Water and Effluent Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1057079
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE Collaboration is king: how e ective supply chain Management could save millions It's estimated that the reinstatement of failed street ironwork installations costs the industry a staggering £200 million per year. Paul Thompson, from Saint-Gobain PAM reflects on this cost and considers how a better understanding of whole-life-costs, across the supply chain, could be the answer to saving millions. F irst and foremost, it's important to recognise that only 20 per cent of the total cost of installation is the ironwork and bedding. And yet, we're still seeing a concentrated e- ort to reduce costs at speci€ cation level by considering an 'initial' lower-cost, quick-€ x solution. The harsh truth is that the entire industry needs to improve. Over the last decade there have been many independent studies on how typical carriageway installations behave when subjected to tra‡ c flow. One of the more recent studies, conducted by a major customer of ironwork, surveyed 1,000 installa- tions to discover that the failure rate was over 10 per cent. The failures were attributed to poor speci€ cation and a neglected consideration on what is actually the right solution for each individual application. It's a common phrase across our industry – but 'supply chain management' and improved collaboration really is key in delivering a better solution across our road networks. The € nal customer needs to understand the speci€ cation, the installers need to adopt best practice and product providers need to lend their expertise in developing solutions. A refocus on longevity is required to ensure a 'right-€ rst-time' approach and to ensure whole-life-costs are transparent. Really, it's about providing a better education across the supply chain. There's a lot of pressure on main contractors to get the installation of ironworks right, but this responsibility should be shared. In order for this to happen, businesses need to work together better. From product providers and speci€ ers right down to the € nal customer, there needs to be consistent support for best practice procedure. This can massively impact whole life cost, as only 20% of installation costs are actually ironwork & bedding; the larger expenses of labour and time are only reduced through correct € rst-time installation and choosing the right product. The whole supply chain needs to take responsibility for solving this problem, not just the installers. Manufacturers can help by providing training and developing knowledge bases with easily understood content, Speci€ ers and Installers can become independently responsible with enhanced quality assurance and € nal customers can monitor the supply chain to ensure that everyone gets the support they need. wwtonline.co.uk | DECEMBER 2018 WET NEWS 21 Issued on behalf of Saint-Gobain PAM by Edson Evers PR, 120 Newport Road Sta- ord, ST16 1BY For further information please contact Amy Morrison or Sam Allsopp at Edson Evers PR Tel: +44 (0) 1785 255146 Fax: +44 (0) 1785 211518 or Email: amy.morrison@edsonevers.com / sam.allsopp@edsonevers.com