Coronavirus: The impact on the construction trade & supply chain as told by Leicestershire company, QDTS Construction.

The growth of local company QDTS Construction is impressive to say the least. In just 3 years they have seen turnover increased from £550,000 to just over £14Million, evolving from a one-man operation in 2014 to one which now has 22 direct employees.

However, just like every other business across the UK, QDTS has had to adapt to the challenges posed by the current COVID-19 crisis and overcome the difficulties which it has presented the Construction industry with as a whole.

Thankfully QDTS Construction was in good shape to begin with and this has been fundamental to their ability to respond well. Founder and Managing Director, Terry Benson explained:

“As a forward-looking company, we try to anticipate potential challenges and have a robust planning strategy in place for most eventualities. This situation may have been impossible to predict, but we had already carried out the groundwork to ensure a steady and consistent stream of work for the whole of 2020 and 2021. We’ve obviously had to make significant changes to how we work to ensure that we protect the health, safety and well-being of everyone involved, but it’s the security and diversity of our projects which has allowed us to continue.”

Beyond the crisis there may be further challenges to overcome. With many large-scale construction projects on hold, a huge surge in demand for building materials post-lockdown is expected; a demand which the supply chain may simply not be able to meet. Frustratingly this means that some will experience major delays even after the restrictions are lifted, and many construction employees will be unable to return to work.

Thankfully, whilst nobody could predict COVID-19, having planned for ‘worst case scenario’s’, QDTS won’t be amongst those waiting for supplies. They have been working hard with clients and suppliers to make sure that the materials they need to complete every project are already on site. There may be a short delay in the receipt of smaller, more bespoke items, but everything else has been bulk-bought in advance and is ready to use.

It’s obvious that all of the practicalities have been covered by QDTS, but what about the ‘human side’ of operations?

As Terry Benson pointed out:

“The survival of QDTS through this crisis isn’t about making money. It’s about supporting our workforce and maintaining the supply chain to make sure that we all weather the storm and can get back to ‘business as usual’ as soon as we are allowed to”

And as a 2019 Employer of the Year, QDTS know how to look after their people. They have arranged home working for a number of employees (including those with underlying health conditions) rather than choosing the option of furlough, and they are having daily morning meetings with everyone working on-site to ensure health and safety is being maintained at all times.

This is a company who are certainly facing this challenge head-on and are succeeding as a result.

For further details on QDTS Construction and to keep up to date with the latest news and industry-related information, visit http://www.qdtsconstruction.com/