◇ Keep positive attitude to DX
The Nikko Sabo Office of the Kanto Regional Development Bureau has been effective with its own countermeasures against poor and unsuccessful conditions. Sabo projects in mountainous areas have strict construction conditions, and the problem of labor shortages is becoming more serious. Under these circumstances, the office has developed various measures such as setting up incentives based on a comprehensive evaluation system and boldly responding to the shortage of skilled workers. The number of malfunctions, which accounted for half of all orders, has fallen to almost zero in the last two years. Mr. Etsuyoshi Muramatsu, the head of the office, said that the decisive factor for success was "communication is important."
The first thing Director Muramatsu, who took up his post in April 2021, worked on was to improve the malfunction rate. There were only a limited number of construction companies participating in the construction, which required strict construction conditions. In order to break through the severe situation, the office has come up with its own measures.
We independently designated construction work with strict construction conditions as "Nikko Erosion Control Site Technical Power Certification Construction". Incentives are given to contractors who complete the work. In fiscal 2010, we started an initiative to add points based on the comprehensive evaluation method when participating in the next and subsequent bids. In addition to encouraging re-participation in the bidding, we are actively utilizing the “local government performance utilization type” to encourage new entrants.
Harsh mountain civil engineering sites are also at the forefront of labor shortages
Consideration was also given to setting the planned price. Pay attention to the unit cost of materials when estimating, and actively use estimates so that there is no difference between the price at the time of the survey and the actual price for materials with large price fluctuations, such as ready-mixed concrete. To deal with the shortage of skilled workers, the company provides accommodation expenses for skilled workers from far away.
"The most important thing is communication." The relationship of trust that we have built up is the decisive factor in preventing failures and failures even in construction in mountainous areas, where there are many severe construction conditions. Thanks to a variety of measures, in fiscal 2010, construction projects with no bidders were virtually eradicated.
The Nikko Sabo Office is also focusing on Infrastructure DX. At the site, we are actively incorporating small-scale ICT construction and remote presence. In cooperation with the Tochigi Prefecture Construction Contractors Association (Chairman Katsumori Taniguro), we have worked to spread and expand ICT construction through both seminars for managers and workshops for engineers.
Areas and construction types facing severe labor shortages are in greater need of productivity improvements. The office is the first in the Kanto area to implement remote presence using satellite communication. In fiscal 2011, we plan to challenge remote presence using another satellite communication carrier.
The reality is that there is no stopping the shortage of skilled workers and the aging of the population in mountainous areas. Even if the number of unsuccessful construction projects can be reduced to zero, the number of unsuccessful construction projects will increase again if the local construction industry declines. Securing young technicians requires two things: convenience stores and smartphones (radio waves), but neither are available at sites in mountainous areas. The office also promotes community education in collaboration with schools. Director Muramatsu says, "If it is widely known, there will surely be people who are interested in construction."
