O R B S Electrical

A Message from Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett, followed by O R B S Electrical's best practice article

The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from O R B S Electrical is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.

Rt Hon The Lord David Blunkett, MP

Rt Hon The Lord Eric Pickles, MP

www.orbsltd.co.uk

49ORBS ELECTRICAL |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE 2018

A stylish, efficient LED lighting

column used for the University

of Birmingham Green Heart

space

Clive Pinnick, managing director, with some

of the younger members of the team at the

University of Birmingham

ORBS was established in the West Midlands in 1991; its

current managing director, Clive Pinnick, has been there

from day one. Since then, they have offered electrical

and mechanical design, engineering and installation solutions

for projects throughout the country. Their solid reputation for

excellent service delivery is built on a commitment to quality

and training, both sides of that interweaved with an eye for

technological changes to future-proof the business. As a small

business with big ambitions, they have been able to create a

unique position within the industry where they work alongside

main contractors to drive projects forward.

Focus on the client

Client relationships are an often-overlooked factor in successful project delivery.

We find like-minded customers to be critical assets, the kind of resources that have

allowed us to align our performance with business goals. The supply chain, then, in

effect, becomes an extension of our business in both directions; we are not afraid

to turn down a tender if we feel it does not best represent our aspirations. We use

specialist subcontractors for different elements of our projects, so it is essential that

our relationship with these suppliers is built on the same level of expectation in

quality performance.

A successful project starts with truly understanding both a client’s requirements

and the architect’s vision – this is translated into a workable design. It is important,

however, to recognise that this process doesn’t happen in isolation; in contrast,

FACTS ABOUT

ORBS ELECTRICAL

»Managing director: Clive

Pinnick

»Established in 1991

»Based in Solihull, West

Midlands

»Services: Electrical and

mechanical design engineering

and contracting

»No. of employees: 17 fixed

with 40 core subcontractors

»www.orbsltd.co.uk

ORBS Electrical

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

50 | ORBS ELECTRICAL

it involves and generally requires

collaboration with all stakeholders.

Though this can take longer, it usually

results in accurate first-time delivery.

We provide this same attention to

detail to site preliminaries, system

installation, testing, training and

handover. This cycle of ongoing

customer commitment resembles an

unbroken loop which has recently

been incorporated into a new logo

design for our business.

Quality partnerships

Recently, we and our main contractor,

Willmott Dixon, have developed

inception workshops. These are utilised

at the start of a project to provide

absolute clarity on the brief, outlining

a further bedrock for collaboration

throughout the duration of a build.

Prior to our involvement in this process,

inception workshops were the sole

domain of the main contractor.

Quality has always been at the heart

of our organisation. This year, we

decided to formalise matters with

accreditation to the newest version of

ISO 9001. Work is underway to bring

existing systems into line with the

requirements of the standard, which

brings the opportunity to scrutinise

how the business performs in every

area, not just service delivery. The

whole team were consulted about and

are involved in the ISO 9001 journey,

and every member of the ORBS

team is committed to achieving this

accreditation.

Two unique case studies

We have been instrumental in

realising the sustainable aspirations

of the University of Birmingham’s

Green Heart project. Incorporated

within these 12 acres of green space,

there is an LED lighting scheme

with individually controlled fittings,

sustainably sourced timber lighting

columns and an energy-generating

footpath system. Every aspect of the

project has the ability to link to existing

building managementsystems.

Additionally, a design brief for the

Milton Keynes Museum we worked on

required the project to be completely

carbon neutral. We designed and

installed a multi-rooftop solar photo-

voltaic array; this will generate an

estimated 60,000 kilowatt hours of

energy a year – enough energy to

boil 24,000 kettles and make 2.88

million cups of tea. Air-source heat

pumps and LED lighting finished the

expectations of the brief and allowed

us to complete the project.

New working practices

An ability to change and adapt

working practices is a necessity in an

industry where pressures to reduce

energy consumption, make cost

savings, reduce waste and incorporate

new technologies are all increasing.

We have always looked to the future

to inform business decisions, and work

with building information modelling

(BIM) – a 3D modellingprocess

Clive discussing work

with the contract

manager

Success is built

on sustainable

growth, so, in

the short

term, we are

looking to

diversify our

client base

while

maintaining a

commitment

to quality and

customer

service

“

51ORBS ELECTRICAL |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE 2018

– toenable collaborative access

for design data across different

construction disciplines. Although

we saw an initial resource outlay in

terms of training and software costs,

it has been worthwhile to be able to

exchange meaningful information in

a quick and efficient manner, and the

project will soon pay itself back.

We also issue site supervisors with

a robust handheld computer which

enables effective communication

between the office design team and

the site. The device also allows site

staff to take photographs, email orders

and file reports without having to

return to the office.

Finally, we believe at ORBS that people

are central to any service-related

business. We have a mix of apprentices

and qualified workers that are trained,

promoted from within and hopefully

retained in the business. Both myself

and the technical director were

hands-on electricians 20 years ago,

but we recognise that formal training

and development is essential to build

the kind of all-round team required

for a diverse business. Yearly staff

development reviews provide a formal

basis to outline hopes and ambitions

while aligning them appropriately

with business needs. It’s important to

train and develop team members, of

course, but we must always focus on

a business benefit to make things truly

worthwhile.

Grow, adapt, develop and

evolve

To reflect how the business has

developed in recent years, we have

introduced a new company logo

and updated our website. Larger

organisations might typically employ

the services of an external marketing

agency; for us, however, this meant

me taking time out to specifically

consider our brand image. Although

not a core part of our business

offering, current operating conditions

make this an essential activity.

Success is built on sustainable

growth, so, in the short term, we are

looking to diversify our client base

while maintaining a commitment to

quality and customer service. While

we embrace change and the use of

smart technology in our everyday lives,

we do also try to reflect and remind

ourselves that, without the backing of

our support team, we would not be

where we are today, nor ready for our

industry’s future.

ORBS helps us

to ensure that

we have a

quality

product that

astonishes our

customers, is

defect free

and operates

in accordance

with their

expectations

Martin Adie,

director of quality,

WillmottDixon

“

An ORBS electrician

connecting a lighting

control panel

www.orbsltd.co.uk

This article was sponsored by O R B S Electrical. The Parliamentary Review is wholly funded by the representatives who write for it. The publication in which this article originally appeared contained the following foreword from The Rt Hon Theresa May MP.

The Rt Hon Theresa May MP's Foreword For The Parliamentary Review

By The Rt Hon Theresa May MP

This foreword from the then Prime Minister appeared in the 2018/19 Parliamentary Review.

British politics provides ample material for analysis in the pages of The Parliamentary Review. For Her Majesty’s Government, our task in the year ahead is clear: to achieve the best Brexit deal for Britain and to carry on our work to build a more prosperous and united country – one that truly works for everyone.

The right Brexit deal will not be sufficient on its own to secure a more prosperous future for Britain. We also need to ensure that our economy is ready for what tomorrow will bring. Our Modern Industrial Strategy is our plan to do that. It means Government stepping up to secure the foundations of our productivity: providing an education system that delivers the skills our economy needs, improving school standards and transforming technical education; delivering infrastructure for growth; ensuring people have the homes they need in the places they want to live. It is all about taking action for the long-term that will pay dividends in the future.

But it also goes beyond that. Government, the private sector and academia working together as strategic partners achieve far more than we could separately. That is why we have set an ambitious goal of lifting UK public and private research and development investment to 2.4 per cent of GDP by 2027. It is why we are developing four Grand Challenges, the big drivers of social and economic change in the world today: harnessing artificial intelligence and the data revolution; leading in changes to the future of mobility; meeting the challenges of our ageing society; and driving ahead the revolution in clean growth. By focusing our efforts on making the most of these areas of enormous potential, we can develop new exports, grow new industries and create more good jobs in every part of our country.

Years of hard work and sacrifice from the British people have got our deficit down by over three quarters. We are building on this success by taking a balanced approach to public spending. We are continuing to deal with our debts, so that our economy can remain strong and we can protect people’s jobs, and at the same time we are investing in vital public services, like our NHS. We have set out plans to increase NHS funding annually by an average by 3.4 percent in real terms: that is £394 million a week more. In return, the NHS will produce a ten-year plan, led by doctors and nurses, to eliminate waste and improve patient care.

I believe that Britain can look to the future with confidence. We are leaving the EU and setting a new course for prosperity as a global trading nation. We have a Modern Industrial Strategy that is strengthening the foundations of our economy and helping us to seize the opportunities of the future. We are investing in the public services we all rely on and helping them to grow and improve. Building on our country’s great strengths – our world-class universities and researchers, our excellent services sector, our cutting edge manufacturers, our vibrant creative industries, our dedicated public servants – we can look towards a new decade that is ripe with possibility. The government I lead is doing all it can to make that brighter future a reality for everyone in our country.

British politics provides ample material for analysis in the pages of The Parliamentary Review

The Rt Hon Theresa May MP
Prime Minister