MMC in Canada: Why factory-built housing needs digital production systems

What are Modern Methods of Construction?

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) is a broad term for manufacturing approaches that move building production from traditional on-site construction to controlled factory environments. In Canada, MMC includes modular construction, panelized building systems, volumetric prefabrication, and other off-site manufacturing processes.

The core principle: manufacturing building components or complete units in factory settings achieves greater consistency, reduces waste, shortens timelines, and improves quality control compared to traditional site-built construction.

Why MMC matters for Canadian housing

Canada faces a well-documented housing supply challenge. Federal programs — including Build Canada Homes and related initiatives — have identified factory-built housing as a key part of the solution:

• Speed — Factory production delivers housing units faster than traditional construction, particularly in regions with short building seasons.
• Scalability — Factory production scales by adding capacity, shifts, and production lines — not constrained by site conditions or weather.
• Consistency — Controlled environments enable standardized quality processes difficult to achieve on distributed construction sites.
• Labour efficiency — Factory settings allow specialization, structured training, and process optimization.

The data and standardization gap

While MMC's promise is significant, most Canadian prefab manufacturers lack the standardized digital systems needed to manage production data at scale. Many still rely on:

• Paper-based quality records and sign-offs
• Ad hoc spreadsheets for tracking production
• Informal processes and tribal knowledge
• Disconnected tools across departments

This creates limited factory floor visibility, inconsistent documentation, scaling bottlenecks, and reporting gaps — especially for manufacturers participating in public funding programs that require standardized data.

What scaling MMC production requires

Standardized work processes

Documented, repeatable workflows ensuring every unit is built to the same standard regardless of team, shift, or production line. Digital workflow systems enforce this consistency automatically.

Factory floor visibility

Real-time tracking of unit status, workstation throughput, and WIP across the factory floor. This enables better scheduling, faster issue resolution, and informed capacity planning.

Structured quality data

QC checkpoints, inspection records, and non-conformance tracking captured digitally. This enables trend analysis, root cause investigation, and continuous improvement — not just after-the-fact documentation.

Standardized reporting outputs

Reports serving multiple audiences: operational dashboards for managers, compliance documentation for inspectors, performance metrics for investors, and aggregated data for public funding requirements.

The role of digital production systems

Lightweight Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) sit between high-level planning and the factory floor, managing day-to-day production execution. For prefab manufacturers, a fit-for-purpose system should:

• Mirror actual factory workflows, not generic templates
• Support CSA A277 documentation requirements natively
• Track units from start to finish with full traceability
• Capture QC data at the point of inspection
• Generate reports without manual data assembly
• Scale from single-site to multi-site operations

PreFabControl for MMC

PreFabControl is purpose-built for Canadian prefab manufacturers. It provides standardized digital workflows, unit tracking, quality management, and reporting designed around how prefab factories actually work.

For manufacturers participating in national housing programs or receiving public funding, PreFabControl's structured data outputs support the standardized reporting that programs like Build Canada Homes will increasingly require.