The Unsung Heroes Who Move Our Cities Helping Shape the Future
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The magazine for customers of Dec 2015 Jardine Schindler Group Vertical World The unsung heroes who move our cities Helping shape the future “The Internet of Things, sometimes referred to as the Internet of Objects, will change everything – including ourselves,” stated Dave Evans, Cisco’s chief futurist. Such a bold statement offers plenty of food for thought. As new technologies permeate our daily lives and transform the way business is conducted, we might well be forgetful at times of all that is required in the background to keep our increasingly sophisticated environment running. Bringing to the market the latest technological advances is of course, one critical component. Resolute to embrace what has been dubbed Industry 4.0, Schindler has made great strides in developing systems and applications that make full use of the new tools available, creating value for our customers while making our technicians’ life easier. But equally important is the people who make it all happen, and without whose constant efforts and dedication the most cutting-edge equipment or machinery would only work for so long. In this issue, we honor Schindler’s unsung heroes. Rarely in the public eye, they have throughout the years helped build and run the most complex buildings in our cities. This issue gives insight into their daily jobs, their challenges and their achievements. Jujudhan Jena Chief Executive I hope you will enjoy this reading and wish you a Jardine Schindler Group wonderful 2016. About Jardine Schindler Group (JSG) Jardine Schindler Group (JSG) is a Joint Venture between Jardine Matheson in Hong Kong and Schindler Group of Switzerland, who between them bring over 300 years of experience in business management, regional specialization and engineering excellence. JSG is headquartered in Hong Kong and designs, engineers, installs, maintains and modernizes elevators, escalators and moving walks in Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam. 2 Vertical World 2015 Content Embracing We move cities Industry 4.0 Vertical World introduces the people responsible A look at how new information and for moving our cities. communication technologies have 4 20 revolutionized industry. 22 24 Project management FieldLink myPORT Schindler’s innovative Connecting smartphones An insight into what it takes to elevate a mega application transforms with a building’s security project. 8 technicians’ job from and transportation reactive to predictive. systems. Vietnam – Asia’s next tiger economy Visions 2050: Lifestyle and the city An insight into Vietnam’s economic boom and JSG’s continuous success in the country over the 12 past 20 years. Schindler shares new architectural designs at the 2015 Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture in 26 Hong Kong. Mega builds 2015 Escalator safety Escalator incidents have sparked public concerns about escalators safety. Vertical World looks at how 16 safe an escalator is. 28 Features new mega projects in the region. Vertical World is published by Jardine Schindler Group (JSG) Correspondence: 29/F Devon House, Taikoo Place, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2516 8168 Email: [email protected] Vertical World 2015 3 We move cities A high-rise building cannot be completed without thousands of man -hours of hard work carried out by different groups of people. In this issue,Vertical World introduces the people responsible for moving our cities. Somehow cities are so deeply rooted in Asia’s history and our day-to-day realities that we never get around to asking how they were built and how they are run. Behind each building lies thousands of man-hours of hard work by different groups of professionals and trades such as developers, architects, planners, project managers, engineers and construction workers – who have all contributed and left their footprints. One group that is even more rarely brought to the spotlight are the people who mobilize these cities; the people who plan, manage, install, operate and maintain the elevators and escalators that transport millions of passengers every day. Over the past decades, a large number of employees from the Jardine Schindler Group have been responsible for the smooth operation of numerous prestigious building projects in Bangkok, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Singapore, Taipei and many other cities in the region. 4 Vertical World 2015 Daniel W F Chan, Projects Director, Hong Kong Daniel has spent 19 years in the elevator and escalator industry and more than 10 years at Schindler’s projects department. He was born in Hong Kong, has an educational background in mechanical engineering and is a Registered Lift and Escalator Engineer (RLE/REE). The team that builds it Designing, constructing and operating a building is the ultimate collaborative art form. Like pieces of a puzzle, it combines a multitude of personalities, disciplines, and talents to create one grand masterpiece. Those pieces don’t just fall together, of course. Daniel Chan, Schindler Hong Kong Projects Director, explains “Hours of labor each day, combined with meticulous planning, are put into installing each and every elevator and escalator component that goes into a building. Without the loyalty and dedication of project managers, project engineers, site supervisors, safety inspectors, testers & commissioners, contracted workers and other team members, these high-rise residential buildings or gleaming office skyscrapers that adorn our cities’ skylines would never have materialized.” Chan has been involved in a large number of new developments, such as One Island East and the AIA Central in Hong Kong, the Grand Lisboa Macau, the Venetian Macao and the City of Dreams hotel and casino on Macau’s Cotai Strip. “Typically an elevator and escalator project may involve between 30 and 50 people, depending on the size of the project. The project team’s responsibility is to ensure installation is carried out as smoothly as possible, what we refer to internally as Fulfilment Excellence. We take care of every stage of installation, so it is safe and efficient, delivered A high-rise building cannot be completed without thousands of man -hours of hard work on time, and without causing disturbance to other building trades,” says Chan. carried out by different groups of people. In this issue,Vertical World introduces the people On average, an elevator and escalator project in Hong Kong responsible for moving our cities. lasts for about two years, with the first 6 to 9 months involving Photo credit: Jean-Baptiste Beaufort continuous discussion with the customer on the final design and work method. Some projects can take up to five years from when the contract has been awarded until final delivery and Somehow cities are so deeply rooted in Asia’s history and our day-to-day realities that we never get around to asking how they were built and how they are run. Behind each building lies thousands of handover to the customer. man-hours of hard work by different groups of professionals and trades such as developers, architects, planners, project managers, engineers and construction workers – who have all contributed and left their footprints. Whenever I look at Hong Kong’s skyline and recall the number of hours that we have dedicated to mobilizing these buildings, One group that is even more rarely brought to the spotlight are the people who mobilize these cities; the people who plan, manage, install, operate and maintain the elevators and escalators that I feel a deep sense of pride for what we have achieved as a transport millions of passengers every day. Over the past decades, a large number of employees from the Jardine Schindler Group have been responsible for the smooth operation of numerous team. Ultimately, success depends on the people who make prestigious building projects in Bangkok, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Singapore, Taipei and many other cities in the region. things happen,” says Chan. Vertical World 2015 5 Phuong Tran, Key Account Service Manager, Hong Kong Phuong has worked 21 years at Schindler. A Vietnamese national, he started his Schindler career in Ho Chi Minh City, first as a project manager, then technical manager and sales manager. He moved to Hong Kong in 2007. Tran and his team are currently maintaining some of the most complex and high-traffic buildings in Hong Kong, including the city’s tallest International Commerce Centre. The team that keeps it running In many Asian cities, and particularly in dense urban environments Ensuring that our cities’ elevators and escalators are always such as Hong Kong and Singapore where at least 20 million available means thousands of Schindler employees in the elevator and escalator passenger trips are made every day, urban region, from service technicians to call centers operators, mobility is second nature to city dwellers. work irregular hours to accommodate the operating hours and requirements of different buildings. “While the cities It has been Schindler’s mission, for over four decades now are asleep, our technicians are out there working to ensure in Asia, to provide services in such intense, high-traffic the next day will be another day of efficient and safe travel,” environments. “Delivering service means working around the Tran says. clock to keep the city running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Any noticeable downtime is out of question,” says Phuong Tran, In for the long haul Key Account Service Manager at Schindler Hong Kong. When elevators or escalators are handed over and go into operation, the service team steps in to ensure that the Faceless heroes equipment is well-maintained through every stage of its life The core philosophy of the service team is to provide safe and cycle. reliable transportation at all times – in other words passengers should barely notice the infrastructure transporting them. 6 Vertical World 2015 “Our commitment to service extends beyond merely answering service calls.