While, on the one hand there is reason for industry celebration, with the average salary of UK surveying professionals now being at the highest point it has been in nine years (up 7.1% across the sector as reported by RICS & Macdonald & Company), there are growing concerns as to
As part of a project both designed and then provided by Minimise Energy, a leading provider of innovative energy-efficiency technologies, Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights have now been fitted across Farmfoods’ new distribution centre at Avonmouth. Tailored to the needs of Farmfoods, where temperatures may drop to as low as -22°C
Increasingly, with the advancements made in consumer (and corporate) technology, apps are being launched to assist customers in both monitoring, and managing their relative services. This is most noticeably the case in areas concerning energy and utilities and, most specifically, Western Power Distribution has taken the decision to launch a
Turner & Townsend, one of the UK’s leading professional providers of programme management, project management and cost management has successfully managed to confirm a financial package worth some £80m from three of the UK’s leading banks, namely: Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and Lloyds Commercial Bank. The announcement sits alongside
This January, a positive outlook has been highlighted for architects with the RIBA Future Trends Workload Index rising to +29, an increase of 14 since last December. The figures showcase improved positivity about workloads from the top to the bottom of the UK, with a specific surge in the southern
From the finish of 2014 through to the start of this year, it has been reported that the Recolight WEEE compliance scheme has had a substantial net growth of some twenty three producers which have been added to its member base; this signals an increase which far overshadows that of
Within the painting and commercial decorating industry, there is a complex concoction of issues, both with regard to the industry’s image and the difficulties that those who maintain or construct buildings face in finding reputable, quality painting contractors for their projects. This is where the Dulux Trade Contract Partnership Scheme
While, on the one hand there is reason for industry celebration, with the average salary of UK surveying professionals now being at the highest point it has been in nine years (up 7.1% across the sector as reported by RICS & Macdonald & Company), there are growing concerns as to the continued gender pay gap holding women back from succeeding in a surveying profession. At present, the gender pay gap for industry entrants sits at 28.7%, with male property professionals earning circa £7000 more than female property professionals on average. Though the 7.1% increase for 2016 is notable, and welcomed by the sector, the slow speed at which the gender pay gap has reduced is news not so welcome to women across the industry. It is true that the gender pay gap has closed marginally, reducing from 27% to 25.9% over the last year on average, yet, for those aged between 18-22 the gap sits at a colossal 28.7% which will no doubt be dissuading aspiring female property professionals. As a result, there are parties across the industry clamouring for action to be taken, raising awareness of these concerning figures, reducing some of the barriers to entry for aspiring female professionals, and, in effect, creating a far more balanced workforce built upon talent, not gender. One of the highlighted ways in which companies can work towards this is through more inclusive practices that support all of the workforce, not solely a small majority of it. As such, RICS has launched its very own Inclusive Employer Quality Mark, urging employers to place inclusivity at the heart of their organisation, much like safety, sustainability or local community integration. Urging firms to sign up and display their dedication to such inclusivity, Justine Wallis-Leggett, RICS Equalities Manager commented that, until commitment to change is displayed by within the wider industry, it is highly unlikely that we will see any real change in figures such as these any time soon, highlighting this will only support the, “Subsequent drift of talent away from our sector.”
As part of a project both designed and then provided by Minimise Energy, a leading provider of innovative energy-efficiency technologies, Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights have now been fitted across Farmfoods’ new distribution centre at Avonmouth. Tailored to the needs of Farmfoods, where temperatures may drop to as low as -22°C where frozen-food is stored, the completed project is able to effectively withstand these low temperatures as well as responded to changing levels of natural light across other areas of the centre, such as office spaces, and provide great benefits for Farmfoods as a result. As a leading partner for organisations looking to reduce their on-going energy reduction goals, as well as enhancing the bottom line also, Minimise Energy works across a wide range of energy saving, monitoring and reporting products, most notably including LED lighting. Additionally, the organisation also offers specialist lighting and optimisation for electric motors, gas and electric boilers, and also for air conditioning systems. The centre now has multiple roof lights which are able to cover approximately 15% out of the ambient area of the root, admitting forms of natural light which have also been factored into the lighting design as a whole. Additionally, sensors have been added to the ambient parts of the centre so that these lights can then respond to whether or not there are individuals actively in the building at a given time, and adjust the available lighting accordingly – a major contributor to the energy efficiency of the building. Providing some commentary on the exciting project, Farmfoods’ Property Development Manager, William Scanlon explained the importance of balancing the maintenance of its frozen-food, in the perfect conditions, alongside that of promoting energy efficiency to be of the utmost import. He also added that the designing of the perfect LEDs as well as property lighting control is one of the key ways in which Farmfoods will be aiming to achieve its efficiency goals.
Increasingly, with the advancements made in consumer (and corporate) technology, apps are being launched to assist customers in both monitoring, and managing their relative services. This is most noticeably the case in areas concerning energy and utilities and, most specifically, Western Power Distribution has taken the decision to launch a brand new app for its customers, allowing them to report power cuts directly on their devices as well as enabling them to receive the latest information on faults and issues. As of this moment, Western Power Distribution is now the only DNO with an app of this type, allowing customers increased communication with the company, and visa versa. As a company dedicated to providing the highest standard of service possible, the app is a clear move in the right direction for improving the customer experience and the level of information and support at their fingertips. Although the app won’t quite revolutionise the service Western Power Distribution offers, it does support a responsible approach to the delivery of its service by allowing the customer to keep in the know, on the move. As the app also provides the company’s customers with a live stream of communication directly to Western Power Distribution’s helpdesk, which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, this will also allow for the easy pinpointing of fault locations and communication of advice direct to the customer. Additionally, past and present reports area also archive-able for reference at a later date. And finally, the app also allows for owners of multiple properties to monitor multiple locations simultaneously through the storage of multiple postcodes. Then commenting on the launch of the app, the Corporate Communication Manager for Western Power Distribution said: “We hope [customers] will find our new mobile app a useful addition to the range of resources that are currently available.”
Turner & Townsend, one of the UK’s leading professional providers of programme management, project management and cost management has successfully managed to confirm a financial package worth some £80m from three of the UK’s leading banks, namely: Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and Lloyds Commercial Bank. The announcement sits alongside the £380m turnover company’s recent conversion into a limited liability partnership. As a company with a keen focus on investment back into the company, sources as Turner & Townsend highlight the importance played by such investment in the company’s ability to steadily grow its turnover over the last five years. As Vincent Clancy, Chief Executive of Turner and Townsend (pictured) noted that the recent developments will allow the company to: “Invest in our capability and to continue to transform our business to deliver better results for our clients.” The package, which Turner & Townsend has secured on a five year revolving credit, is aimed to facilitate the future growth of the organisations and will provide much-needed working capital. Key areas of investment for the organisation will involve the expansion of the company’s reach, geographically, and also in terms of services and its overarching capacity to deliver on them. The plans come at a time when the construction industry, in its present state, is considered to be performing well and will allow for Turner & Townsend to maximise on the opportunities presently available in the market. With keen backing from all three of the major banks, both confidence in Turner & Townsend, as well as the confidence it exudes, is considerable, with great anticipation for the future direction of the company.
This January, a positive outlook has been highlighted for architects with the RIBA Future Trends Workload Index rising to +29, an increase of 14 since last December. The figures showcase improved positivity about workloads from the top to the bottom of the UK, with a specific surge in the southern England where a figure of +38 has been reported. Across the index, only Scotland, in fact highlighted any negative territory to be aware of, thus highlighting great prospects for the majority of the UK as a whole. The survey, which originally began some seven years past, has, until now, recorded steady reductions in the overall value of architecture projects being undertaken at the time. Regardless of this running history, the industry has since seen 11 quarters of persistent growth up until now, and while the speed of this growth has tapered down most recently, the figures still showcase a notable 3% increase each year. Naturally, as the figures have highlighted a slowing down in this growth, this also highlights a point at which practices should try to step up, take advantage of the positive market outlook and collaboratively try to drive the industry forward yet further. Although different practice sizes and archetypes have communicated different levels of positivity over the future workload prospects, with larger practices remaining the most positive, practices of all shapes and sizes appear to be expecting their respective workloads to expand over the coming months. As Adrian Dobson, RIBA Executive Director Members explained: “As we entered the New Year confidence seems to have been renewed somewhat, with a number of our practices reporting an increase in enquiries in that month.” Additionally, practices have reported that their employments levels are presently around 3% higher than the start of last year, and, in addition to this, only 2% of such practices expect to have less staff over the course of the next three months. This is because, unlike many sectors, architecture does not yet seem to have hit a point whereupon there are a lack of skilled individuals in the market and so, while practices do still sometimes struggle to find the right individuals to recruit, the profession remains popular enough to sustain further employment growth.
From the finish of 2014 through to the start of this year, it has been reported that the Recolight WEEE compliance scheme has had a substantial net growth of some twenty three producers which have been added to its member base; this signals an increase which far overshadows that of any additional like-scheme within the UK. And if that wasn’t enough, the figures also highlight the scheme’s largest growth figured since its establishment back in 2007. Operating in a manner far apart from that of other WEEE schemes, Recolight offers its member’s customers free-of-charge services for recycling, as opposed to buying lamp recycling evidence in a bid to demonstrate their dedication. What that means is that, with Recolight, the service offered is one which, yes, maintains the benefits of most other WEEE schemes, but also provides additional ones which can drip down to the end customer as an extra added benefit. One of the other key ways which seems to have contributed to the popularity of this particular WEEE scheme is the way in which Recolight handles its fees. The mechanism, which is on a static “per item” sold basis, allows for the membership to effectively plan and budget for the future, with the entire year in mind. Though this may seem like a small matter, due to the present, unreliable nature of the economy, caution is the word with many UK businesses and, through effective budgeting and planning, success can be all but assured. Year on year, the Recolight producer membership has been stated to have grown by approximately 16% and, given these recent figures, the expectation is that the organisation will continue to expand upon that membership and take an increasingly central stage as a leading WEEE scheme.
Within the painting and commercial decorating industry, there is a complex concoction of issues, both with regard to the industry’s image and the difficulties that those who maintain or construct buildings face in finding reputable, quality painting contractors for their projects. This is where the Dulux Trade Contract Partnership Scheme comes in; a scheme that is not solely looking to champion the best commercial decorators, but looking to reshape the very image of the wider sector itself. Historically regarded as a skilled trade, commercial decorating is an integral part of any project development, both for new build and refurbishment. It offers the opportunity to entirely transform the interior of a building into an environment that enhances people’s lives. In recent years however, the sheer potential of this role has unfortunately been overlooked, as a result of the global recession, with cost-cutting prioritising over quality workmanship for the majority of projects. On this note, the Contract Partnership scheme is working hard to change this image and is targeting three core concepts capable of realigning the position of commercial decorating within the construction industry itself: the availability of quality workmanship, the inspiration of trust and reliance in commercial decorators playing a key role in construction projects, and the provision of a clear line of support offered to commercial decorators who are committed to elevating the reputation of the industry. Now boasting a network of some 250 approved decorators, the Contract Partnership scheme exists out of a combined need for Dulux Trade to champion the best of the best in the wider industry and drive forward the efficient use of high quality products. As such, the network is considered to be quite exclusive, with strict assessment procedures and requirements for commercial decorators to enter the scheme. While this may be quite a daunting concept for tradesmen, this exclusivity means that only quality approved contractors are able to enter the scheme and provides reassurance to the client that they are working with the highest quality tradesmen in the UK. The assessment and application process and auditing may be thorough but it gives contractors who get through the scheme an advantage, giving them a real USP with clients. Illustrating the driving ambition behind the Contract Partnership scheme as a way of highlighting excellence within the industry, Duncan Lochhead, Commercial Marketing Manager, explains: “We want to be championing the very best contractors who are working to drive continual improvements in the industry. Our aim is to encourage customers not to settle for poor workmanship, but to insist on quality commercial decorators. We can then, hopefully improve the focus on quality for all those operating in the market including those already in the partnership. This improvement is rewarded with incentives for members.” With its technical specification team consistently out in the field, providing support services for many of the UK’s leading asset managers and contractors, the Contract Partnership scheme is at the sharp end of the industry with a direct feed into the market and is therefore well placed to reflect the needs and wants of the modern-day building owner and contractor. The field resource significantly helps Dulux Trade understand the capabilities and professionalism displayed by commercial decorators across all projects. By not only recommending commercial decorators, but also monitoring the progress of individual projects, the Contract Partnership scheme is increasingly taking a central role in the sourcing and management of commercial decorating contracts across a wide range of projects. As a concerned stakeholder in the commercial decorating sector, the Contract Partnership scheme is integral to the future prosperity of the decorating industry, driving standards up and value into the wider construction industry itself – a responsibility which the scheme takes very seriously. As Lochhead further suggests: “We have a keen sense of responsibility towards all projects that we’re involved with. We follow projects through to completion to be sure that decoration goes well. We get a feel, on an ongoing basis, of who is delivering quality in the marketplace and then invite them to go through the assessment process. Rarely does a contractor pass the audit first time without improvement recommendations, but we provide help and support so they can make those improvements and reach the standards required to pass the audit.” The Contract Partnership scheme also improves the accessibility of such contractors through its web portal, an enhanced search-based website where some procurement processes can be undertaken on the website itself. This, in effect, offers something of a one-stop-shop service and is the first step to inspire clients to use highly skilled contractors to realise their ambitions of bringing colour into their projects. The website is a simple, reliable procurement solution for building owners and asset managers. This simple and efficient method of procurement, combined with the expertise and reliability of decorators on the scheme, is also confirmation of the Contract Partnership’s aspiration to encourage trust within the industry. Through the partnership, it is hoped that leading specifiers will be able to rest easy, knowing that they can rely on Contract Partnership commercial decorators to not only support the client’s vision of a building, but to bring innovative creations to the table which can completely and utterly transform environments. Explaining the importance of this trust and the potential for transformation, Lochhead details: “Our commitment and strategic ambition is to not only promote quality in the marketplace but also to. In doing so, we give clients the confidence to create an amazing transformation rather than a bland recoat in magnolia. You can make a huge difference to the users of a building through their visual experience of it; you can improve learning outcomes for education, healing outcomes in hospitals, productivity in office environments and more. Having skilled commercial decorators as part of their team gives specifiers confidence that they can deliver an amazing transformation.”
