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to better manage work in the plumbing field, which would
likely work for every tradesman,” Crisafulli says.
However, this approach requires capex. “Even within the
largest corporates, it is often cheaper to hire someone
than to deploy automated systems. We have about 50
staff members. It is cheaper to have a foreman policing
them and checking the orders and so on. If something is
not right, then I’ll step in. Getting a system in place for 50
people is going to cost more than what the benefit would
derive.”
DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM
Some people, however, do not like systems. “Plumbers
do not like systems; they hate admin and do not want
to have to do it. To change someone’s ways won’t be
easy. Many guys in the plumbing game do not have
access to the same technology. It may work, but you
would probably spend a year training everyone. A lot
of money will be spent on equipment, which could get
abused. For example, if you give a guy a smartphone
with a gig of data, it is likely going to be depleted on
non-work-related activities.”
Crisafulli explains that many of his staff do not have
smartphones. “Even if they did, data runs out and
phones get lost. You would need to provide them with the
necessary infrastructure so they can respond to an email
straight away. “It is not realistic to supply your staff with
50 smartphones when you have to complete jobs in risky
areas and where theft is likely, because phone numbers
would change frequently, and it would all become a
logistical nightmare,” he says.
Crisafulli believes it is good that guys in the industry are
looking into this type of equipment and technology. “I think
that the industry is evolving that way. However, it is still
early days. There is definitely a reward in developing a
system that can work internally for plumbing companies.
The biggest downfall we have is job tracking and customer
satisfaction. And the fact that not every job is the same
creates additional complexities.”
The good news is that there are other tools available
that IOPSA provides and which add value in terms of
understanding the cost of being in business and what it
requires.
“There is certainly credible information out there insofar
as assisting SMMEs to start off on the right footing. This
includes things like what they charge and what they must
look out for in terms of covering their overheads. But the
question then becomes: Do they understand what an
overhead cost is?” he asks.
Brown says IOPSA provides assistance so that plumbers
are able to ask the right questions or go back and develop
proper budgets, to build sustainable businesses. “Those are
the types of principles we put in place and advocate for.”
When it comes to business coaches, training courses, or
installing software, sometimes they are a bridge too far for
the average plumber. But all is not lost. “We have courses
and we run webinars on a frequent basis to help guys
understand where they are,” he says.
“This is not to say that we are the be-all and end-all, but
we have developed guys in preparation for what they
are going to be going through. If you follow our guiding
principles that have worked or have been shown to work,
you can alleviate the ‘school of hard knocks’ scenario.” PA
1.
2.
Many business
owners do not fully
understand what their
balance sheet is telling
them.
Computer literacy is
still rather low in the
plumbing industry.
1
2
LITERACY
According to Steve Brown, operations manager at the
Institute of Plumbing South Africa (IOPSA), the use of
consultants depends on where t