Training, employee induction, waste recycling savings and an insight into new technology discussed at the last WFBSC 2014 Congress. Those were the main topics covered at an ‘information-fest’ delivered at a recent Building Service Contractors Association of Australia (BSCAA) NSW branch members and suppliers meeting.
This most informative breakfast meeting was held at The Ranch, North Ryde (Sydney) on 24 September. Guest speakers included Young Manager of the Year 2013 Hailey Marks; NSW Construction and Select Property Services Industry Training Advisory Body’s Andrew Bryson; WorkPro’s Luke Mugavin; and suppliers Stephen Waddingham (Edco) and Tim Grainger (Watts Waste).
Hosted by BSCAA NSW president Terry Corby, the breakfast was also an opportunity for members and suppliers to network.
Bryson brought his audience up-to-date with an ‘Overview of traineeship commencements in cleaning’. Perhaps ominously, his presentation showed a marked decline in NSW traineeships, from some 1900 in 2008 to a projected 600 by 2014 year’s end.
Emphasising that the cleaning industry requires a cultural and attitudinal change, Bryson said, “training requires a full business analysis so business knows it will get a bang for its bucks.”
In other words, BSCs and clients need to understand that training does bring financial (bottom line) rewards. And Bryson also pointed out the importance training has when ‘engineering’ cleaning as a career.
He surmised that training subsidies will cease to exist in the next 10 years and that “employers will decide what their businesses need and how they will service” those needs.
An enthusiastic Marks took attendees through some of what she had gleaned with her attendance at the World Federation of Building Service Contractors 2014 Congress (New York). As winner of the Hako Australia sponsored BSCAA NSW Young Manager of the Year 2013 award, Marks mixed with senior industry execs from around the world.
She brought away with her increased awareness of robotic technology; the use of heat sensors for service specification; capitalising on skilled people for multi-tasking; and leadership lessons delivered by Jim Collins.
Corby pointed out that for most members, dealing with waste is a problem. “Please take this problem away from us,” he asked Watts Waste’s Tim Grainger. Grainger explained the benefits of recycling, as against simply using a ‘waste service’.
Not only is there a good feel (environmental) factor, the savings for BSCs and clients by embracing a professional recycling system are significant.
A new BSCAA NSW supplier, WorkPro, offers a web-based (on-line) employee induction process at a very cost-effective price. WorkPro’s Luke Mugavin explained that part of the process includes instant national police checks.
“They allow your organisation to adopt a ‘just-in-time’ approach to this critical employment screening process,” Mugavin stated.
For Edco’s Stephen Waddingham, the breakfast meeting was an opportunity to talk about his company’s wonderful history as an Australian-owned family business, which has been established some 70 years.
He pointed out that the logistical and merchandising experiences that Edco has ‘enjoyed’ with the large and aggressive retail industry have been employed in offering the commercial sector superior ranges and service.
Edco handles about 1,000 containers a year and works through some 450 distributors nationally. Its stock holdings are prodigious. As well as the Edco janitorial brand, the company also markets Sorbo window cleaning products as well as ETC floor pads.
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Consulting editor’s comment: Our industry does not want for education and information, both in business and technology terms. Various meetings and events, often monthly and held in most capital cities, offer service providers ideas and information that can lead to competitive edges. Unfathomably, these meetings are often poorly supported and this writer ponders why.
As well as delivering ‘need-to-know’ stuff, these association meetings provide an excellent networking environment. It should also be said they require considerable organisation input.
Instead of an ‘I know it all’ attitude, BSC executives could well help themselves and their organisations by learning about opportunities to enhance competitive performance.