The infrastructure sector is witnessing allotments in various projects across the segments and is expected to be a real boost to the construction equipment industry after prolonged slump. In this scenario, procurement strategy will play a key role to earn a profitable deal. Sharing his opinion on the current trends in procurement of construction equipment Debasis Bhattacharya, Head –Sales, Marketing and Product Support at Ajax Fiori Engineering (I) Pvt Ltd said, “The procurement of construction equipment has slowly gaining momentum among the contractors or hirers which is always a positive trend. We are optimistic that the second half of 2015-16 should yield better results than the first half.”

Headquartered in Bengaluru, Ajax Fiori has emerged as a popular name in the field of concreting equipment and solutions. The company started manufacturing of concrete batching plants way back in 1998. In 2004, it started manufacturing of planetary mixers through a technology tie-up with Italian company Eurostar Concrete Technology S.p.A. In an aim to diverse its product portfolio, in 2013 Ajax Fiori entered into a technology tie-up with Junjin Heavy Industries, South Korea for manufacturing of concrete pumps and placer booms.

Procurement factors
One of the major challenges Indian contractors face today is availability of right skilled manpower coupled with shorter deadlines for project completion.  In this scenario, according to Bhattacharya, “The contractors are looking to mechanise the work to maximum possible extent and are ready to invest in the right technology products.”
He has listed some points to be considered by contractors before investing into construction machinery. They are:
• Type and size of machine
• Technology and features of machine
• Owning and operating cost
• After-sales support from manufacturer
• Return on investment.

He said that apart from pricing, productivity and durability, there are certain other factors driving the procurement decision making. Some of the major parameters include after-sales support, customer intimacy from OEM, and positive referral from the market.

Construction equipment: rent or buy?
Procurement of construction equipment is capital intensive. In this context, it always advisable to decide rent or buy options well in advance. Commenting on the factors a buyer should consider while determining whether to rent or buy construction equipment, Bhattacharya said, “Duration of the project, viability of the project, Operations and maintenance cost of the machine, and orders in hand are the major factors to be considered by the buyer while determining rent or buy.”

Advantages Ajax Fiori
Ajax Fiori products are known for its reliability and its cost effectiveness. Commenting on why a buyer should go for construction equipment offered by his company, Bhattacharya said, “Ajax Fiori product designs are focused on enhancing productivity, reliability and also reducing the cost for its customers.”

In today’s scenario, completion of project on time is the key to success for any construction company. “Ajax Fiori is committed to not only providing reliable equipment but also in providing timely after-sales support to our customers. We offer end-to-end solutions to customer starting from sale of machine till operation and maintenance of the machine to ensure timely completion of the projects,” Bhattacharya added.

Having offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Indore, Trichy and a network of resident sales and service engineers at major locations all over India, the company is well-equipped to cater to the market demand.
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The contractors are looking to mechanise the work to maximum possible extent and are ready to invest in the right technology products.

Debasis Bhattacharya, Head –Sales, Marketing and Product Support,
Ajax Fiori Engineering (I) Pvt Ltd