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OPINION LOST IN TRANSLATION
We must spell out the benefi ts of our engineering expertise or risk losing clients to less qualifi ed non-engineers who possess better communication skills, warns Steve Hale
How can we improve our industry? In the building
services profession we are blessed with a large collection of brilliant minds, but there are undoubtedly areas where we need to become better, especially if we are to achieve the level of recognition and fi nancial return our skills deserve. In my view, aside from the ongoing shortage of young people coming into our profession, the most important area we need to develop is the way we communicate, which is key to tackling many of the issues we face. By and large, we are brilliant on the technical side, but too often we are not good at explaining our activities to clients, or implications of decisions we make on their behalf. We have created a complicated industry language, largely due to our technical training, but this prevents clients from understanding us – and how engineering solutions vary – so they may pick the cheapest solution, often to their detriment. We also have an unfortunate tendency to say: ‘we’re doing it because the regulations demand we do so’, and give the client no further explanation. We need to capitalise on our understanding of the regulations and explain how our solutions will meet them in the most cost effective way. If low carbon measures will save the client money on their long-term energy bills, we must make this absolutely clear. Appreciating a client’s needs, and tailoring our solutions to increase revenue, is also key. For example, consider a residential property developer constructing a block of fl ats in central London. If we devise an innovative solution that means the plant equipment will take only 900ft2 rather than 1,800ft2
, the developer
may make an additional £2m as they will have space for an extra
20 CIBSE Journal June 2013
The engineering solution may be brilliant but clients will lose interest unless the upsides are convincingly explained
We have an unfortunate tendency to say, ‘we’re doing it because the regulations demand we do so’, and give the client no further explanation
apartment. We all frequently create these kinds of benefi ts, but somehow they get lost in translation, which leads to our engineering services being undervalued. We need to become more business
savvy and get the message across to our clients that there is no such thing as a ‘bog standard’ design. We should be able to show how our design will benefi t their product, and how it will save or make money for them. We are beginning to see areas
where engineering expertise is being taken on by niche players offering services such as sustainability. Many of them are employing humanities graduates rather than engineers, who are often better at expressing themselves – to the detriment of our profession. They are usually not as well qualifi ed to provide sustainability advice. How many times have we all been faced with reengineering a scheme where planning consent has been granted on the basis of a report by a ‘specialist’ niche player? We have had to resolve problems that have arisen due to their lack of technical engineering expertise. If our industry is to address these issues, we need to start by making
changes at university level. Part of an architectural student’s training involves critical assessments that sees them taking briefs and presenting their fi ndings, giving them ‘client side’ training from an early age. This is not the case with engineering degrees, which need to focus on more than just the technical side. Heads of building services fi rms
also need to change their mindset to ensure there is a strategy to improve communication from the top down. They should be careful to employ people with a strong technical ability, but also with strong business awareness. This ensures clients understand an engineer’s value, and receives a service that directly benefi ts their operation. It also helps building services fi rms expand because business-savvy people are more likely to go out and win work. If the building services industry improves the way it communicates, clients will become more aware of the advantages we bring to the table, justifying our fees and bringing real value to our clients’ businesses.
● STEVE HALE is managing director of engineering services consultancy, Crofton
www.cibsejournal.com
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