Construction industry faces considerable financial pressures, and it’s a fine balance for businesses to reduce costs and increase efficiency at the same time. For procurement teams, buying lower priced tools is an easy way to reduce direct costs, but the impact this may have on productivity can make these types of savings a false economy in the long-term. Here is how.
While this approach minimises the initial cash outlay, purchasing cheaper alternatives can lead to various indirect costs through additional maintenance and repairs. Cheaper tools may also be larger, heavier and difficult to lift - requiring workers to take more breaks to recover and thus minimising productivity. They are likely to have reduced functionality too, which could lead to overheating (meaning longer cool down times). Similarly, operators may have to cut their working hours short due to reaching their daily Hand Arm Vibration limit - compared to AVR tools that can be used for much longer.
“Having the ‘right tools for the job’ may seem obvious when working in construction, but you'd be surprised how often the 'right' tool is pushed aside in favour of cheaper alternatives - especially those with lower upfront costs. This is understandable, as procurement teams are under a lot of pressure to keep costs down. However, these so-called ‘cheaper’ tools can actually end up costing businesses more by reducing productivity and delaying projects - so much so that costs can soar beyond the original price of the most appropriate tool. Ongoing uncertainty surrounding Covid is adding the pressure to reduce costs to sustain margins”
– says Matthew Gaffikin, Service Manager, Hilti New Zealand
In addition, procurement teams may not understand the practical implications of supplying workers with alternative equipment. Buying corded tools instead of cordless, for example, could prove a bad decision if workers don't have access to a power source on a particular jobsite. An electricity supply would then need to be provided from elsewhere, resulting in time wasted and perhaps added costs.
Investing in quality tools can not only help a business improve productivity, but also reduce overall costs. Key factors to consider when making a case for more advanced tools: