What is the tipping point where Tōtika becomes the recognised framework for all Contractor Prequals?
Would it be 1,000 contractors signed up? 2,500? Or perhaps over 5,000 contractors?
It is interesting to note that ACC’s WSMP had approx. 3,250 businesses signed up at the time ACC terminated the programme in 2017. WSMP had a monopoly on the prequal space although there were other schemes of course. It is fair to say that the prequal landscape was a lot simpler back then.
Chatting with the team at Tōtika, I can share that there are currently just over 3,000 contracting companies signed up and 60 clients. Clients are the firms who require Tōtika from their supply chain.
It would seem that Tōtika has, within two years reached the same level of penetration as WSMP did over 16 years. And that is without the enticing 10%, 15% or 20% discount on your ACC levies!
A job well done by the Tōtika team thus far.
Looking ahead, it would be very useful if all the main players in the civil and construction space would sign up and make Tōtika the go to platform.
We are still seeing Tier 1 players place a greater emphasis on Sitewise then Tōtika. Really?
That would be like saying a pushbike is a better mode of transport for 8 people then a minivan. It just doesn’t make any sense.
The good news is that CHASNZ, who had been tasked by Worksafe to drive Tōtika, have a good plan in place for 2023. They are proactively communicating with 200 leading Construction CEO’s regarding making Tōtika the base requirement.
Also, there is a push to have Tōtika sit under NZ Standards which means Worksafe can actually push it as well. Being the Regulator, Worksafe tends to get a tad nervous pushing any particular platform even though they are one of the catalysts in the first place. Do me a favour and don’t ask for clarification, just nod and walk away. Seriously though, with it sitting under the NZ Standards, it becomes a-political so no issues for Worksafe to support and promote it.
What would we like to see over the next 6 months?
A consistent push by both Government Agencies and the main players to embrace Tōtika and contracting companies pushing back when these organisations play silly buggers.
