Construction World June 2016

CONSULTING ENGINEERS

ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR MANGAUNG The successful implementation of this project was celebrated recently at a cocktail function held at SMEC South Africa’s Bloemfontein office. Connie Rampai, Mangaung deputy mayor, and Nthabiseng Mokotjo, mayoral committee member for finance, were presented with the SMEC International Award for Best Africa Project.

The procurement and implementation of the Asset Management system is one of a number of interventions by

All assets are tied into an integrated GIS platform, with supporting photos and other asset informa- tion (for example, operating manuals, inspec- tion data, etc.) now being accessible through the system. A GIS-enabled mobile application was also implemented. Within one hour, metro staff were able to verify over 50 assets to the auditor general. SMEC has worked with over 100 clients worldwide to provide a full range of asset management services that meet the specific needs of the asset lifecycle, Tom Bürge, General Manager Asset Management, Africa Division, comments. The company provides consulting, project management and capacity building services for a wide variety of government, utility and process industries. Its capability in asset management has been developed and refined through more than 30 years of continuous technical assistance, training and institutional strengthening for government departments and private industry. “Exposure to both public and private enter- on Industrial and Protective coating product development in Mobeni, Durban and a research centre at Stellenbosch University. There is a strong internal drive to develop water-based products for the industrial and protective coatings markets that is tradition- ally dominated by solvent based products. We are therefore continuing to develop more sustainable products as an alternative to existing products. These water-based products are marketed to customers through trials and applications, while customers are educated and trained on water-based alter- natives. There is a strong perception in the market that solvent based products perform better in the industrial and protective coating environments, so communicating the benefits of water-based products is key to successfully introducing them in the market. Furthermore, we develop products for special applications together with customers.

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CLOCKWISE: SMEC assists both the private sector and government departments. Nomzamo just outside Strand is an example of sustainable assets. Tom B ür ge is GM of the newly-formed Asset Management division at SMEC South Africa. prises means we will be able to understand Asset Management in both profit and service delivery focused environments. The Mangaung project is an excellent example of the value that SMEC can add to bothmunicipalities and local government departments,” Bürge adds. “This is a real market differentiator for SMEC South Africa, especially compared to the other asset management service providers in Africa. It positions us to make a significant difference to the bottom line of our clients,” he concludes. These products are developed to meet certain requirements from the customer, such as drying times, film thickness, colour, moisture tolerance, etc. What would you say is your unique selling proposition? The ability to develop products for specific customer requirements – our three colour systems – capable of tinting thousands of colours including international RAL standard colours, SABS colours, etc. In addition, our distribution network, onsite delivery support, technical expertise and training offered to customers, sets us apart. Lastly I would say our 360o product offering: we have coatings for almost every surface and application – from interior/exte- rior walls, to ceilings, roofs, floors, light steel, structural steel, wood, concrete, etc.

Mangaung’s executive management to boost the municipality’s audit outcome. “We are looking forward to enhancing the functionality of the asset management system even further,” commented Rampai. “In so doing, we will be able to improve the quality of municipal services rendered to the community.” SMEC South Africa CEO Kostas Rontiris emphasised the importance of working with clients to build partnerships and transfer skills once a project is complete. “We aim to create a sustainable environment so that when we complete a project, clients can carry on with it, using the training and innovation we have put in place,” Rontiris explained. This success of this project was as a result of a significant collaboration between technical and financial departments in the metro. It is a major improvement tomove fromover 30 spreadsheet registers all into a single system. How do you ensure the quality of your service? Our extensive distribution network includes three manufacturing sites in South Africa and five African operations to ensure that Plascon is available wherever our customers are located. We deliver road marking products on site anywhere in South Africa, from Johannes- burg to the middle of the Karoo. The Plascon Advisory Service, launched in 2000, handles calls from stores, consumers, contractors, architects and interior designers. It fields calls on everything from high-end technical requirements to all consumer needs, including surface preparation, product selection, colour tinting and calls for onsite technical assistance. How are products developed? We have state-of-the art laboratories focusing

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD JUNE 2016