The world of lift supply is no different.  Yet here, it is increasingly the case that an end-user will have a specific demand which is beyond the norm - in other words, non-standard. 

Such a bespoke element may be a major or minor part of the overall requirement. It may be in response to specific building constraints, to meet legislation, meet the demands of change of use of the building, providing a more ergonomic or energy-efficient environment, or where the size/ type of lift can not be fulfilled from standard ranges.

Yet whatever the driver, the word ‘standard' is becoming increasingly redundant.  So how does the need for individualisation affect end-to-end lift provision, from initial concept and design, through manufacture, installation and commissioning to on-going maintenance and service?     

Individual design

Few manufacturers are able to provide a truly bespoke or tailored design and build service.  Yet in order to fit an existing lift shaft or to fit into an existing building, a standard lift may need to be adapted significantly to meet a variety of constraints.  These are where an existing building or lift shaft does not allow for the incorporation of a standard lift. 

This can be, for example, where pit depth or headroom available is less than modern designs require or where car size is to be optimised on older smaller lift shafts.  There may also be a demand for the supplier to undertake additional engineering or construction work on the lift or shaft. 

Compliance with various national and European regulations is very often designed into standard products - such as to meet disabled access requirements.  However, compliance with more specialised regulations such as ATEX, for lifts in potentially explosive atmospheres (typically found in the chemical and bulk handling industries) takes the lift out of most companies' standard line-up.  These lifts are typically also for industrial use so are likely to be very heavy duty.

Equally, for new builds there may be issues around size, load capacity, or door or interior design in order to meet a particular operational need regarding traffic volume, access, payload or usage.  There is sometimes also a need to customise the appearance of the lift beyond standard finish selections, extending to bespoke projects where an architect wishes to achieve specific design objectives, such as the use of glass or ensuring that the lift is not visually intrusive.

In various sectors of manufacturing industry, for example, lifts may have to be adapted to meet the needs of the production process.  Similarly, in a heavy industrial installation involving forklift trucks, for example, it may be a good idea to include additional protection at the back of the lift to ensure the rear wall remains undamaged during the loading process.

Support service

User demands have also become more specialised in the area of product support.  And it is here that the ability to provide a range of different service agreements tailored to individual needs has become especially valuable. 

Increasingly, this now includes real-time analysis and reporting, integrated with the end-user's own management system.  This has become especially relevant where KPIs have been put in place relating to, say, call outs and target response times.

Just as a business will service its vehicle fleet regularly to ensure it stays on the road, so servicing a goods or passenger lift will ensure it does not let the business down.  Lifts can break down and component parts wear out: problems can also arise through no fault of the equipment itself, through spillages, vandalism or misuse by poorly-trained staff. 

In such cases, a 24 hour, 365 day rapid response service from fully-trained engineers on a local, regional or national basis may be important, with getting professional help on-site quickly being critical to you, your staff and your customers. 

Upgrades and refurbishment

Another area of growing importance for suppliers is that of lift modernisation.  Throughout its life a building may go through one or more changes of use, which often have a knock-on effect on lift provision requiring a degree of re-design or re-fitting beyond the capability of many providers.

There are a number of imperatives which may drive the need for an existing lift to be improved to some degree, from superficial changes to a radical redesign which stops short of replacement.

There may be a requirement to improve the appearance of the lift, for example, by upgrading the materials or construction of the walls, doors or floors.  Even if other work is undertaken on the lift, it is usual to improve the aesthetics of the lift car and entrances which are the parts encountered by the user in normal use.

There is also a strong need to carry out work to improve the safety of existing lifts.  Many lifts, although compliant with the relevant regulations when installed, gradually fall further behind the current standards for lift safety. 

Whilst such lifts continue to be safe for use by those that know them, they may present hazards to those that do not use them regularly - for example, inaccurate levelling and poor ride quality on old single speed lifts, or old designs of car entrance protection.  For such lifts, the current condition of a lift can be audited against various standards and priorities for modernisation and improvement identified.

Many such improvements also have the benefit of improving the reliability of existing lifts.  This is another important driver for lift modernisation - to continue to meet user expectations for lift service and reliability.  Typically, unreliable parts of the lift system, and those whose condition would soon start to reduce reliability, can be identified and replaced in a structured way. 

With the strengthening movement to address climate change and particularly with recent increases in energy prices, the energy-saving benefits incorporated into many new lift designs can be used to modernise lifts to reduce their energy usage.  Advances in lift motor and drive unit technology are also addressing environmental demands for improved energy efficiency, together with better security, reliability and ride quality.

Another common reason for upgrading lift provision is that of ensuring regulatory compliance.  The need for equality of access has become especially high-profile recently in the light of the Disability Discrimination Act and some lift companies are able to help with lift audits to identify compliance shortfalls and implement the necessary changes.

By its very nature, a lift refurbishment or modernisation project is a ‘one off', requiring a design and manufacturing capability which few providers are geared to deliver.  From what at first glance may appear to be an almost commoditised product offering, the additional requirement for design, refurbishment, technical consultancy and flexible service highlights the need for a strongly individualised and broadly-based, ‘one-stop shop' response on the part of a service provider.

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