CHOOSING THE APPROPRIATE HOME LIFT PRODUCT.

What lift is best for you…?  What are your needs…? Our lift specialists are a great resource to help you choose the right product.

They will help you understand your needs to determine which product would be the most helpful and the best fit to be installed in your home.

Below are some of the things our lift specialist will help you consider.

Needs/Wants.

What are the needs of the people/person needing the lift?  Once this is established our lift specialist can share with you available options to fit those needs.

Safety.

Safety is paramount when it comes to the design and accessibility of equipment.  Find out about the standard features of the equipment you are considering and assess which optional features may be available to fit your specific needs.

Installation Requirements.

Some accessibility products may require modifications to be made to your home.  Some may be minor changes while others may be more complex and require a contractor’s assistance.  Also, space and aesthetics may play an important role in which product you choose.

Price.

There is a wide range of prices in accessibility equipment to fit different sized budgets.  Some devices may be eligible for tax breaks, subsidies, rental programs or special payment options.  Your lift specialist can aid in these types of financial solutions while addressing your needs.

Warranty.

Manufacturers including our partner (Fuji Yida ) offer a guarantee on their equipment.  Some manufacturers offer a longer warranty than others, while some restrict their warranty to only certain parts.

Maintenance and Service.

It is very important to regularly maintain your equipment to ensure it runs smoothly and safely for many years.  Inquire as to what the maintenance requirements are for the equipment you are considering.  HomeLift has a team of trained service technicians.  All products offer a FREE maintenance visit within one year of purchasing your equipment.

Call our office at +254 788 975 445, 020 521 8989  and make an appointment for a FREE in-home assessment with one of our lift specialists.  Our sales and service technician team have over  15  years of combined experience in the elevator/accessibility industry.

Read More

5 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN INSTALLING A LIFT IN YOUR BUILDING.

A lift is arguably the spine of any building, and along with providing structural support, a lift ensures the building offers access and transportation to employees within it.

Careful planning is essential when installing a new lift, as it doesn’t just have to be functional, it also needs to be safe.

Take a look at five things to consider when planning to install a lift in your office building.

  1. Capacity

Before any type of planning can begin, you will need to know the expected capacity of your building along with expected passenger waiting times, as these factors will impact your overall lift requirements.

There are guidelines to refer to in order to calculate this, which take into consideration the building’s function, the number of employees and how they are distributed throughout the building.

For example, when there are more than 20 floors, a single grouping would not be ideal as it would result in long travel times and could easily become congested during busy times during the day.

  1. Environment

The environment that your lift is going to be installed in will need to be assessed to help your installer decide on the best way not only to fit your lift but which design will suit your requirements best.

Aspects ranging from how many floors the lift must cover to how much weight it has to bear will all play a factor when evaluating the proposed space.

  1. Lunchtime Rush

If you are planning to incorporate a staff restaurant, café or canteen in your building, you will need to consider where you are going to place it. A restaurant on the first floor may cause serious congestion during the lunchtime rush, and your lift will not travel much further than the first floor because it will be transporting hungry passengers. Similarly, you could experience this problem in the morning as people stop to get their breakfast and morning coffee.

To avoid these issues, consider locating the central food hub on the ground floor, or if you can, create a dining area at the top of your building; you could then consider having a separate lift system to take passengers directly to the restaurant.

  1. Safety

Perhaps one of the most important elements to consider when planning a lift installation is safety. It is incredibly important to choose the right type of lift for your project. Primarily, the lift should be able to bear the weight of people when at maximum capacity, and secondly, the lift needs to be fitted with a functioning alarm system that can be used if the lift were to break down.

  1. Lift Design

While safety is paramount when planning to install a lift, a good installation should also focus on the aesthetic aspects of the lift. If your lift is being installed in a new, modern office or another more refined environment, it is important that it ties in with the overall design and décor of the building.

However, bear in mind that as much as scenic, glass lifts look attractive, the more complicated the lift design, the more complicated it will be to maintain. Scenic lifts generally work best in low rise buildings or in collaboration with standard passenger lifts and escalators.

Read More

CHALLENGES ELEVATOR FIRMS CAN OVERCOME WITH TECHNOLOGY.

The Elevator Service industry has changed dramatically in the last few years. Customers want faster service, machinery is getting more complicated, and competition is fierce.

Here are 5 major challenges that an intelligent software solution can help you overcome:

Challenge 1: Increased Expectations of Customer Service

Customer service expectations have dramatically increased in the past few years. Thanks in part to 24/7 connectivity and the ability to reach companies via a number of different channels, customers now want an instant response to questions, repairs or replacements to be dealt with immediately, and to solve the problem on the first visit.

Challenge 2: Avoiding Fines & Violations

In an industry that is continuously transforming, it’s no surprise that elevator compliance is also constantly evolving. In the past five years alone, there have been significant code and rule changes here in Kenya and abroad that have had a major financial impact on building owners, managers, and elevator service companies. Although the majority of elevator violations are issued as a result of routine maintenance inspections, new administrative violations for failure to conduct and file paperwork for mandated annual inspections are now widely issued.  technology is required to prevent the accumulation of risk factors that can lead to violations and fines.

Challenge 3: Synchronizing All Those Moving Parts.

One of the great challenges of delivering stellar elevator service is the number of “moving parts” in the process. From the moment a customer calls to the time the case is closed and an invoice is sent, there are a number of steps that can be mismanaged, especially if a company is still primarily paper-based. Companies can conquer the multi-step field service process by automating and synchronizing it. Field service software designed specifically for the elevator industry can help managers in the office organize the workforce and help field technicians on the move better manage their individual workflows all in one central place. With a connected field service management solution, all duplicate data entry is eliminated as data entered once is instantly synced.

Challenge 3: Real-Time Communication.

Keeping track of the location of field service technicians used to be impossible, unless they called in. It was difficult to re-assign tasks, to know if they had run into problems, or if they had completed their assigned job ahead of schedule. Real-time communication and the ability to see where field service engineers are and where they are in their schedule or job can help managers rapidly re-assign those technicians that are running ahead of time, or send in additional help to those that have run into problems. Technicians can update the status of their job with the click of a button to let the office know if they are on route, starting a job, or a job completed. Elevator contractor management software enables real-time communication so everyone is on the same page working as a cohesive and efficient team.

Challenge 4: Operational Costs Are Rising.

Not only are customer expectations rising, but so too is the competition to deliver the best service. Add to this pressurized environment the fact that operational costs are also increasing. Keeping operational costs under control is one of a field service manager’s biggest headaches. Parts that need to be ordered in, excessive drive times, extra truck rolls, warranty leakage etc are all costing businesses money. Using an end-to-end elevator contractor management software, managers and owners can easily pinpoint where their operational costs are escalating and how to bring them under control. And all of it can be done in real-time….no more waiting for the end of quarter reports. Find out immediately when your modernization jobs get off course in time to redirect the project. Gain visibility into your technicians’ performance. Just because your techs are working 40 hours doesn’t mean they’re productive during those 40 hours. Take advantage of real-time data to facilitate intelligent business decisions to lower your operational costs and increase your revenue.

Challenge 5: Keeping Field Service Staff Happy.

Elevator service technicians are the face of the company. Letting them perform their jobs without wasting time on operational or administrative tasks keeps them happy and, therefore, keeps your customers happy. Equipping technicians with all the knowledge they need and the ability to get help quickly if things go wrong can dramatically improve their performance. Giving them tools to easily locate the job site and equipment, ensure they have the correct parts, have all the customer and equipment history, and minimize their paperwork lets them concentrate on the job they were hired to do. Happy technicians are productive technicians!

As your business grows, it takes a lot of work, organization and communication to succeed.  There are dozens of moving parts and tough decisions to make every day, and you need to stay on top of it all in order to move the company in the right direction. Whether for tracking client needs, arming your field staff, connecting departments or making data-informed decisions, you’ll find that implementing a synchronized system that works for you 24/7 and effectively eliminates human error is a natural, effective and revenue-generating investment.

Read More

THE VALUE AND COST OF AN ELEVATOR REMOVAL.

If you are considering removing your elevators in your commercial building or want to have a new one installed, you may be worried about the cost and value of doing such. Most businesses don’t want to take on such a lengthy task because it means shutting them down for an extended period and having a lot of construction. However, there are some benefits to removing them, especially when they are faulty, old or always in need of repair.

Safety.

The security of your building and customers is the highest priority, so you should never allow the customers to use a damaged lift or one that doesn’t work as it should. It is far better to remove it completely and rebuild it so that everyone is safe. The company you choose should have the security of your building and your employees/customers in mind during the entire process.

Modernisation.

Modernized elevators can provide an aesthetic appeal and can make the building seem more modern. If you are going for antique or historical, you may not want to consider it, but most businesses want to be recognized as a modern company that cares about their patrons. It can also help you by reducing energy costs and using better equipment.

Minor Setbacks.

While minor setbacks may not seem like a benefit, your staff and customers will be thankful that you take their lives seriously. This may not be an advantage, but it certainly isn’t that much of a drawback. While it can take up to a year to fully remove the elevator and build a new one, most people are willing to work with you, since you are taking the time and effort to make everything better.

Value to Businesses and Customers.

While you probably don’t want to sell your company, you never know what life has in store. You may choose to move to a bigger and better location or may decide that your business doesn’t fit your needs anymore. Whatever your reason, you could get more money from selling, especially if you have recently modernised your elevators.

Cost

The cost of such a process can be high or low and will typically depend on how big the lift is and whether or not there are any complications.

The value and cost of an elevator removal can far outweigh the drawbacks, such as time and mess. It is up to you to keep your patrons safe, so visit Installation Support Limited at our offices in Westlands today to learn how they are different.

l works involving the supply of elevators, escalators, passenger conveyors and voltage stabilisers from internationally renowned manufacturers, as well as, installation, modernisation, repair, service and maintenance

We deal with the installation, repair and maintenance of elevators, escalators, passengers conveyors and voltage stabilisers for home and commercial properties.

Read More