The pendulum is swinging towards the specialist sector. For too long we have been thinking in terms of what the professionals think the clients want, not what the client actually wants. We need to be more aware of our potential to educate the client, not just quoting for work.”
HVCA president David Summerfield knows a thing or two about providing clients with solutions they actually want. As former chief executive of m&e contractor How Group, he is more aware than most that it’s about providing buildings which deliver in terms of life cycle costs, not first costs, that are important.
“Government initiatives such as PFI are looking at these issues. And as partnering and the Latham approach starts to bring better value for money for the client, so better rewards will come through for the m&e specialist,” predicts Summerfield.
With greater rewards come greater expectations and the HVCA knows that its members have to be up to scratch. The approved contractors list Constructionline, and the proposed Qualitymark scheme to kick out the cowboys, have raised the stakes and the Association is currently looking at competencies across all sectors as a precursor to an independent assessment regime.
“Many members already have the competency level needed,” says Summerfield. “Others maybe don’t encompass all the skills required. But first we need to measure and we are still looking at those benchmarks.”
ECA members have experienced its inspection regime at first hand and HVCA members can expect something similar. Summerfield remains tight lipped as to what level of partnership the two will enter into over company inspections or whether there would be a role for the HVCA’s quality assurance arm CQA.
As with the ECA’s regime, the intention is to raise competencies not kick people out of the Association. “We will encourage members to acquire skills over a period of time,” explains Summerfield. “But there has to be the will there. We will not reduce levels.”
Summerfield doesn’t foresee much trouble. “I don’t anticipate members saying that they are not interested in achieving that level. Eradication of cowboys is what the industry needs to improve the bottom line.”
Certainly, there does seem to be support for Constructionline and the HVCA has now negotiated a discount for members wishing to join the list. Summerfield recognises that there is still some way to go on the Qualitymark initiative: “It has to go further. We have to put some flesh on the bones.”
We are working with the ECA to provide all that is required to support multiskilling
As well as the inspection issue, the ECA and HVCA have been working very closely together on the issue of multi-skilling. Many m&e contractors, particularly those in the ECA/HVCA Joint Major Contractors Group, have long questioned the inflexibility of agreements with the respective unions.
This issue came to a head in the wage negotiations between the ECA and the AEEU two years ago when the proposed skilled mechanical assembler grade had to be dropped from the talks amid claims that it would de-skill the industry. Now, the time may be right as the ECA/AEEU Joint Industry Board is examining a m&e working agreement that may also include the plumbers.
“We are working with the ECA to provide all that’s required to support multi-skilling. It is delicate because of the unions, but they are all for it,” says Summerfield.
“There are no losers in multi-skilling provided that training is offered and the process is explained in the proper way,” thinks Summerfield. “This is one of the facets that will improve efficiencies.”
As a former chief executive of one of the major m&e contractors, he knows that the JMCG will not let the multi-skilling issue disappear off the agenda. “Major contractors see this as a big issue and it won't go away. It might take ten years to achieve; I hope not because the industry needs it.”
Should the HVCA become a party to the JIB? Again, Summerfield is non-commital, but does admit that this would “make sense”.
The question of whether it would also make sense to merge the HVCA and the ECA again brings a cautious response. “Sometimes I think it would be in the members’ interests but there are many electrical-only firms and there are members of the Heating and Plumbing Group who are mainly residential. I believe there are very good reasons why the two Associations should get together but you have to go with the membership.”
Summerfield has twice represented England at petanque and he will need all his tactical awareness as he plays the part of president for the forthcoming year. It is a challenge he relishes.
“It’s a great time to be president. We now have the possibility to get the rewards through increased effectiveness. Our skills haven’t been rewarded in the past because the profits weren’t there. There is an opportunity now that wasn’t there in the 1980s, 1990s, even the 1970s,” claims Summerfield.
Source
Electrical and Mechanical Contractor
