ICG Takes the Stage at MCAA Fabrication Conference 2026
As more contractors pursue ISO certification in response to increased procurement of complex prefabricated mechanical systems as owner-furnished equipment, expectations for consistency, quality and predictability continue to rise. Achieving certification is one step; sustaining that level of operational performance in daily practice is another. This session is designed for contractors looking to understand what it takes to move from “getting ISO” to “being ISO.”
Too often, ISO efforts stall or become an administrative burden rather than a system that drives quality and operational improvement. The challenge is rarely the standard itself — it is the absence of clearly defined ownership, embedded skills and the discipline required to sustain ISO in a fabrication environment.
Through a facilitated, real-world discussion, speakers and participants will examine the practical elements critical to success, including standard work that holds up in production, effective work instructions, skills matrices, QA/QC integration and change management that aligns with operational realities. Attendees will hear lessons learned, where companies encounter challenges and what it takes to build the internal capabilities needed to sustain quality systems over time.
Speakers
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Sally Mizell Co-Founder & Managing Principal ICG | Natalie Osborne Director of Manufacturing McKinstry |
As capacity constraints, project schedules and fabrication demand intensify, contractors are launching new production lines or reconfiguring existing ones to meet data center demand.
Construction manufacturing requires greater flexibility than automotive or aerospace manufacturing, but the principles still apply. Many construction organizations pursue this flexibility using construction planning methods rather than manufacturing principles, resulting in higher labor content, unbalanced workflows, constrained throughput and missed opportunities to convert demand into sustained performance gains.
In mature manufacturing environments, new production lines are planned over 12 to 18 months by process engineering teams using data, modeling and defined performance targets. In construction, fabrication leaders are responding to rapidly evolving project and product mixes, increasing the need for manufacturing-based planning systems.
In this interactive session, participants will work in groups to design a data center production line, making decisions related to work content, line structure, labor and capacity under variable demand. By comparing their approaches with established methods, attendees will see how manufacturing discipline can support flexibility, improve throughput and strengthen operational performance.
Speakers
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Melissa McEwen Co-Founder & Managing Principal ICG | Nick Masci Co-Founder & Principal ICG |
