Understanding the importance of IMPACT is key to overcoming our biggest industry challenges.

Everything we do in construction as individuals, businesses and a sector as a whole has an impact that can be good or bad for the individual tasks and, ultimately, the big goals we are trying to deliver.

I have been talking about these big goals like delivering the Road to Net Zero, tackling skills shortages, digitisation and building a sustainable industry for some time, with data being a keyword in a lot of my content.

And the content produced is in-depth in itself, with big feature articles, 10+ minute video conversations and even 1hr long podcasts on the topics.

But it was only recently, when I spent some time with Flannery Plant Hire for the launch of a new 'Impact' series with Machinemax, that I stopped the big conversation and started having very small ones about the importance of an individual 'Impact'.

For example, if we want to reduce fuel burn, we can do many things that can have a positive impact. It all starts with creating an impact-driven baseline to measure your real-world performance.?

When it comes to fuel usage, this involves thinking about all the different activities that impact the use of fuel in general and breaking them down into impacts.

So instead of thinking about how much fuel you use all together and saying let's reduce this by 10% across the board, it's much easier to think about the impacts that lead to good and bad fuel usage.

Let's look at a single scenario?

We have the best trained operator who is fully aware of all the modes a machine can operate in. This machine is perfectly matched to the task of digging a 3D modelled trench and loading the right sized earthmover.?

The machine has the right bucket, perfect GET, 3D machine control and onboard payload measuring technology. Using Machinemax technology, we can exactly measure the fuel usage it takes to deliver the task.

The ideal world?

However, to get to this 'ideal world' scenario, we need to now consider some of the impacts:

Impact 1:?We need to employ an operator and train them to use not just the machine but the technology associated with it. We also need a well trained operator of the fleet matched earthmover (ADT or Dumper).

Impact 2:?We need to have a 3D model that is designed for this machine, the technology it is using and the trench in question that can also monitor and report on the exact payload of earth removed.

Impact 3:?We need to have a team of well trained mechanics that can maintain the equipment and understand when the GET needs to be changed.

Impact 4:?We need a procurement team that understands what type of machine and attachment to buy that delivers the best fuel efficiency and fleet match for the task and when it pays to upgrade them in years to come.

Back to the Real World

Getting back to the 'Real World' if we could have the general data related to the impact of the four points above for the fleet of equipment we run, we have that 'real world' fuel baseline, which includes comparisons like:

- New operator to most experienced operator

- New machine to the oldest in the fleet

- New GET to worn GET

- Payload for 3D modelled trench to trenching digging using no technology

- And, of course, productive and non-productive idle times

Fuelled with this data, we can then look at how to tackle and invest resources into each impact to start accumulating fuel and carbon savings as well as increasing fleet utilisation.?

To highlight this, the MachineMax team has also shared other data with me from organisations they have been working with. For example, MURPHY PLANT HIRE LIMITED has been using its insights to achieve a 10% carbon reduction from its fleet. Similarly, mining specialist Imerys has seen a 25% fuel reduction for its operations, and Amery Construction has realised a 20% utilisation increase for its fleet.

These are all very significant, big achievements, all delivered through identifying the impact of each positive action, which then enables you to scale up and work out how to measure the importance of each impact. This can be task by task, then job by job, and ultimately overall business performance.

This was further supported recently when I caught up with Chris Matthew , Strategic Manager Flannery Plant Hire . Chris: "Together with MachineMax , Flannery has been working to provide a unified and consolidated view of data to all Flannery customers, enabling more effective production management and cost savings."

In conclusion, I believe that if we share the importance each impact is having across the board, we can change individual behaviours and ultimately deliver on the big goals, one impact at a time.