sparks
ELECTRICAL NEWS
april
2013
contractors’ corner
10
Working knowledge by Terry McKenzie-Hoy
I HAVE been in the electrical engineering field
for 34 years and, when I beganmy career,
handheld calculators had just been invented!
In fact, that was in 1974 – a time when all com-
munications were conducted by letter, telegram,
telephone or telex.
We can tell how advanced things have
become by reflecting on a recent experience
when we sent out a‘mail shot’to advertise our
services. To avoid overloading the administrative
staff, I asked all the engineers to help put the
leaflets into the envelopes and stick the stamps
on the envelopes.
One of the engineers, who has just turned
30, didn’t know that stamps are fixed to the top
right hand corner of the envelope. In fact, he
had never, ever posted a letter.
This shows how seldom letters are used for
personal communication.
As for telegrams – a snap survey around the
office revealed that none of my staff had ever
sent a telegramor even knew how a telex ma-
chine operated. Thus, the only formof commu-
nication that has survived the intervening years is
the telephone, which is nowadays referred to as
‘the land line’.
Today, we can send tender documents by
email; site instructions go the same way – and we
can get hold of people on site at the drop of a hat.
I believe that this has changed nothing.
The fact is that people only work at a fixed rate.
They can only do somuch per hour. It doesn’t
matter if requests for work arrive instantly or in
regular order – the rate at which they get proc-
essed is the same – andmost people just can’t
work faster than that certain rate.
If a person receives email requests to do work
and doesn’t act on them, then all that happens
after a day or two is that another email arrives as
a reminder, and this continues until the matter
finally gets attention.
In the old days, this is about the same reaction
speed that was achieved by letter. Some may
disagree but check it out – you’ll be surprised at
how the constant flow of emails slows down your
work efforts. Cell phones have certainly speeded
up communications, but guess what? They do
not make things more efficient even though they
may seem to do so.
And, because you can speak to your workers
on site at any time, some of us fall into the trap
of doing just that. You call them to check on this
and ask them to do that and the result is that you
begin tomicro-manage them, which really slows
things down. It also takes away their initiative,
with the result that they stop trying to get the
work done and would rather call you any time
there is some problemon site.
Therefore, you get diverted to solve problems
which, in the old days, would have been solved
on site by your staff.
You also find that clients and consultants SMS
you to find out how things are going and, as
happens more andmore with smart phones, they
send complete documents and drawings to your
smart phone instead of printing them for you to
pick up. This means you end up having to print
drawings and, suddenly, it’s you who has to keep
up with all the revisions.
Then there is the staff. You can discourage them
fromgoing onto Facebook and‘cyber loafing’in
the office…but on site? The moment your back
is turned, out comes their smart phones.
You can’t work out why the contract is taking
so long? Simple. As you go from site to site, your
staff is using a cell phone and alerting other sites
that you are on your way, whichmeans that,
when you get on site, they’ll always be
working hard.
Does being in contact for 24 hours a day bring
youmore work? No, it just allows consultants
to ask you for prices with no prior notice at all –
whichmesses up your schedules and deprives
you of sleep.
Now, I am a great fan of cell phones but a line
has to be drawn – iPhones and smart phones and
iPads domore thanmake it easy for you to be
contacted – they can also suck up your
productive time.
Think about it: are you gettingmore done now
than you did 10 years ago?
Just a thought…
Smart communications? Or not so smart?
POWER Technologies (Powertech), a wholly owned
subsidiary of the JSE-listed Altron group, has formed a
new Powertech System Integrators business through the
amalgamation of its three existing businesses: Powertech
IST, Strike Technologies andTIS. Dr Herb Chikwanda,
formerly the CEO of Powertech IST, has been appointed
CEO of the new company, effective 1 March 2013.
Powertech System Integrators has grouped its cus-
tomer-facing staff and sales activities into two business
development divisions focusing on two distinct market
sectors: Utilities and Large Power Users. The former
will include power and water utility companies such as
Eskom, the water boards, metros andmunicipalities,
while the latter includes mining companies, manufactur-
ing and commercial firms across the general industry
spectrum. Hannes Snyman, previously MD of Powertech
IST Data, has been appointed business development
executive for large power users, and James Calmeyer,
formerly MD of Strike Technologies, heads up the
utilities division.
An engineering and technology division, led by
Donald McKechnie, former MD of Powertech IST Energy,
concentrates on the conception, design and engineer-
ing of technology solutions and product systems, and is
the home of the bulk of the company’s more than 200
engineers, technologists and technicians, grouped along
industry disciplines and dedicated to supporting busi-
ness development and project execution work.
The third part of Powertech System Integrators is an
operations division, headed by Johan van der Merwe,
former MD of Powertech IST Industrial. It is within this
division that system integration, manufacturing, produc-
tion and project implementation activities will be carried
out. The company’s head office is in Menlyn, Pretoria and
the manufacturing and production activities will be situ-
ated in Corporate Park North, Midrand.
Neil Kayton, CEO of the Powertech Group, says,“We
are making the whole greater than the sumof the parts
by harnessing the synergies of the Powertech IST, Strike
Technologies andTIS businesses.”
Enquiries: (011) 706-7184
Dr Herb Chikwanda,
formerly the CEO of
Powertech IST, has
been appointed CEO
of Powertech System
Integrators, effective
1 March 2013.
CHIETA competition
At the semi-finals of the inaugural Chemical Indus-
tries EducationTraining Authority (CHIETA) National
Artisan Skills competition held in February, two of the
learners who trained at P andT Technology – Pontsho
Mabitsela and Mamphekgo Mashika – were placed
in the top nine. This outstanding achievement means
that they will take part in the final round of the
competition in May.
Congratulations must go to the artisans who did
so well – we will be holding thumbs for the finals! I
extendmy gratitude to the training facilitators and
staff at P andT Technology, and tomanagement
who acted as coaches andmentors of the learners at
Emperors Palace Casino. Thanks also to the Peermont
Educational Trust for its support of the learners.
I amof the firmbelief that the future of skills devel-
opment must be seen as a partnership; and, with the
correct attitude of all in the circle of development, we
can achieve skills development that is sustainable.
Continued frompage 7
New CEO appointed
Mamphekgo Mashika and Pontsho Mabitsela have earned their places as finalists in the CHIETA Apprentice
of the Year competition. The finals will be held in May.
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