As numerous projects reel under the effect of the pandemic and social distancing becomes a norm, the MHE and Access Equipment industry will have to mitigate the risk in innovative ways to ensure its survival.
As we try to free ourselves from the shackles of the Covid-19 virus an attempt has been made by the government to ensure the resumption of economic activities. Our battle with the pandemic will remain operational as also the battle to revive the economy and get it back on tracks. Temporarily the monsoon may have brought the construction activities to a halt as also the pandemic. But as the construction and infrastructure activities resume in a calibrated manner the incumbency of the slowdown will start to wane gradually.

The impact of this will also be felt on sectors allied with the construction and infrastructure like MHE and Access Equipment’s. Sunil K Gupta, President of KION India, one of leading players in the MHE segment says “The first half of 2020 has not gone according to the plan due to Covid-19. The market is reviving with the start of economic activities and movement in liquidity. There will be overall upgrade in the retail, logistics and warehousing segment which will create opportunities for material handling industry. In near future, we will see the rise in automated material handling equipment such as autonomous equipment as the organizations will understand the value of contact-free material handling with enhanced safety features. These are customized solution and are easy to install, they can be modified to suit one’s demand. KION India’s portfolio includes multi-brand customized solutions to cater all the customer requirement across all the segments.”

For MHE however there are a few silver linings to bank upon, in the words of Manojit Acharya, Managing Director, Jungheinrich Lift Truck India Pvt Ltd says “Amidst the very weak demand currently, we are witnessing some good market growth in the e-commerce and organized retail sectors due to the growth in consumptions in essential items and increasing demands for safe and secured contact less transactions. The businesses are becoming more logistics driven and Logistics is fast emerging as a strategic function.”

Even as we make efforts to return to normal, the wrath of the pandemic will try to subdue the economic stability. This will require some counter measures and policy changes to come into effect Souma Ray, Director, Haulotte India Private Limited says “Access Equipment Industry in India has faced the brunt too. CAPEX have been kept on hold, projects have been stalled thus directly affecting demand of equipment. Although limited reopening has happened across the country but the uncertainties, low volumes of business, lack of manpower, liquidity crunch is affecting smooth resumption of business activities.The government has tried to prioritiseopening up of some of the vital road and infra projects but work on such projects have hardly picked up owning to the lack of manpower which has resulted because of the reverse migration of labour during the lockdown period. Thus, the progress of such projects is creeping on a snail’s pace. The effect of the lockdown and its aftermath cannot go away immediately. It will require considerable time for the economy to find its footings back and till such time like all industries, the access industry shall have its share of woes.”

The speed at which projects are resuming and the lack of manpower has become one of the major concerns for the construction and infrastructure sector. The businesses which depend on the sector face a similar issue. Just like the work on site progresses with limited man-power, the production and after sales services of all the major companies involved in MHE, Access Equipment’s as also other equipment have to be addressed by a limited workforce.

The balance between time and manpower is a struggle which all the participants of the construction sector have been enduring since the lockdown came into play. “Timely project completion is one of key aspects of the construction discipline and efficiency plays an important role in achieving schedule,” points out Sharique Khan, Project Manager, Turner India “Every task has two components: value added tasks and non-value added tasks. We have to minimize the non-value added tasks to achieve efficiency and increase productivity. Access equipment plays a pivotal role in minimizing the non-value added tasks assigned with an activity.

Scaffolding is required as part of the traditional way of starting an activity. The time spent in assembling, climbing up while carrying tools/materials, navigating around and moving scaffolds along with the activity were major concerns for achieving efficiency. With the availability of the right type of access equipment, greater efficiency and productivity can be achieved. To complete MEP and finishes activity in crucial projects, use of MEPWs equipment is necessary (i.e. scissor lift/vertical lifts, boom lifts, etc.} They can move easily from one location to another without any complications, reduce the physical effort/exhaustion of the workers and save time immediately. Some scissor lifts are also designed to move few feet horizontally. Boom lifts have two types: articulated booms and telescopic booms, and these are preferred in areas that are hard to reach because of its long arm that can be angled in various directions.”

As the construction market equipment enters in the recovery phase after the lockdown coma, rentals too will become the new norm believes Manojit Acharya, Managing Director, Jungheinrich Lift Truck India Pvt Ltd. He concludes that the cost saving achieved will drive clients to take this route. “We anticipate that rentals will become more popular in the coming times, as capital investment is seeing a downturn and customers will shift towards use and pay format. Renting MHEs will give customers peace of mind since they will save cost on infrastructure on truck maintenance, committing long term on capital and employing temporary manpower to operate.”