MD urges calm among chaos

Written by: Lesley Horsburgh Managing Director APSCo Australia

While the market may have cooled, the heat has certainly turned up a notch for APSCo. With legislative change afoot, the need for Members and the broader profession to get their proverbial house in order and fine tune processes, contracts and people is well and truly in the spotlight.

Everywhere we turn there’s disruption; Government departments and procurement teams, safety authorities, the ATO, margin pressure, technology and AI, business development skills, operating expenditure – the list is endless.

I recently spoke at Bullhorn’s conference Engage about some of these very same topics and while I understand that there’s a very real pressure, I feel strongly about reminding businesses not to panic. Yes, there’s always a headline to be had if the message is alarmist or creating fear but there’s sense in applying a level of pragmatism and not losing yourself (and your focus) in a whirl of ‘what if’s’.

Change is a constant and in a compliant rich environment we’re never getting off lightly but with a little logic and a calm head we will all learn to play the cards we are dealt – step forward APSCo – this is the very reason in my eyes that we exist. Yes, we are a voice to Government, yes we will advocate for change but when push comes to shove – our primary role is help each and every member navigate through whatever market conditions we find ourselves in with the comfort that they can stay compliant and focus on BAU.

Now is the time to get your contracts in shape, lean on your network and ensure all your relationships are intact, the rest I promise will follow.