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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
JUNE
2016
CONSULTING ENGINEERS
The procurement and implementation
of the Asset Management system is
one of a number of interventions by
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.
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-
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.
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.
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
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.
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.