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The Client
A leading retail park developer
The Project
Vertical transportation for a major shopping mall development
D2E Brief
To ensure lifts and escalators maximised shopping pleasure at optimum capital and operational costs, especially by eliminating equipment features that gave no added value to shoppers and recommending others that did.
The Outcomes
Passenger Lifts Various bespoke customer focus groups were consulted. As passenger lifts served two floors only, car buttons were eliminated and cars now operate automatically up or down without passenger intervention. Ensuing cost savings were used to enhanced car interiors with clear informative communication screens and speakers giving continuous information and help to shoppers. Car and landing doors were fitted with see through panels to maintain unbroken shopper connection with the mall experience even during lift travel.
Freight Lifts Designs were reviewed and unnecessary functions and features provided by lift suppliers removed to save costs. Consulting with a focus group of retailers data was analysed and lift and entrance dimensions carefully devised to ensure all demands for fork truck and pallet use and stock and waste movements could be met.
Escalators Escalator colour coding was developed to help shoppers identify their location in each area of the mall. Specially designed barriers to guide shoppers around transition points were incorporated in the building design both to reduce hazards and improve traffic flow. Skirt panel lighting was added to further increase passenger safety.
Operational Efficiency The process of long term asset management after project completion was carefully investigated. It was found original equipment manufacturers’ standard service agreements did not meet the requirements of a seven day a week, busy shopping mall. From research with stakeholders responsible for daily operation D2E were able to define long term operational dependability targets for equipment. These targets are incorporated in the client’s service contracts and used as a fundamental measure of contractor performance. D2E also recommended that lift and escalator manufacturers’ published service tasks and their frequencies should be stated in each contract to increase management and control of third party maintenance performance even more. As a consequence service contracts now provide much greater value for money and improved equipment dependability.