FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
More than one in three construction managers in the UK say that incorrectly sized equipment has caused operational inefficiencies on site, potentially disrupting their operations.
According to the findings of a new report from Aggreko, ‘A Perfect Storm for European Construction?,’ 37 per cent of UK respondents said that they had experienced issues with sizing equipment in the past year.
Incorrectly sizing equipment can have a negative impact on both the sustainability and efficiency of a construction site as businesses will inevitably waste power and fuel. This can also pose a higher risk of equipment failure, in addition to unnecessary carbon emissions and increased costs.
Specifying the correct solution for an application can change this, says Aggreko. Getting the size right first time optimises performance over a project’s duration which can be a huge benefit for those who must hit sustainability targets as part of their contract.
Tom Adlington, Sector Sales Manager, Building Services & Construction at Aggreko, said: “The strain on construction managers is already exceedingly high, so adding the stress of having inefficient and incorrectly sized equipment is something they could do without.
“Using the expertise of their solutions provider to choose the correct equipment for the job is a vital step in achieving efficiency. Correctly sized and specified equipment offers savings on energy and is key to sustainability – making it a true win-win situation for the operator.”
Different technologies should also be considered when sizing power equipment effectively. Hybridisation of generators is a prime example of this, where combining battery energy storage systems alongside modular and flexible power allows operation with greater efficiencies, lower noise levels and less emissions.
Adlington continued: “New technologies are giving stakeholders a real selection of viable solutions for their energy needs. Combining these solutions in one efficient package can provide savings and give construction managers the peace of mind that comes with knowing everything is taken care of.”
Despite the right-sizing challenges facing UK construction managers, the situation fairs better in the UK than Europe as a whole, where the Aggreko research found that 50 per cent of 853 construction managers questioned thought incorrectly sized equipment had impacted site efficiency this year.
Frontline workers form the backbone of facilities management services, serving as the face of the brand and interacting directly with customers. Yet research by both L&G and the Living Wage Foundation reveals the majority feel overlooked and expendable.
Accelerating the problem is a growing technology gap. Despite having 2.7 billion deskless workers worldwide, representing 80 per cent of the global workforce, only one per cent of software and technology investments has been allocated to this segment. This means there is a huge disconnect between frontline workers and their headquarters, leading to lack of sufficient training, communication challenges and low employee retention.
For this webinar, FMJ has teamed up with frontline training platform Lingio to bring together a panel of experts, to discuss how easy-to-use and efficient AI tools can help create engaging and gamified learning experiences that fit the needs of underserved deskless workers. The result? Better software and learning experiences lead to improved staff engagement and reduced staff turnover by up to 95 per cent, according to McKinsey.
To register for the webinar taking place on 11 September at 11:00 am click here.
