Add My Company
Axair’s Technical Director, Andrew Jones, discusses the problems faced in the fan industry and how Axair Fans are breaking the mould by addressing the technical skills gap with solution led fan selections.
The scarcity of in-house engineering ability has been one of the leading workplace concerns for many years among engineers in the public and private sectors. Post covid redundancies, economic factors including Brexit, a plagued industry perception of spanners and dirty overalls, an aging workforce, and a new generation of snapchat and Instagram filter lovers, has left a shortfall of up to 59,000 core engineering roles. This especially puts small to medium companies at risk.
Why Small to Medium Companies are At Risk?
Inefficiency in small company operations leads to reduced productivity, waste of time, loss of resources and prevents business managers from focusing on their companies’ core services. Couple this with small and medium companies who lack the financial capability to hire professional experts, many find themselves trapped in situations where employees do not possess sufficient technical expertise to counter the advancing technology in the industry. This expertise gap puts them and the businesses they work in at a disadvantage against competitors.
We see this far too often in mechanical engineering, particularly the integration of fan engineers in technical applications where the fan is predominantly the work horse of the system. If an air movement system isn’t performing correctly, the first place to look is the industrial fan. Does it achieve the duty required for optimal performance, does the wheel type allow the right pressure development, does the motor produce enough power to drive the impeller to generate the airflow required?
Training employees with the relevant skills is an option, but an expensive and time consuming one, and those small or medium companies, as we’ve already established do not have the time or finance to invest without immediate gain. Outsourcing the level of expertise is another option. The demand for outsourced technical services is rising continuously in the IT sector, with full or partial services that allow companies to obtain access to technical expertise when they need it without the hassle of full-time departments. So, what about the integration of single components, fans in this instance, where the knowledge is so niche that companies don’t need a service agreement, or a monthly retainer, they simply need assistance to use the product they want to buy, to make their system better, so they can make their customers happy?
Choosing a company that offers a service and sale with a consultative approach is hard to come by. Typically, specialist consultants charge based on time or based on the nature of the visit, and component suppliers, typically charge for the product with limited warranty periods, not extended integration support. Working with a company that offers a hybrid of both, I’ll be specific and say the air movement, specifically fan integration, small to medium companies get access to high levels of focus, years of experience and a deep knowledge of motor and impeller technologies gained from comprehensive training, certifications, and personal growth. Having one foot in with a company that has access to the latest industry advancements equally allows businesses to remain relevant and competitive in their sectors instead of sticking with what they know and getting left behind.
Don’t get me wrong, technical product manager, project engineer and robotics engineers are all in high demand and in most parts occupied. These roles would have topped the engineering position list even ten to fifteen years ago, but with an ageing workforce these roles have had to adapt as industry 4.0 and beyond technology has evolved. Upskilling and continued personal development are crucial if companies don’t want to open themselves up to skills gaps. That diamond in the rough company that offers the sale and service that larger companies don’t appreciate widens the talent pool, solves a skill short market, that smaller businesses cannot afford to overlook. The question is, are you getting that from your current supplier?
Axair. Revolutionary Fan Expertise
01782 349430
For more information on Axair Fans Address the Technical Skills Gap in the Fan Industry talk to Axair Fans UK Ltd