M&E firms shun innovation

A survey by Hilti shows that 62% of m&e contractors believe the sector is failing to invest sufficiently in the new technologies needed to improve its productivity.

In addition, nearly 40% of companies questioned said they believed building services lagged behind other construction trades in adopting new tools and installation practices.

The survey of board level directors was carried out by Hilti to gain a deeper insight into the critical issues facing building services contractors in 2008 and beyond.

The findings follow recent research published by BSRIA, which claimed up to 16% of available time on site was lost due to poor productivity.

Nine out of 10 firms cited the industry’s low margins as the primary reason for companies holding back on long-term investment in innovation. However, over 90% of respondents said they planned to increase their focus on new technologies in 2008.

Derek Gow, head of building services at Hilti, said: “There are plenty of contractors responding to this challenge, embracing the latest tools and fixing technology to help drive through productivity increases. Clearly this best practice needs to spread.”

He continued: “Clients are driving at this. We believe we have a role to play in demonstrating the productivity gains our technology can deliver for contractors and providing the right training and support to ensure those benefits are being achieved on site.”