Engineering the future
Lex Henning, managing director of premier civil engineering firm Civcon, tells Jane Bordenave how his company has achieved 30 years of excellence in civil engineering construction.Over the past 30 years, Civcon has established itself as the leading light in southern AfricaÔÇÖs civil engineering industry. Established in 1980, the firm grew from a small operation in the South African gold mining town of Welkom to a company with a revenue of nearly $53 million, working all over southern Africa and as far north as Nigeria. ÔÇ£When the business was founded, Welkom was a gold mining boom town,ÔÇØ says Henning. ÔÇ£Civil engineering for the mining industry is where we started out, and is still an important part of our business.ÔÇØ
Indeed, the companyÔÇÖs 30th anniversary celebrations on 1 March this year will be recognition of its long-lasting client relationships, as well as the longevity of the enterprise itselfÔÇöCivcon counts among its long-term customers companies such as Anglo American, Anglo Platinum and Impala Platinum.
This kind of customer fidelity, especially when dealing with such large, international entities, requires a company to work hard to maintain its leading edge. Henning makes no secret of how his company has made itself stand out as the leader in its field. ÔÇ£We are absolutely committed to 100 per cent customer satisfaction; that is what we want from every job. We have been ISO 9001:2009 certified for five years now and we go out of our way to ensure that our work is not only compliant with this certification but that it exceeds these requirements.ÔÇØ
The companyÔÇÖs strategy for maintaining excellence in its work is very comprehensive, covering project management and client feedback, staff training, supply chain management and health and safety.
Overseeing the quality of each job is a continual process for Civcon, starting before construction begins and carrying on after the project has been completed. ÔÇ£For each contract, we begin by establishing a quality plan, which we then oversee in-house. We also have this audited on a monthly basis to ensure that we are on top of everything and nothing slips,ÔÇØ says Henning.
While this process continues throughout the build, one of the most important parts of the quality control feedback is the customer satisfaction questionnaire delivered to the client on completion. ÔÇ£Our aim is always to get 100 per cent in this questionnaire. When a client is happy enough with our work to say there could be no improvements at all, that is when we know it is a job well done.ÔÇØ However, questionnaires returned with suggested improvements are equally important to Civcon. ÔÇ£Communication is absolutely key to success and is of utmost importance in our company,ÔÇØ explains Henning. ÔÇ£Responses we receive from our clients that highlight areas for improvement or things that we could have done differently are published on our internal computer network. This is accessible to all staff at all times so that we can all learn from mistakes that have been made in the past.ÔÇØ
Keeping an eye on what is happening on the ground during and immediately after a project is not where the quality controls end, however. By ensuring the highest levels of safety and training for staff and sourcing the latest technology from the best suppliers, this commitment to quality permeates the whole company. ÔÇ£We put a premium on health and safetyÔÇöit is an extremely important part of any civil engineering work. As such, we are in the process of becoming OHSAS 18001 compliant, meaning that we conform to international safety standards and are able to work for anyone, anywhere,ÔÇØ confirms Henning.
While this is the standard set for the company as a whole, individual health and safety training of all Civcon workers is given equal importance. A large part of the companyÔÇÖs staff training programme is dedicated to health and safety regulations and best practice. All on-site workers are also given a health check-up annually, or more frequently depending on a clientÔÇÖs own safety requirements. In addition to this, the on-site team structure is designed to increase the safety of workers. ÔÇ£Of course, we have a site safety manager, who has overall responsibility for all our workers, as is standard. However, we also have a safety representative operating within each team of 10 men. They get together on a daily basis and have a ÔÇÿtoolbox talkÔÇÖ, focusing on any given topic or relating to something specific that happened the previous day, if there is something that needs to be addressed. ItÔÇÖs part of the internal communications of the company and the constant feedback loop we have sought to establish.ÔÇØ
Civcon is not ÔÇÿall stick and no carrotÔÇÖ, though; as an incentive to on-site workers and in recognition of effort put in, Henning will give the highest achieving workers a reward in the form of tickets to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It is this ability to engage with and reward the companyÔÇÖs employees that has strengthened the bonds of loyalty between the two. There are current staff members who have been with the firm since its very beginning; there are also members of management who started as labourers and worked their way upÔÇöa product of CivconÔÇÖs commitment to continuous professional development. ÔÇ£Loyalty is not created by money,ÔÇØ asserts Henning. ÔÇ£It is built through camaraderie.ÔÇØ
While competition has stiffened due to the effects of the recession, Civcon is still a well-respected entity in the world of civil engineering. Its reputation within the sector has brought the company a contract in the growing area of power provision; this year it is working with Eskom (the electricity supply commission in South Africa) on waste and storm water management for a new power station.
By setting itself apart at grass roots level and showing the same level of dedication to its workforce as to its clientele, Civcon has ensured that it really is a purveyor of excellence in the world of civil engineering.
