RMBA vice-president Johnny Calley and myself have been lucky enough to be travelling around the country attending Master Builders Regional Annual Members Meetings during the past couple of months.
I’d like to say a thank you to all the branches that have hosted us. It was great to meet and catch up with everyone to share what Master Builders are currently up to.
The engagement level at these meetings was great, and the passion that people have for their craft is always heartening to see.
One other thing I was impressed with was the interest levels in what is happening within the industry, especially at a government level.
I think this comes down to the fact that we are more aware of the impact that these changes are having in our day-to-day lives, particularly at the moment.
The H1/AS1 Building Code changes for thermal efficiency is one issue the RMBA has been very vocal on as we don’t believe the industry can stand such a massive change at present — and the Government has listened.
A short two-week time frame for consultation on the question of whether these changes should be delayed or not ended on Monday, June 13.
Hopefully you visited the MBIE web site and submitted in support of delaying the above. If you didn’t then you lose the right to complain about the changes come November, if they are introduced then.
Building is always a tricky game — we have had the boom-and-bust cycle for as long as I can remember, normally on a seven to nine-year cycle.
The boom we are currently experiencing has been ongoing for the past 12 years, although is now starting to show signs of slowing.
I think the one difference this time is that, generally, during a boom time, builders are their own worst enemy.
We over-commit and under-deliver, and we take on more work than we can handle, putting pressure on ourselves. This you must deal with as, generally, you have created the problem, so you need to work hard to try to fix it.
The trouble I see with our current situation is that most of the issues are out of our control and, no matter how hard you work, there is no easy fix.
We cannot change the way things are shipped to New Zealand in order to help the supply chain and price escalation. Gib — we can’t suddenly come up with a magical new product to replace one that is used in pretty much 100% of all buildings.
We can’t find hundreds of new building control officers to alleviate consenting and inspection issues, and we can’t magic-up trained and qualified staff to build what we need built.
So, what can we control?
We can control our clients’ expectations by communicating with them regularly. They are as stressed as we are at the moment — remember they are reading and hearing all the negative press as well.
We can control our finances, be on top of invoicing and variations, chase up clients that owe money, and keep an eye on work in progress and cashflow.
We can control staff morale, so they don’t think the grass is greener for an extra dollar an hour.
Remember that money is not always the key driver for staff, so ensure the environment they work in is a positive one.
We can control our time and what we spend it on. If you have some downtime waiting on materials for example, look for ways to upskill yourself and your staff with training.
Look at your forward planning and marketing systems to enhance your business.
There are a million things in the time category that you can do, and we are always complaining about being time-poor — so use any spare time wisely.
Awards continue to grow
On a positive note, I attended the recent Master Builder NZ Commercial Project Awards.
The event was held at the fantastic new Convention Centre in Christchurch Te Pae — a building that was entered into the competition, and went on to be a gold medal winner and category winner.
These awards have continued to grow in entrant numbers, with 75 entered this year — and the standard of buildings being showcased is outstanding.
The awards are about celebrating the team effort, and to construct some of these amazing buildings in the current climate shows just how important the team is.
One of the interesting facts about the buildings entered is that a large percentage of them are not constructed under the traditional tender process, or the race to the bottom mentality that still plagues the industry.
Instead, they were negotiated or Early Contractor Involvement processed — which I believe is the way forward.
And the results speak for themselves.
I would like to congratulate all entrants, and say thanks to the team at the RMBA for a great awards night.
• For more information visit commercialprojectawards.co.nz.
