Combining & Merging Technologies: Collaborative working to find product solutions

When it comes to finding the best solutions, two heads are often better than one. Contractors can achieve much more by combining their knowledge of their own field with the expertise of another company in a related field. But how should contractors go about this?

Choosing the right partner is essential to ensure the best outcome for the customer. This is even more important when acting as the principal contractor, as any work done by an external company will reflect on the main contractor. It is therefore essential that the contractor conducts a thorough assessment of any potential partner before moving forward.

Determine suitability

As well as examining their qualifications, accounts and track record to determine their suitability, the contractor needs to think about who they will be working with. Early meetings with potential partners can be used to gauge the personality of the main contact. Will they listen to ideas and take them on-board or will they just steam-roller the project and do exactly what they want? A business is only as good as the people in it, so contractors must ensure that their new partner will see eye to eye with them.

As with any good relationship, communication is key. It is important to agree project goals early on and flag any potential problems or conflicts that may arise. Agreeing common goals will make the overall project run much more smoothly as both companies will be pulling in the same direction, helping to ensure that when conflicts do arise, as they inevitably will, the only question that needs to be answered is which decision will be most constructive towards achieving the agreed outcome. Addressing these issues early will help to ensure that they will not cause problems later on. It is also important to maintain a high level of contact throughout the project to keep things on track.

If both contractors are working together towards the same goal, their combined expertise and technology can produce truly remarkable end results. For example, on a recent project, surface preparation and finishing equipment manufacturer Airblast AFC were called upon to work with an external company on a blast and paint facility for a built equipment designer and manufacturer. The facility would need to include a conveyor for a small parts line which would need to be supplied by another manufacturer. Airblast AFC worked closely with the conveyor company to find a means to incorporate the conveyor into the design of the facility. With good communication and a mutual understanding of the overall requirements of the client, they came up with a design that would allow the conveyor to work in perfect harmony with the surface preparation and finishing equipment.

Communication

By communicating effectively and sharing a common goal, the two companies were able to work together to combine their expertise to give the customer an exceptional end product which fulfilled all of their requirements. This is a great example of how a collaborative effort can reap the greatest rewards and just goes to show that, when looking in the same direction, two heads are definitely better than one.