Posted By Ken Urquhart
Rachael.
I see your question in two parts and interpret it as follows.
As far as "demonstrating the value of purchasing/procuring from a company that has safety as its number one piority" is concerned:
This is a significant consideration with many organsations/clients, especially with CDM regulations in the Design, Procurement and Construction of new facilities or in the refurbishment of existing.(CDM UK and similar in EU or should be equivilant)
(Internationally in other markets things vary).
Many clients and their Professional Teams are now beginning to get to grips with the concepts that employing an organisation that has and can demonstrate application of comprehensive Safety and Environmental policy, procedures and controls during the provision, installation and commissioning of specialist equipment is a very real plus point.(They Do It, dont just have all sorts of paper that says that they do, but cant and dont)
After all no self respecting client wants his project blighted by accidents and incidents created by ill disciplined and poorly managed and inefficient suppliers, contractors and sub contractors.
Equally knowledgeable clients want state of the art equipment, (yes, price is sometimes a factor, but quality and reliability do figure in the considerations as do life cycle costs etc for the facility and the equipment installed in it).
Clients and Principal Contractors pre qualifying and vetting systems are getting better and are becoming more thorough.
Organised companies are realising this is an issue that they have to satisfy and thus are also begining to change their cultures and deploy resources to training and development within their businesses where Health, Safety and Environment are part but not all of the philosophies. (Getting it right fist time, No remedials,Competent reliable personnel who will work safely and correctly upholding the requirements of the project and the legislation etc etc)
Look at the UK Department of Environment pages and the Links to the Movement for innovation in Construction, known as "M4i"
What I am really trying to say here is that there is a considerable cross over between Safety, Quality, ISO systems, Good business practices, corporate diligenge etc and using these factors to promote your business and be one step ahead of the competition, not just as a corporate style that you hope will bring you more business, but as a dedicated business belief and desire to be a better, more efficient and professional company.
This desire and belief must come from the TOP. If the Board Room don't believe it and are not committed to it, introducing such concepts into your company whilst you will achieve some change, will be rather like pushing water uphill.
Some Professionals (Advisers to clients such as Architects and Designers, Professional Quantity Surveyors) still have little or no realistic understanding of Health, Safety and Environmental issues yet they are responsible for advising their clients.
Your business probably already does target in its product marketing Architectural and Design Consultant practices etc but you probably need to give HS&E training to your Sales and Marketing people and provide similar guidance to your hoped for customers by assisting the professionals as to the real HS&E understandings and thus benefit the specification of your Products and Systems in the specifications and reccommendations they make to the Clients.
As for upgrades to modern systems etc, again I suggest that you are going to have to sell your organisations desire to assist the user to protect themselves from possible litigation should there be an incident involving equipment that is probably still good but technologically is outdated and beyond current specifications and Building Regulations.
Whilst there may be no Legal or Legislative reason for the Building/Premises owner to change or upgrade you will have to find ways of convincing them that there are other ethical/social/moral issues that should be considered.
Also these days many premises are run by Facilities Managers on behalf of Landlords/Owners and such people/bodies rely on FM organisations and outsourcing to keep things up to date in all respects.
However much of this work is often won and lost on general COST objectives and not on issues that demonstrate primary Safety.
Another area to target/convince about product Safety and Safety upgrades therfore is The FM managers and there like, and the Pension Funds that own many of the Buildings that your products and systems are installed in.
This Safety promotion I would suggest is twofold and relates to the second part of your question.
You are offering advice and encouragements for the user/owner/client to keep his system totally up to date and to basically protect himself from Liability although he may not be legally required to do anything: and: you are offering the services of your company and of its personnel as the safeset and most competent to carry out maintainence, upgrades and to offer guidance and advice.
You will have to sell the real benefits to the client and you will have to I suggest demonstrate an input from your Company that shows that you are absorbing some of the cost/time/trouble/risk to assit the client and that that is why he should use you.
If for instance as you say it is helpful and protects your company and its personnel if the owner/user upgrades bits of the system, be prepared to absorb that cost etc and do the modification as it has a benefit to you, reduces your exposure and risk but shows the possible client the benefits that he might expect if he also shares this philosopy and also invests.
As I said earlier regarding Case Studies etc, I personally can't quote you specific cases but again suggest that you look at The UK DOE M4i pages on the Web, The CIRIA pages, The Building Services Research and Information Association pages etc.
No doubt there is a UK and or World Trade Association or such similar representative body for the Lift/Elevator/Escalator industry and I would imagine that such bodies will represent the interests of companies like yours and also share common knowledge and information about aspects specific to your Industry sector and how it Interfaces with other industry and commerce groups that might be users of your systems.
Also look at UK or for that matter World Construction Industry Web pages for links that might take you to current resarch and innovation of interest to your industry sector. (Although you are probably already doing this)
I am based in Hong Kong currently and around South and East Asia and in mainland China, Shanghai for instance, there are many High Rise buildings and facilities with state of the art Elevators etc, some probably made, supplied and installed by your company and or its subsiduaries.
Look at the Web Sites for the Worlds Tallest Buildings, The Petronis Towers in KL, Malayasia, Festival Walk in HK, The HK Aiport at Chek Lap Kok etc.
I apologise for the length of this response but hope that their is some information of use to you. Good luck with the progress of your project.
Regards.
Ken Urquhart