MERX GROUP
INSPIRING SPACES Reflecting on 20 years in operation, we unpack the pursuit of excellence and performance in project management with CEO of Merx Group, William Forwood Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Ryan Gray
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CONSTRUCTION
Metrojet, Philippines
Axis Communications, Singapore
Marshall Wace, Hong Kong
W
hen APAC Outlook last spoke with William Forwood, CEO at Merx Group (Merx), the leading project management consultancy, he predicted continued geographical growth and the further expansion of Merx’ sector-spanning services. Today, our discussion coincides with a landmark year in the company’s history, as Merx celebrates its twentieth anniversary. “Starting out 20 years ago with
William Forwood, CEO
one employee, I couldn’t foresee that I would still be running Merx two decades later, although we did secure our first major client the day after the business was registered,” he recalls. With an impressive portfolio of projects centred on partnerships with some of the world’s most iconic brands, Merx continues to “Inspire Spaces” throughout Asia with its bespoke client focused construction and real estate project management services. APAC Outlook issue 53 | 3
MERX GROUP
EKOBOR “The BEST posture is the next posture” – Peter Opsvik. We are often asked to sit upright to maintain a good posture. However, who can really sustain the same posture for prolonged hours? Posture is meant to be dynamic. With its parent company originated from Sweden since 1910, EKOBOR has been providing tailor-made sit stand office furniture solutions in Hong Kong. We offer a wide range of furniture solution but with a focus on standing desks and ergonomic chairs, aiming to help customers maintain a good posture and healthy workstyle.
BlockOne, Hong Kong
“ONE OF THE KEY DIFFERENTIATORS BEHIND OUR LONGEVITY AND ONGOING SUCCESS IS THE STYLE OF PROACTIVE MANAGEMENT USED BY OUR LEADERS” - WILLIAM FORWOOD, CEO, MERX GROUP “Deep down I had an ambition and a vision to build Merx into a sustainable company and be a market leader.” Centred on innovation, independence, cost-efficiency, and personality, Merx excels in tailoring its offering to the individual needs of each client, with expertise that have been honed and crafted over the past two decades to ensure a passionate client focused project journey from pre-planning, briefing, design, sourcing and procurement, negotiations, build, relocation and post completion. “Our primary role is to lead the projects we run and transform our clients’ vision into an Inspiring Space.” For Forwood, Merx’ trajectory thus far has been defined by a constant drive to grow and improve the company whilst always putting clients and the Merx team first. The CEO promotes an ethos revolving around the three key pillars of services, sectors, and geography. The three pillars are continually reinforced as central to 4 | APAC Outlook issue 53
Merx’ provision of project, cost, procurement, and advisory services throughout Asia to the industrial, retail, workplace, and hospitality sectors. “We’ve constantly expanded in some way during our journey, whether through new areas of business, geographically or our internal process and systems. We have continually set up new offices, entering Malaysia in 2006, Dubai and Hong Kong in 2008, Myanmar in 2016 and most recently establishing alliance agreements in Philippines, Australia and Japan,” he explains. That same dynamism and agility continues to propel the independent consultancy firm forward today, now a known brand within the industry. “We’ve been working with industrial and urban infrastructure the whole way and have always been deeply connected to the workplace corporate office sector. Over time we’ve expanded into hospitality, as well as specialist niches including the business jet hangar space,” he tells us.
The founder of EKOBOR - Kei Kei is a certified office ergonomist, as well as a mother of twins. During her pregnancy, she suffered from severe back pain. After realizing the important correlation between health and correct posture, she started to explore and studied further on ergonomics. Kei Kei’s mission is to bring health and wellness to workplace through EKOBOR. She is very passionate about advocating the concept of wellness through high quality sitstand solutions. Recently, EKOBOR received the Health Partnership Awards “Outstanding award in ergonomic furniture” from ETNET.
www.ekobor.com.hk
Prevention Is The Cure! – Ergonomic Furniture
EKOBOR Store Locations: Causeway Bay: Room 2803, Sino Plaza, 255 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui: 18 Salisbury Road, K11 Musea, 403A Phone: 2555 5555 | E-mail: info@ekpac.com | www.ekobor.com.hk
MERX GROUP
DVI Solutions Asia DVI Solutions Asia is Asia’s leading provider of Integrated Workplace Technology Solutions. Established in 2002, DVI has helped many global organisations to rethink and reshape their regional workspaces to drive hybrid team productivity, customer engagement as well as workplace safety particularly in the safe management measures of Covid-19. Leveraging on the latest innovative workplace communication and collaboration technologies; and with organisations planning to bring employees back to its workspaces, it has become imperative to deploy solutions with the latest IOT and AI capabilities for the safe management and monitoring of workplace people density and movement.
Bombardier, Singapore
“MERX IS PROUD TO BE RECOGNISED AMONGST LEADING INDUSTRY FIRMS WITH AN ESTABLISHED REPUTATION FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE AND REGIONAL EXPERTISE” - WILLIAM FORWOOD, CEO, MERX GROUP Throughout 2020/2021, Merx has represented major clients on large developments for prestigious global companies including Metrojet in the Philippines and Bombardier in Singapore, both of which are in their final stages of completion. In 2018, the company joined the Asian Business Aviation Association, pursuing a promising path into the business jet arena following on from the strengths of its work with Jet Aviation. This was complemented by overseeing the construction of a state-of-the art maintenance facility and hangar with business aviation parking at Clark in the Philippines. As business aviation demand continues to soar in the context of COVID-19, it has proved a timely pivot for Merx. In addition, within hospitality Merx has recently undertaken several exciting projects, including the master 6 | APAC Outlook issue 53
planning role for a Club Med resort in Kota Kinabalu – a unique design centred on ecological principles and sustainable luxury. Similarly, Merx is now in its eleventh consecutive year of working with Marina Bay Sands, the most iconic integrated resort development in Singapore. In Hong Kong, Merx is engaged in ongoing projects with Morning Star and the Australian Trade Commission. Centred out of Hong Kong, the Macau and Greater Bay geography will be a major focus for geographical expansion in 2022/2023. Across the Merx portfolio, and particularly in Hong Kong, corporate office and workplace construction projects are the bread and butter of business. “We are now working with our key clients all around the region, which is something we have worked towards for many years. Being part
DVI Solutions’ designers have provided customised and functional systems that enhance productivity through hybrid work environments, leading to a more comfortable and environmentally sustainable workspaces throughout Asia. DVI Solutions observes a number of core philosophies and principles. All employees are required to have the appropriate training and certifications. System design, installation, implementation, training and support are provided by DVI’s team of experienced engineers and programmers. “We had a good experience in our project collaboration with DVI Solutions Asia where the team displayed a high level of professionalism and service quality. Thanks guys!” – Ruchika Dhar, Senior Project Manager, MERX Construction Project Management Singapore Working closely with clients to ensure that they receive the best user friendly solution for their business needs, within their budget and timeframe; DVI Solutions ensure that clients receive the most innovative, appropriate, and reliable equipment maximizing their investment from our partnerships with well-established brands. DVI Solutions Asia is headquartered in Singapore, with offices in China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia.
www.dviasia.com
Asia’s leading provider of Integrated Workplace Technology Solutions Integrated Workplace Technology solutions designed by DVI enhance hybrid work environments, manage and monitor workplace safety (including covid-safe measures), and lead to a more environmentally sustainable and comfortable work atmosphere. What We Do: Solution Design & Implementation Project Management Installation & Commissioning On-site Solution Maintenance & Managed Services Preventive & Remedial Service & Maintenance
www.dviasia.com
SINGAPORE CHINA
HONG KONG (SAR) INDIA THAILAND PHILIPPINES MALAYSIA INDONESIA
MERX GROUP
Tarkus Interiors Pte Ltd Established in 1990, Tarkus Interiors Pte Ltd has grown from a small carpentry team to a strong workforce of over 200 staff able to generate up to $100 million in revenue year-on-year. Today, we are the industry leaders with the capability to perform as the best builder for interior fit-outs and renovation works, delivering to numerous specifications and complexity. We have a well sized in-house factory of 32,000 square feet, located in Singapore, which is well equipped with automated machinery and spray painting booths with curing facilities that able us to produce super high quality works.
EFG Bank, Singapore of our clients’ growth and success as they grow and expand throughout Asia is very rewarding for us all” A significant example of Merx’ growth and stature within the workplace sector is represented by the appointment by Dyson on its global headquarters in Singapore. The iconic innovative company is converting the historic St. James Power Station into a state-of-the-art office and R&D space.
MERX AT A GLANCE Sectors: • Workplace • Hospitality • Retail • Industrial Services: • Consulting • Advisory • Contract Management • Merxcheck - Merx also provides a professional workplace review providing analysis and insights on future direction.
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“It’s one of our proudest moments that we’ve been able to win this work competitively and deliver it in our twentieth year. It’s the type of project that may only come along once in a career, being one of Singapore’s oldest buildings with the heritage listed “monument” classification.”
THE MERX DIFFERENCE Over the past two decades, Merx has created a core identity and built upon its brand values that define the company and what it stands for. “Our tagline is Inspiring Spaces. That’s what our staff get excited about and what makes Merx tick as an overall business.” Touching on the motivation behind the company’s staff, it is the human element that runs at the core of Merx’ values and identity - whether it be staff, clients, or the vast numbers of people using the spaces that Merx help to “inspire”. “We are acutely aware that we are impacting not only our direct clients during the project delivery, but also the thousands of individuals that will ultimately occupy and visit a space. Through our project management we help to create in a collaborative way by managing our projects with the
In Tarkus Interiors, customer satisfaction is critical to our success, and we continue to consistently demonstrate our ability in providing the best services to our clients and partners by adopting industry best practices. While enjoying the fruits of our success with our respectable clients and partners, we are mindful of the impact that our work may have, directly or indirectly, on the environment. We at Tarkus Interiors have taken a strategic approach to improve the environmental performance and regularly review our workflow and operating guidelines according to the local statutory and regulatory requirements.
www.tarkus.com.sg
MERX GROUP landlords, designers, contractors, and suppliers. Returning to the company’s 20-year journey, for Forwood it is the people who stand out the most. “There have been many people that I have had the privilege of not only mentoring but also learning from – it’s that symbiotic relationship with all staff whom I’ve been able to spend so much time with over the years.” Merx advocates a model of leadership whereby there is active involvement between staff at all levels, centred on collaboration and fostering a close-knit way of working. This guarantees what Forwood refers to as the “active delivery of projects”, and the pro-active involvement of the Merx leaders is a big part of what sets the company apart.
MERX OCTAGON – EIGHT STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL PROJECT MANAGEMENT Merx Octagon identifies eight key steps to delivering every project successfully with each step containing control procedures and processes tailored to the unique circumstances of the project. As a consistent delivery system, Merx Octagon allows full client visibility throughout and identifies key approval gateways required to ensure effective time management and budgetary control. 1. Initiation 2. Communication 3. Programme 4. Cost 5 Design 6. Procurement 7. Construction 8. Handover
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“One of the key differentiators behind our longevity and ongoing success is the style of “active management” from our leaders. “The shareholders along with the other directors have always been hands on managers in the business, which provides that real drive from those with a personal stake in the company at all times,” he tells us. Ultimately, it is a client-centric focus that best defines the Merx way of working. The company stands alongside clients, measuring its success based on projects delivered and the subsequent value contributed to their business. In times of change, whether in the pursuit of new growth areas or the diversification of services, this remains a mainstay.
ENDLESS INNOVATION Aside from diversification, at the crux of driving innovation at Merx are the technologies that the company leverages to streamline and continually improve operations. “We use a lot of third party, beneficial software. It is a differentiator that not all of our competitors match, and it really makes a difference for our clients,” comments Forwood. These technologies can be instrumental in monitoring ongoing work and ensuring total control and visibility. Software that provides live camera footage of the sites, allows Merx clients to view project progress with 360-degree photos, helping the clients “walk the site” even when in a different country. Another prime example is the Merx Octagon platform, which has been integral to both internal development and improving the client experience. As a project tracking and dashboard system, Octagon offers clients total visibility with a single viewpoint to oversee status updates. It is an area of innovation that Merx will continue to refine and develop.
“In terms of where we are looking to invest in tech, it’s mainly taking that Octagon system into the next iteration - version 2.0 and continuing to work with the best third-party software in the market. “If we invest in the right way in the back-end processes, not only can we improve the consistency, quality and performance of our teams, but we can also create more time for the Merx team to focus on analytical, client-facing work and business development.”
THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION Another foundational of Merx’ corporate identity centres on a focus on continual improvement, attained through experimentation. “Our general appetite to experiment with different products on the market in our industry, identify the best ones, then weave them into our day to day is key to improving how we operate,” says Forwood. “An intrinsic value of Merx is the idea of “mastery” - seeking to constantly improve,” he adds. Indeed, in the complex realm of project management, where every project consists of a host of moving parts, there is always more to be learnt. For both Forwood and Merx, this energy shows no signs of abating, and our discussion draws to a close with the same mission of growth firmly at the forefront. “We’re looking at our strategy for expansion now and putting together a four-year plan, new geographies we’ll be entering via acquisition or organic growth, the clients, and the services we want to provide to those clients. “Watch this space for 2022.”
MERX GROUP Tel: +65 6423 9664 enquiries@merxcm.com www.merxcm.com
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APAC Outlook issue 53 | 11
MERX GROUP Level 12-01, Capital Tower, 168 Robinson Road, Singapore, 068912 Tel: +65 6423 9664 enquiries@merxcm.com www.merxcm.com
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