Power Group

 

Positioning itself as an integrated FM service provider in a fast growing market

 

 
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Power Group
 

By Swaliha Shanavas

Markets are fast changing and becoming increasingly competitive and complex. Thus, it has become pertinent for companies to focus on their core business and also look at new areas of development to consolidate their position in the market. This is exactly what Power Group has been doing over the past few years. Having started as a cleaning and security service provider, it has grown to become a facilities management company, and is currently in the process of acquiring an Integrated FM service provider status.

Talking to Clean Middle East, the Executive Director of Power Group M. Mansingh said the concept of FM is now well understood in the Middle East region. “The growth of the cleaning and FM industry started in the mid 90s and a few years later the concept of FM gained significance in this region. From 2000 onwards, the customers have preferred to maintain a single point of contact for cleaning and FM services rather than dealing with a number of service providers.”
 
Power Group currently offers various FM and security solutions. Having started with A/C and electrical services, followed by comprehensive MEP services around 1998-99, the company became a FM service provider in 2002 covering services such as MEP, lift services, fire alarm and fire fighting, pool maintenance, landscaping, cleaning, security services, CCTV, BMS operations and so on. The company is a corporate member of Middle East Facility Management Association (MEFMA) since 2011.
 
At present, the company has 150 technical staff and about 22 engineers, making it easy to cater to the FM segment. It has requisite manpower in the security division with around 1500 security personnel, which is a plus for them as the FM industry is 50 per cent manpower oriented (about 40 per cent of this portion is related to cleaning and security aspects), said Mansingh, who heads the FM division including security and landscaping units. “As a contractor, an FM company should be able to provide any service required by the customer, and the biggest advantage for Power Group is that we have sufficient manpower and all the necessary capabilities and certifications, with qualified and skilled staff and related capabilities to satisfy the requirements of various clients.” “We will soon be receiving the Integrated Management System (IMS) certification. The company is now incorporating computerized maintenance management services and clients can access through the website their assets as well as the complete history of services provided to their property, equipment used, etc. They can also register their requirements or comments from any place in the world. We have trained our staff to manage the IBM software. Further, we have tied up with call centre services, so the clients can reach us after office hours, thus making our services available round the clock,” he continued.
 
The company caters to almost all the sectors including residential, commercial and industrial areas, including government, semi-government and private properties such as villas, towers, individual residences, malls, hospitals, offices and so on. Clients include RAK Mall, Al Wahda Mall, Du property, Abu Dhabi Foundation Property, Damac Towers, Dubai Sport City (specific properties), RAK Properties, Horizon Tower, to name a few. They are also involved in the construction sector, providing their own civil contracting and engineering services.
 
Talking of security, the Executive Director said they have a security system as well as guarding services. The security requirement is a part of the FM services and getting a licence from Dubai authorities is not a simple process as each individual in addition to being qualified and trained, should undergo training here, the official stated. The security system includes the BMS; CCTV monitoring; and specialised equipment for communication among the security staff at a particular facility (e.g., mall), for which necessary permission from the concerned Police department is required.
 
“We provide the security system and operations as per Dubai Civil Defence requirement, be it a mall, tower, hospital or any other facility. We install the systems and train our security staff to monitor and control the area under their supervision. We appoint trained CCTV operators capable of handling the system. Apart from this, we have a specialised patrolling team to oversee the operations zone wise and they can check any building or tower where the security staff are employed to ensure everything is in place, which makes the system more effective,” he explained.
 
Touching upon the challenges and competition in the market, the official said the profitability has gone down following the economic crisis, though the market prices are more realistic and clients are aware of the industry, the price and quality of products, and the standard of services delivered. “So, if you have requisite skills and provide good services, you will do well in the long run. This has been the advantage for us.”
 
One of the challenges, Mansingh says, is getting skilled manpower, with various factors affecting recruitment including the ban on workers from certain countries, lack of requisite skills, minimum wages they expect and so on. “We are also flying to various countries for recruitment, but it is difficult to find the right people for the job. We have our own training and safety officers, and various programmes to enhance the skills and update the staff on the latest products, technology and applications.”
 
If one wants to survive under the current economic conditions and maintain their position in a highly competitive market, the company has to first and foremost excel in the services offered, said the executive director, adding that building and maintaining a good relationship with clients is important. The clients are looking for companies with extensive experience that can offer a wide range of cost-effective services, so one has to balance a lot of factors to be effective and also maintain profitability. “The key is to provide efficient and cost-effective services. No matter what qualifications, certifications, skills or expertise one may have, the clients now expect the best services at the lowest possible cost. I can proudly say Power Group offers more than 13 different services under one umbrella, without sub-contracting any service. This is also an advantage for us in the market,” he stressed.
 
Health Safety and Environmental (HSE) issues have gained significance in recent years and play a predominant role in every sphere of life. Mansingh said, “This is top priority in our operations. It is now a compulsory requirement for every organisation and we have our own health and safety inspectors who visit various sites for third party certifications. They also conduct awareness and training programmes for the staff to ensure the health and safety of the employees. In addition, we have tied up with many clinics to take care of health issues. Safety supervisors regularly visit various sites to ensure everything is going well. We are now turning to eco-friendly products and solutions and are actively involved in various environmental initiatives of the government and other bodies including cleanliness campaigns, etc. So we are positively contributing to the society. ”