The health of your workforce and project timelines

The only thing certain to any of us at the moment, is that we’re living in uncertain times. However, as we are (hopefully) on the fringes of overcoming the pandemic and with a semblance of economic stability being recorded in the UK, January 2022 has brought with it a sense of optimism. 

There will undoubtedly be challenges ahead for the construction industry this year. After a successful start, we at Vision Arch are excited to reflect, not only on the robustness of the commercial glazing sector, but also on the lessons learnt in 2021 about workforce and supply chain management that will inform how we will look to mitigate any issues going forward.  

What we have learnt

Communication and establishing client trust were at the heart of overcoming the turbulent 2020/21 trading period. The UK government positioned the commercial construction industry as a priority in driving economic recovery, meaning demand across all sectors saw an uplift. This was, however, combined with a perfect storm of material shortages and supply delays caused by the impacts of Covid-19, Brexit and the 2021 Suez Canal Obstruction – all leading to a very challenging market. 

Thanks to our strong relationships across our supply chain and consistent consultation with clients and manufacturers, our output has remained robust and our project completion unaffected. The demand for proactive communication and need for our resourcefulness over the last two years has been unprecedented, and has taught us so much about our team’s capabilities.

Moving forward, the continued impact of the Omicron variant is still being felt across the industry. Although supply chain disruption has faded in January 2022, the health obstacles of Covid-19 have already offset gains made by most businesses across the industry. 

How we will continue to mitigate issues 

Simply put, if 2021 was a year of materials shortages, then 2022 will continue to see effects on the people of the construction industry. The Omicron variant, potential re-introduction of self-isolation rules and continued sick leave means labour shortages, disruption to the delivery chain and delays in client decision making – all threats to project timelines. 

However, the heightened awareness of supply chains and experience that Covid-19 brought with it, only means that Vision Arch, and the industry as a whole, are better prepared than ever before to continue managing client expectations and delivery.

Although the challenges facing commercial construction are undeniable, Vision Arch are proud to report that we are prepared to take the rest of this year head on. Having already secured a healthy percentage of our turnover for this year, we are focusing on ways to mitigate delivery issues by investing in our workforce. It seems only logical that, as we have all realised the vital need for precious human resources, we grow our team.

We are very proud to announce that we have had a number of new starters join in January, adding to both our Design and Project Management departments. Welcome Dino, Anass & Aaron, all essential members of the team who will help us to continue delivering projects with our unique approach.