE is not membership based.
If you are a designer or draftsperson, estimator or scheduler, contract administrator, construction manager, supervisor, tradesperson, supplier or contractor then you are part of the community of building professionals granted Open Exchange Use rights to ABLE Local Practice Information & Resources.
When you need technical advice – call ABLE.
ABLE values your questions and requests for advice and information – it’s how ABLE learns about your local practice issues.
The matrix below explains ABLE’s operating process and how building professionals can participate in the development of useful information and resources.
Supporters, Partners & Contributors
ABLE resources its activities by inviting direct financial and/or in-kind contributions, and by providing Technical Services.
Common Practice Supporters
Common Practice Supporters support and resource ABLE. They recognise that better decision-making leads to reduced errors and disputes and improved productivity. They accept ABLE’s invitation to learn about emerging industry needs and to demonstrate their commitment to the development of useful, practicable and technically sound Local Practice Information & Resources.
Common Practice Supporters also include experts-in-their-field who recognise ABLE’s Open Exchange operation process, provide technical support to ABLE and verify ABLE Common Practice Solutions.
ABLE acknowledges the contribution Common Practice Supporters are making to improving local industry affordability, compliance and workmanship outcomes.
Exchange Partners
Exchange Partners are businesses, associations and regulators who request fee-based Technical Services from ABLE and who are willing to enter into an Exchange Agreement to develop better building processes and contribute to the development of better Local Practice Information & Resources.
They recognise that, in a building process where technical descriptions are handed from client to builder and from builder to contractor, buyer satisfaction is more likely if industry develops clear, shared and consistent descriptions for the work they contract to deliver.
Project Contributors
Project Contributors accept an invitation from ABLE to provide financial and/or in-kind resources for the development of a specific local practice resource.
They accept that for common local practice issues, contributing is a more effective way to develop recognised solutions for common local practices.