22 Feb 2018

Supplier Development for Construction Sector

by | posted in: General, Recommended Reading | 0

Supplier Development for Construction Sector

Supplier Development for Construction Sector

How Construction Companies could effectively implement the Preferential Procurement and Supplier Development Element and achieve maximum points on the Scorecard.

The BBBEE Construction Sector Code, which came into effect in November 2017 stipulates that companies in the Sector must spend a calculated percentage on the Preferential Procurement and Supplier Development Element (PPSD) as well as implementing a deliberate skills transfer programme for their suppliers.

It must also be noted that “PSSD” is categorised as a “Priority Element” with a “sub-minimum of 40% of the total weighting points (excluding bonus points) of each of the three broad categories, namely ‘Preferential Procurement’, ‘Supplier Development Programmes’ and ‘Supplier Development Contributions”.

In essence, it means that a company must score a minimum of 40% of the total points afforded otherwise all its points achieved for this element will amount to zero.

The implementation of the PPSD element affords a business the single highest score on the Scorecard and it could graduate from a Level 6 B-BBEE Score to that of a Level One Contributor Status on condition that the minimum requirement for this and other similar elements have also been met as stipulated.

In essence, the PPSD is also an element for which the spend must occur prior to the end of the previous financial year before it could be included in the B-BBEE Audit.

For most companies, the end of this month would be the period on which its spend will be audited and a large number of them will lose points on the Scorecard if these “interventions” are not implemented prior to 28 February 2018.

The other big difference between the Construction Sector Code and that of its counterparts, is that Preferential Procurement and Supplier Development element does not provide for arbitrary Enterprise Development as it is in the case of the Amended Generic Codes of Good Practice, but restricts companies to only develop their own suppliers and not any other business it does not procure from.

Since the Code is highly prescriptive of what must be done it becomes critical that companies gain a full understanding of the “Preferential Procurement and Supplier Development directives” to properly plan its interventions to score maximum points under this element.

A failure to properly implement this element could lead to a company being penalised with up to 6 Contributor Levels on their Scorecard.

 

For more information please visit:

Web Site: http://taranisco.info
E-mail: advisor@taranisco.info

 

If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit our website.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.
To view more articles, please visit our blog.

 

About Gerrit Davids

Gerrit Davids is the Lead Advisor at Taranis Co Advisory with more than 20 years experience in government procurement regulations and having trained more than 2000 people on how to submit compliant tenders.

15 Feb 2018

L2B Blog: The Most Important Tender / Project of your Career

by | posted in: Construction Chat, General | 2

The Most Important Tender / Project of your Career

The Most Important Tender/ Project of your Career

This can be up to interpretation. The most important tender or project could very well be your first tender or project. Being given the responsibility and trusted to compile a project or submit a tender on your own, can be a huge turning point in any career. Regardless of whether it’s a huge failure or a blazing success, the odds are that the lessons you learnt when working on your first are the lessons you carry with you for the rest of your career, and hopefully serve you in good stead.

“It’s fine to celebrate success, but more important to heed the lessons of failure.” — Bill Gates

The argument can be made for the most successful tender or project, being the turning point of a person’s career. It could be a tender or project that’s unique or innovative, and gets the attention of those in your industry or captures the public imagination. Success is measured in many ways and can come in just as many incarnations. The pat-on-the-back job that steers you towards grander goals, can be a stroke of luck or the product of unrelenting perseverance. The stress and pressure of such an endeavour can make or break you. And like all things in life, your attitude towards the success defines the lasting effect of it.

“Don’t aim for perfection. Aim for success.” — Eike Batiste

The most important tender or project could be the one that saves you. Many industries are increasingly under pressure, competitive and quite ruthless. Not all companies survive or go from strength to strength without there being periods of grasping desperation. Whether it’s the new start up or an established company battling to adapt to the changing times; that tender or project could be a lifeline that saves dreams, jobs and spirits. As long as you’re paid within 30 days, right? The most important might be the opportunity to keep hope alive and to carry on.

“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.”  — Henry Ford

The lucky dodge. Hell, perhaps you were passed over with regards to a particular tender or project. Perhaps you wanted it really badly and you had worked your butt off to get to be part of the team, and you were left out. Not all tender or project teams are good or experienced. Or honest. Or share your work ethic. It might be that it all looked perfect like the stars aligned and then life happened. There are many horror stories out there, with buildings falling down or the word “collusion” being thrown around. A natural disaster or a bad turn in the economy. Does anyone really want to be associated with any of that when it all hits the fan? Dodging the bullet is the lucky break no one wants at the time, but is thankful for when it all comes to light. Unfortunately, in society people are tainted by association. It’s unfair, but unwaveringly true. “Be careful what you wish for” – the most important tender or project of your career might be the one that does not appear on your resume.

“It’s better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behaviour is better than yours and you’ll drift in that direction.” — Warren Buffett

The one you missed, can define your career. The focus might be on the successes, the big payday or the photo opportunities when breaking ground or cutting the opening day ribbon; but none of that compares to the quiet of the missed chance. If you fail; you know. If you succeed; you know. But if you don’t even get a chance to try; you’ll never know. Not to be dramatic, or anything but being in the loop, and knowing what and when is vital for there to be any chance at landing that big payday or that career-defining project. Information is power. The importance of this is not lost on us and is our bread and butter. Get in the know early, and you can reap the reward later.

“The most meaningful way to differentiate your company from your competitors, the best way to put distance between you and the crowd is to do an outstanding job with information. How you gather, manage and use information will determine whether you win or lose.” — Bill Gates

So whether it’s the first go, the shining success story, the dodged bullet or the missed chance; hopefully these all form part of long and enduring careers, with just a few colourful stories to tell.

What do you consider your most important tender or project? Leave a comment below.

 

Source:

https://foundr.com/50-billionaire-tips/

 

L2B Blog: How to make the most of our Tender Leads

Did you Know #DYK – How to search for trending civil tenders?

 

About Claire Donaldson

I started working at Leads 2 Business in February 2005, and have served as Head of Department of Daily Tenders from 2007 until the present. I oversee both the Daily Tenders South Africa and Africa Departments.

8 Feb 2018

L2B Blog: CIDB Grading (How it works)

by | posted in: Construction Chat | 14

CIDB Grading (How it works)

CIDB Grading (How it works)

 

Today, I will be chatting about CIDB and how it works. Yes, I know…CIDB, what? Let me assure you that when I first started at Leads 2 Business I had no clue what CIDB was, what it stood for or how it even worked. Rest assured though, I will go slow.

 

Definition: CIDB

Construction Industry Development Board. Big words, I know, but all it means Construction companies that are required to be registered to CIDB for numerous types of construction work. That is correct. So if you are an owner of a Construction Company and you are applying for tenders, you need to be registered under the Construction Industry Development Board in order to qualify for the necessary requirements for a tender.

 

Many times in the Construction Industry, when Municipalities are advertising tenders, one of the requirements are being registered under CIDB.

Alright, now that we know what CIDB is, let us have a look at the CIDB Class of Construction works that fall under CIDB. There are about twenty different Classes of Construction Works. Do not worry…I will not bore you with all the details. I am simply going to list them:

Class of Construction Works:
  1. GB – General Building
  2. CE – Civil Engineering
  3. EB – Electrical Engineering Works – Building
  4. EP – Electrical Engineering Works – Infrastructure
  5. ME – Mechanical Engineering
  6. SB – Asphalt Works (Supply and Lay)
  7. SC – Building Excavations, shaft sinking, lateral earth ear support
  8. SD – Corrosion Protection (cathodic, anodic and electrolytic)
  9. SE – Demolition and Blasting
  10. SF – Fire prevention and Protective systems
  11. SG – Glazing, curtain walls and shoplifts
  12. SH – Landscaping, irrigation and horticulture works
  13. SI – Lifts, escalators and travellators (installation, commissioning and maintenance)
  14. SJ – Piling and Specialised foundations for buildings and structures
  15. SK – Road marking and signage
  16. SL – Structural steelwork fabrication and erection
  17. SM – Timber buildings and structures
  18. SN – Waterproofing of basements, roofs and walls using specialised systems
  19. SO – Water Supply and drainage for building (wet services, plumbing)
  20. SQ – Steel security fencing or precast concrete

 

Now we are going to take a look at the Values of the Rating for CIDB gradings.

Here they are:

CIDB 1: R 0 – R 200.000

CIDB 2: R 200.00 – R 650.00

CIDB 3: R650.00 – R 2 Million

CIDB 4: R 2 Million – R 4 Million

CIDB 5: R 4 Million – R 6.5 Million

CIDB 6: R 6.5 Million – R 13 Million

CIDB 7: R 13 Million – R 40 Million

CIDB 8: R 40 Million – R 130 Million

CIDB 9: R130 Million Plus

Okay, that was quite a mouthful. The Class of Construction works is basically an indication of what your business does.

Now we will take a look at how your company determines their grading. This is called the Grading Designation Calculator and can be done on the CIDB Website. All that is required of your business is the financial documents. Well, you are looking at your Profit and Loss for the Financial Year, the largest contract value that was awarded to your company and you will also need the capital value of the business.

Below is an example of a how a Grading Designartion Calculator is done. Trust me, it really simple and just takes a few minutes:

 

 

Please note that the CIDB is only for Construction Companies that do Construction work for non–residential areas. That would be your Office Buildings, General Building and Maintenace of government property (Hospitals, Fire Stations, Municipal Buildings, etc).

Construction companies that deal with Residential areas, your company has to be registered under the National Home Building Council (NHBRC). The NHBRC is very different from CIDB in the sense that, the Construction Company has to prove to the NHBRC the number of houses they have built to date.

To register on CIDB, it is very simple. All you need to do is submit an application and select the applicable Grade. The construction company also needs to indicate the maximum value of work permissible in their registered grading level. There are different requirements for track record and financial capability depending on the grades and classes. The application criteria need to meet both the requirements in order to satisfy the grading assessment criteria. The CIDB Provincial Offices offer free help desk support to contractors.

The application only takes 21 working days to be registered. The 21 day waiting period is the turnaround time for applications that are complete and compliant with the requirements of the grade the contractor is applying for. Grade 1 applicants only take 48 hours to be processed and for registration to reflect on CIDB. Once the 21 working days have passed and the contractor is compliant, the contractor is then registered on the CIDB website and now have access to tender opportunities that are in their CIDB grading. In order to register you can go to the CIDB Website:

 

Note: Your registration expires after 3 years

 

CIDB also publishes tenders that have been awarded on the system. That would mean if a contractor has applied for a specific tender, and once that tender has been awarded, one of the first places it gets published is on the CIDB website. Here, the name of the Awarded Company has listed as well as the contract value and the contract period. Below is an example of what the Award Information looks like:

 

 

Alright, so that concludes my discussion for the day. I must admit that it was quite fun sharing my information with you today. I can only hope that somewhere out there, a subscriber has learned something new today, I know I did.

 

Sources:

http://registers.cidb.org.za/PublicContractors/GradingDesignationCalc

http://registers.cidb.org.za/PublicTenders/TenderSearch

http://www.cidb.org.za/publications/Pages/Application-Forms.aspx

 

 

If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit our website.

To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.

To view more articles, please visit our blog.

 

About Lauren Davids

I am a Content Researcher for the Western Cape Region in the Tenders South Africa Department.

1 Feb 2018

L2B Blog: The ins and outs of Town Planning

by | posted in: Construction Chat | 3

My definition: “A creative artist with the city as their canvas.”

A town planner is professional who deals closely with architects, designers, landscape architects and engineers in order to create, manage, define and renew our cities. They work to plan human settlements and come up with long term plans for cities and regional areas, to try and reduce congestion and alleviate transport congestion and one of the ways of doing this is planning for public transport.

A town planner needs to have an understanding of population trends and the demands of the community. They are able to handle the influx of people and their needs. They encourage growth and change and enrich the lives of everyone. To be a good town planner you would need to have a vision of how you would like the city to look and feel. You need to be a good listener and understand how the community feel about their city, sometimes they may have ideas that are more valid or even better. You also need to have patience and understand that some of the plans you are working on may take 10 sometimes 20 years to eventuate. Other skills needed would be problem solving, negotiation, communication, management, team work and flexibility.

Source

 

They plan to make full use of space in such a way not to be wasteful and to be mindful of the environment and old historic buildings that are of architetrual importance. There are also rules and regulations that need to followed as well as a municipal budget.

Not only do they plan new exciting buildings, bridges and roads, but they also plan extensions and alterations of the existing areas.
Town planning seems to be very stressful, but also very rewarding.

If you want to make a real difference and have a keen interest in geography and the city, then this might be for you. You could make an impact on the world and the city you live in.

To me, the fun part would be using the tools and technology to do the designing, planning and layout of the city. I mean I love drawing. Town planning isn’t just drawing images of buildings all day. There is a lot of hard work before putting pen to paper.

 

According to GK Hiraskar the 3 main planning principals with regards to town planning are health, convenience and beauty.

  • Health – Creating and promoting a healthy living environment for the poor and the rich to work, relax or live in. Land can be subdivided and zoned for various uses. Live – work – play seems to be the trend for 2018 and the future. Another big thing in health is walkability.
  • Convenience – Meeting the needs of the community. Social, cultural, economic and public utilities would be needed to fulfill these needs. Again live work play.
  • Beauty – The attractiveness of the city. Making the city look appealing, meeting demands and keeping up with trends. Going green.

 

Steps in the Town Planning process

1. Identifying the issues that need to be addressed

2. Stating the goals and how to achieve them.

3. Data collection. Market research could be done by gathering data from the environment and economic studies as well as surveys and interest groups.

4. Plan preparation. Look at and review the possible site plans that have been submitted. Look at the feasibility of these proposals and see if there are any changes needed to be made. A recommendation would then need to be submitted on whether this should be denied or approved.

5. Community. Liaise with and present the plan to public officials, professionals and the community for review and comment (only once approved). This is done in newspapers, online, websites, social media and newsletters.

6. Evaluation alternatives. What impact does the proposal have on the city, town and community? Assessments and investigations are needed to be done. Impacting factors could be living conditions, traffic, the built environment and nature itself. The comment received by the community would need to be processed and addressed. Decisions on the way forward would need to be made with possible alternatives discussed.

7. Adopt and implement the plan.

Basically a town planner must be able to foresee, predict, address and interpret the changes and transformation that took place and successfully accommodate changes in order to carry out the plan

 

Duties of a Town Planner
Drafts and plans the departmental budget
Represents the town
Attends, staffs and plans board meetings
Prepares notices and documents
Takes minutes
Provides technical assistance
Establishes guidelines and plans
Zoning
Liaising with public officials, professionals and the public
Formulate and plan the city layout, street design and green spaces

 

I myself am not a Town Planner but I do follow the progress of building and construction related projects. I deal closely with the client, EIA consultant and Town Planner on early conceptual projects when it’s just an idea. It’s always do amazing to be able to watch the development unfold and the plan comes to life and molds our city.

 

I am currently researching and following the 30 new planned Mega Cities for Gauteng. Curenntly the Montrose Mega City is available on Leads 2 Business. This is a huge mixed use Mega city which includes residential, offices, public transport facility, a private and regional hospital, schools, a government complex and industrial and warehousing facilites. I can only imagine the hard work and planning that went into these mega cities and am lucky enough to be tracking the progress of these.

 

Source:

https://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/chapter/chapter-3-the-project-life-cycle-phases-project-management/
https://www.google.co.za/amp/s/theconstructor.org/construction/construction-project-life-cycle-phases/14283/amp/
https://study.com/articles/Become_a_Town_Planner_Step-by-Step_Career_Guide.html
http://www.dummies.com/home-garden/green-living/urban-planning-for-dummies-cheat-sheet/
https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Urban+Planning+For+Dummies-p-9781118100233
http://www.sparkjournal.net/blog/2013/2/4/a-beginners-guide-to-urban-design
https://blog.feedspot.com/urban_planning_blogs/
http://practicegroup.co.za/blog/
http://www.espoo.fi/en-US/Housing_and_environment/City_planning/Town_planning/Town_Planning_Process
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/estates-projects/project-procedures/processes/design-management/town-planning/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comprehensive_planning
http://townplanninglectures.blogspot.co.za/2009/03/phases-of-planning-principles-of.html?m=1
https://www.langeberg.gov.za/directory/engineering-services/town-planning
https://www.urbandynamics.co.za/news/42-interested-in-town-planning-as-a-career.html
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_planning
https://www.wits.ac.za/course-finder/undergraduate/ebe/urban-and-regional-planning/
http://www.rtpi.org.uk/education-and-careers/become-a-planner/what-does-a-planner-do/
http://www.rtpi.org.uk/education-and-careers/become-a-planner/what-is-town-planning/
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/town-planner
https://study.com/articles/Town_Planner_Duties_Responsiblities_and_Job_Information.html
https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/job-descriptions/279463-town-and-country-planner-job-description
http://www.careerplanet.co.za/careers/construction-engineering-and-mining/environmental-engineering-and-town-planning/urban-and-regional-planner
https://www.careersadviceforparents.org/2014/12/what-does-town-planner-do.html
https://www.google.co.za/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/cities/2014/nov/10/-sp-cities-town-planning-cool-architects
http://mediciproject.org/in-the-city-pt-1-what-is-urban-planning-and-why-do-we-need-it/
https://www.google.co.za/amp/s/www.devex.com/news/urban-planning-an-answer-to-today-s-city-demands-61827/amp
https://www.memun.org/SchoolsProject/Resources/zoning/planner_jobdescr.htm
https://www.villanovau.com/resources/public-administration/urban-planner-career-job-outlook/
https://www.truity.com/career-profile/urban-or-regional-planner

 

If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit our website.

To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.

To view more articles, please visit our blog.

About Michelle Crosby

I started my journey at Leads 2 Business in the Directory Department in 2012. I was then promoted to the Private Projects Department in 2014 and was recently promoted to Projects HOD this year.

18 Jan 2018

L2B Blog: What are Projects all about?

by | posted in: Construction Chat, Did You Know, Frequently Asked Questions, General | 0

What are Projects all about?

The question I get asked the most being a Projects researcher is… ‘What are Projects all about?‘.

It is early days in 2018 and my understanding levels are still rebooting after the holidays. I thought I would try and provide an explanation that may be a little tongue in cheek and also help people remember easily what Projects are all about. So, in my analogy, I decided to do a comparison between Projects and Fishing (in my head this means only fly fishing, but you can use most fishing for this analogy).

 

Projects vs Fishing

What happens in a Project? Well, we follow the full life cycle of the Project (think of it like your life, from birth until your eventual end). Now a Project can be broken into a few defining stages, which is how we put our information into groups to make it easier to follow, understand and find your best area of benefit from a business perspective. So without further adieu, here are the various stages broken down for your ease of reference.

 

 

Projects Planning
 

Conceptual

Projects

This consists of the appointing of the Client or Developer, Feasibility study, acquiring of funding and Request for Proposals (RFP).

Fishing

Your mind starts hatching a plan for getting away and going fishing. You are looking at your bank balance and wondering if this is a feasible decision.

(Click here for examples of this Project stage)

 

Procedural

Projects

Here the basic design is conceived along with the geotechnical study, EIA process, Town Planning and appointment of Professionals who will carry out these and other duties.

Fishing

You begin to look at the calendar and note when the public holidays are, what the weather is expected to be at the time (we all know how that effects fishing), the distance needed to travel and the people that will be involved in this trip.

(Click here for examples of this Project stage)

 

Design

Projects

The detailed design is completed and the Bill of Quantities prepared.

Fishing

You search fishing forums and websites, as well as Trip Advisor, Lodges and Google reviews for the best places to visit that, will supply your (fly) fishing needs.

(Click here for examples of this Project stage)

 

Projects Construction Design

Tender

Projects

The Project is sent to an Invited list of Bidders to Tender or goes out to Open Tender and once the Bids are received, negotiations with Contractors proceed.

Fishing

You make a decision on where you are going to fish and stay; book and pay. You alight in your chariot with all the correct tackle and head to your destination.

(Click here for examples of this Project stage)

 

Awarded

Projects

The Main Contractor is Awarded and applies for permits to begin on site.

Fishing

The weather is perfect, the fishing permit is in hand and as your line sinks into the watery depths, you feel a definite tug as you hook what feels like a bus of a fish.

(Click here for examples of this Project stage)

 

Projects Awarded

Underway

Projects

The process goes ahead with Site Handover, Site Establishment and the commencement of the actual construction work.

Fishing

Your experience and skills come into play in fighting your fish, cleverly steering it away from weeds and avoiding logs and rocks.

(Click here for examples of this Project stage)

 

Complete/Cancelled/Postponed

Projects

The project is either classified as Complete, Cancelled or is Postponed.

Fishing

You successfully land the fish, or you lose the fish. The line wraps around either a tree, gets stuck in the weed or the hook breaks and the fish lives to fight another day.

(Examples can be found on the following links: Complete, Cancelled, Postponed Project stages)

 

Projects vs Fly fishing

 

 

And there you have it! Projects explained in a fresh and easy way. Parcels of information that help your business get a foot in the door at the right time. If you want to find out which stages are the best for what you do, take a look at ‘At which point in the Project Life Cycle can your Business find Value‘.

If you want to take a look at the other services we provide, you can take a look at ‘Snoop our Services‘.

How many fish are you planning to catch this year? Which of those fish will keep your Business in the black? Maybe taking a look at our Project service will help your Business and get you out fishing more often. If you are interested, pop me a comment on the Blog with your mail address or mail me at CarmenB@L2B.co.za and I will be sure to be in contact with you.

 

Until then, have a fantastic day.

 

Picture sources

1 https://pixabay.com/get/eb3cb20c28f5053ed95c4518b7494090eb70e4d704b0144093f0c97ba1ebb4_960.jpg

2 https://pixabay.com/get/eb33b90d2ef0003ed95c4518b7494090eb70e4d704b0144093f0c97ba0e5b7_960.jpg

3 https://pixabay.com/get/ea35b2082ff3093ed95c4518b7494090eb70e4d704b0144093f0c97bafe9b6_960.jpg

4 https://pixabay.com/get/e834b5062df4033ed95c4518b7494090eb70e4d704b0144093f0c97bafe5b3_960.jpg

 

 

About Carmen Barends

Social Media adventurer exploring new frontiers and learning how to survive. Tongue in cheek and mischief are the order of any good day topped with a sprinkling of laughter.

11 Jan 2018

L2B Blog: Innovations In Smart Home Technology

by | posted in: Construction Chat, General, Life Lessons | 0

With advancement in technology, scores of cool gadgets are finding their way into more and more homes and changing the way people live. These gadgets are not just fancy, they are providing quick solutions to everyday problems, making our lives so much easier. The simple designs and improved functions reduce human effort and conserve space. I am always interested in new gadgets and gizmos that are being developed, to make our home lives easier and I regularly surf the net looking for cool gadgets.

So, what can we look forward to in 2017?

Here are 5 of the best (in my opinion) that are going to make our homes a little smarter and our lives a little easier…….

1. Best Cookware

Now this is smart – WeMo wireless smart home platform, Belkin’s Crock-Pot is the first smartphone controllable slow cooker. Via the WeMo iOS or Android smartphone app, you can adjust the crock pot’s settings from anywhere, receive reminders, change the cook time, adjust the cooking temperature, use the timer to calculate cook times and process, or even check the status of your dish so you can come home to a perfectly cooked meal. How smart is that? And who wouldn’t like one? Me.. me.. me!

2. Best Refrigerator

Samsung (who else!) Family Hub. 4-door Flex Smart French Door Refrigerator – this connected refrigerator has everything but the kitchen sink. Its large touchscreen on the front door lets you view family member’s schedules, leave notes for each other, order groceries, play music and even watch TV! In addition, the fridge has three cameras inside which take a picture and email it to you every time you close the door. No more guessing or trying to remember if you need to buy more milk! Pricey of course, but this is the most innovative fridge. Ever!

3. Best Smart Garage Door Opener

Searching or reaching for that elusive garage door remote while trying to navigate a dark street at night or around children’s discarded toys or even sometimes your children often proves awkward and dangerous, to say the least. Chamberlain’s garage door opener lets you tap your device’s screen to open or close your garage door. The company is also planning to add geofencing capabilities so it can sense when you are approaching your driveway and automatically open the garage door and then once your car is safely parked inside, to close your garage door. This gadget has been designed to be utilised on most existing garage doors.

4. Smart Lighting

Smart lighting is not new with many designs already having an app component for remote control. Believe it or not, though, a new smart lights system can actually sense when you (and your phone!) are on your way home and will react accordingly by turning the lights on or off, This type of automation is achieved by tying your lighting system into your phone’s geofencing features. Geofencing taps into the phone’s GPS system, in order to alter your lighting system when you’re in the area. If you are always carrying your phone, you may never have to enter into a dark driveway or doorway again, and all happens without programming, scheduling or actually touching any buttons. So smart!

5. Smart Faucet (tap)

This environmentally friendly faucet (tap) saves up to 57 litres per unit, per year. That’s a big smart saving! This innovative technology helps conserve water sources and also conserves energy with its intelligent design. By conserving water and energy, you leave behind a reduced carbon footprint. It can be used easily by everyone, including children, the elderly and the disabled.

There is so much new, interesting, useful and smart technology out there, that I found it hard to keep it to just 5, I just had to add this last one as this is something I would really want…

and…… (drumroll)…….. Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaners

Floor cleaning and vacuuming are now easier with a range of Deebots from Ecovacs, a pioneer in the field of engineering robotic vacuum cleaners. The D77, the latest Deebot is a 3-dimensional cleaning solution that has smart technology to detect and navigate obstacles! It even has the capability to automatically empty its own dustbin (so smart!). It has different modes for cleaning different types of flooring. And the best … even when you are not at home, you can pre-set it to clean your floors with its intelligent time scheduling feature. Smart, so very, very smart.

While most of this smart technology is already available and installed in homes overseas in the USA and UK, we, unfortunately, will have to wait a while longer for it to reach our shores. I am waiting in anticipation…….

Information sourced from the following sites:
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-smart-home-gadgets,review-2008.html

https://shisystems.com/blog?view=entry&id=45
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/20-smart-home-technology-gadgets-that-will-leave-you-spellbound.html

About Marlaine Andersen

Leads 2 Business Advertising Co-ordinator and Digital Designer

7 Dec 2017

L2B Blog: The Year in Review – 10 Best Blog posts from 2017

by | posted in: General, Recommended Reading | 0

If you have missed any of our blog posts this year, here is a monthly review of some of the best blog posts from 2017, depicted from your traffic volume:

 

 

 

The booming growth of “Commercial Construction & Renovation” happening in  South Africa.

Written By: Sasha Anderson

Publication date: 30 January 2017

Page Views: 82

Unique Page Views: 35

Average Time spent on the blog: 38 seconds

 

 

 

 

Enhance your fishing abilities to entice the big fish businesses through “Mastering the art of cold calling, tips for successful B2B Sales”

Written by: Karen Garner-Savory

Publication date: 09 February 2017

Page Views: 256

Unique Page Views: 111

Average Time spent on the blog: 30 seconds

 

 

 

 

 

Providing a creative remedy for tedious daily tasks with “Innovations In Smart Home Technology”

Written by: Marlaine Andersen

Publication date: 09 March 2017

Page Views: 119

Unique Page Views: 58

Average Time spent on the blog: 52 seconds

 

 

 

 

 

 

Racking your brain on the universal human need for shelter. “What is the importance of appointing an architect?”

Written by: Claire Donaldson

Publication date: 13 April 2017

Page Views: 124

Unique Page Views: 48

Average Time spent on the blog: 35 seconds

 

 

 

 

 

The never-ending roadworks that we find ourselves in “Potholes and Pitfalls in civil engineering contracts”

Written by: Bianca Warwick

Publication date: 11 May 2017

Page Views: 108

Unique Page Views: 67

Average Time spent on the blog: 03 Minutes and 04 Seconds

 

 

 

 

A quirky and yet vital list of “10 (or 11) tips for recruiting great Project Managers”

Written by: Michelle Hosford

Publication date: 15 June 2017

Page Views: 110

Unique Page Views: 50

Average Time spent on the blog: 02 Minutes and 51 Seconds

 

 

 

 

 

Finding a favourable balance in room temperature to get the ‘ka-ching’ light bulb. “Why air conditioning can increase productivity”

Written by: Jackie Van Zyl

Publication date: 13 July 2017

Page Views: 273

Unique Page Views: 112

Average Time spent on the blog: 01 Minute and 147 Seconds

 

 

 

 

 

Quenching the thirst with tools pertaining to water preservation with “Waste Water Management”

Written by: Angelique De Freitas

Publication date: 24 August 2017

Page Views: 264

Unique Page Views: 114

Average Time spent on the blog: 01 Minute and 53 Seconds

 

 

 

 

 

Dealing with the complexities of preserving the environment for our future generations through “Sustainable construction with 3d Modelling”

Written by: Tamika Mays

Publication date: 14 September 2017

Page Views: 198

Unique Page Views: 83

Average Time spent on the blog: 32 Seconds

 

 

 

 

 

 

Knocking down barriers without leaving a mess and extra work. Here is a guide on “How to demolish a wall the right way”

Written by: Julia Smit

Publication date: 12 October 2017

Page Views: 170

Unique Page Views: 75

Average Time spent on the blog: 29 Seconds

 

 

 

We believe that each and every one of our informative blog posts making the above list and being accidentally left out, have allowed you to walk with an insurmountable amount of knowledge, filling out the gaps and providing answers to the questions you may have been too shy to ask.

May the forces be with you.

About Andile Shange

I'm a Software Developer at Leads 2 Business since 02 June 2014.

30 Nov 2017

L2B Blog: Annual Construction Gift Guide

by | posted in: General | 0

Corporate gifting to clients is one of the best marketing strategies that a company can use to build brand awareness and build close business relationships. It cultivates and affirms business relationships promoting feelings of goodwill between buyers and supplier.

 

Corporate Gifting is no longer restricted to the festive season, in a corporate world it is standard to introduce endowments to each other to build the business. Gifting can be used in many applications in business, for any occasion or any person – gifting reinforces the obligation of business to its customers.

 

Gifts for Business Growth

Corporate gifting is used to stay noticed by clients and target consumers. The resources spent on these gifts are refunded back in terms of future business or higher sales of your product.

 

Corporate gifts for marketing

Gifting helps build your company brand, it helps build brand awareness as branding is all about making associations. Corporate gifts allow personalization – to have a successful branding campaign, your brand must be personal enough for consumers to identify and build a relationship with. By matching corporate gifts to the type of company personality that requires promoting, you will be able to hit the right chord with the consumers.

 

Corporate gifts maintain the interaction between company and consumers. Usually, after a marketing campaign, consumers will only be able to associate and interact with the company through its advertising message, which is intangible. But with corporate gifts, they will be able to touch and feel the representation of a company. This will leave your marketing message in their minds resulting in a better marketing campaign. Using corporate gifts is a good way to start building brand awareness among your customers. Many people think that by using corporate gifts as a marketing tool a huge budget is needed. However, I must say this is not true. With the right budget and campaign, you will be able to fulfil your marketing mission and create brand awareness for your company.

 

Corporate Gifts

Corporate gifting is a great opportunity to show employees, management at your company and your clients that you appreciate them and promote one’s business brand in a cost-effective way. There are so many events that corporate gifts can be used for … Birthdays, Christmas, Women’s Day, Bosses Day, Secretary’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Mandela Day, Weddings, Award ceremonies, Retirement recognitions …. just a few to mention. This is a great opportunity to show your employees and your clients that they are really appreciated.

 

Promotional Gifts

Promotional gifts are articles of merchandise that are branded with a logo or a slogan and used in the marketing and communication process – they are given away to promote a company.

 

Gifts for every budget

Your budget should be fixed before-hand before you start factoring in how many recipients there will be, and what the occasion is.

 

Your overall benefits of corporate & promotional gifting are:

Increases Brand Awareness
Provides appropriate Information
Increases customer traffic
Build sales and profits
Promotions will also help your company to introduce products easily into an ever so competitive market.

 

For enquiries regarding Corporate gifting, please contact michele@infinitycg.co.za

 

“Branded Corporate Gifts are lasting favourites”

About Michele Hettema

Infinity Gifts Pty Ltd is a woman-owned business dedicated and focusing on delivering a superb service to you. My aim is to give you peace of mind and delight you. I can supply you with branding clothing, branded stationery, exclusive corporate pens, USB devices, first aid kit and much more.

23 Nov 2017

L2B Blog: How to study to become a Facilities Manager? A look at internships and universities

by | posted in: Frequently Asked Questions, General | 4

 

If you are looking to study to become a Facilities Manager, then I imagine you already know what might be involved. If not, please see below:

 

What is a Facilities Manager?

A facilities manager is the ultimate organiser, making sure that a workplace meets the needs of employees by managing all of the required services.

 

A Facilities Manager will be responsible for the management of services and processes that support the core business of an organisation and ensures that an organisation has the most suitable working environment for its employees and their activities.

This is a diverse field with a range of responsibilities, which are dependent on the structure and size of the organisation.
Facilities managers are involved in both strategic planning and day-to-day operations, particularly in relation to buildings and premises. Likely areas of responsibility include:
• building and grounds maintenance;
• cleaning;
• catering and vending;
• health and safety;
• procurement and contract management;
• security;
• space management;
• utilities and communications infrastructure.
The duties will probably vary depending on the nature of the organisation, but will generally focus on using best business practice to improve efficiency, by reducing operating costs while increasing productivity. A facilities manager can be employed in all sectors and industries and the diversity of the work is reflected in the range of job titles, for example, operations, estates, technical services, asset or property manager.

 

Salary:

I’m sure the end result when deciding to study to become a Facilities Manager, is to be employed as such and have some idea of the competitiveness of the salary. Obviously, this would depend on your experience and the organisation you end up working for. According to Payscale Human Capital: “Facilities Manager Salary (South Africa): A Facilities Manager earns an average salary of R357,994 per year. Pay for this job rises steadily for more experienced workers, but goes down significantly for the few employees with more than 20 years’ experience. Most people with this job move on to other positions after 20 years in this career.” Let me reiterate, this a statistical average that takes all manner of different variables into account.

 

Vacancies:

The next question is, are there opportunities for Facilities Managers out there? When doing my research, I found any number of vacancies advertised on any number of advertising sites. The job descriptions varied from company to company, as would be expected. Duties ranged from budgeting and routine site inspections to managing staff and getting your hands dirty, with handyman skills and qualifications. The remuneration offered ranged from R16,000.00 a month to R30 000.00; often dependent on qualifications, experience and the extent of the duties required.

 

Learnerships:

It’s at this time of the year, that I see a lot more Learnerships and Bursaries being advertised in the media. However, when looking specifically for “Facilities Management”, I can’t say any jumped out at me. Due to the diverse and varied nature of the job, I can’t imagine it’s as clear-cut as some professions. Based on the variety of formal qualifications required/requested and the heavy lean on actual experience; Facilities Management definitely requires adaptability and a
diverse skill set.

 

Study Options:

I did find courses for Facilities Management offered by a variety of educational entities, namely:

The University of Cape Town (UCT) offers a Short Course in Facilities Management, through Getsmarter
Enterprises University of Pretoria (Pty) Ltd offers a Short Course in Facilities Management

CEA Career Excel Academy offers a Facilities Management Programme (FMP), a course held over three days

The Academy for Facilities Management (A4FM) is a specialist higher education institution that specialises in facilities management.

 

It goes without saying that when you decide to study, you ensure that you are studying with a reputable and qualified organisation.

The South African Facilities Management Association (SAFMA) recognises the need for training within the industry and offers endorsements for reputable training providers. Please see http://www.safma.co.za/Training

 

Facilities Management is as diverse and varied as the organisations that require it. And with the right qualification and experience, you can find the right fit.

 

Sources:
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/facilities-manager
http://www.payscale.com/research/ZA/Job=Facilities_Manager/Salary

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facility_management
http://www.safma.co.za/

 

About Claire Donaldson

I started working at Leads 2 Business in February 2005, and have served as Head of Department of Daily Tenders from 2007 until the present. I oversee both the Daily Tenders South Africa and Africa Departments.

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