Here we are at the end of another year, one that has felt a bit different when compared to the previous two. With borders open and lockdowns a thing of the past, Neo and its team settled into a new version of normal. Looking ahead to 2023, we feel its good practice to take key learnings and highlights into the year ahead. The Neo team, including the senior management team, have shared some of their reflections below.
Challenges & Achievements
There was definitely a knock-on effect from the lockdowns of 2021, and many challenges were presented for the electrical engineering industry navigating the post-lockdown space. Industry challenges included issues with supply chain, resourcing and inflation risking the viability of future projects.
“Despite this, Neo has delivered a substantial amount of work through some testing times while still maintaining its core values,” says Managing Director Nigel Stevenson. It’s an important achievement for a company in the industry, which has been faced with resourcing issues since the borders were originally closed.
While working from home (WFH) became the new norm, once restrictions were lifted Neo instigated a ‘September office reset’. This meant working in the office for a one-month period (for those able to) so that the whole team could reconnect after the past few years of disruption. The month was centred on wellness, culture, training and networking experiences. It was a great achievement to reconnect with the team as a whole, and important to Neo’s company values to implement a new WFH arrangement that worked well for everyone. Plenty of fun, bonding, and growth was had.
Looking Ahead to 2023
Neo works with many clients in the Water industry, so looking ahead to 2023 brings to mind two words: Three Waters. Keeping an eye on how this is tracking and where it lands will be interesting, and will have an effect on the industry either way.
Apart from Three Waters, the team are always looking into ways in which technology can make life better for Neo’s team and clients. Some interesting developments to look forward to include:
- – New types and chemistries for batteries to be used in distributed energy storage systems to offset peak maximum demand requirements.
- – Artificial intelligence and its application to engineering.
- – Further developing our own in-house drawing automation systems.
- – Ethernet communications over distances greater than 100m as part of Emerson’s proprietary communication equipment.
A memorable year
When asked what their most memorable work experience was from this year, the Neo team had some great achievements to share. They included:
- – “Working on the delivery of detailed design drawings for 120+ sites as part of the Watercare Waikato NCU upgrade works.”
- – “Delivering the preliminary detailed design for a large waste water treatment plant of a significant water authority.”
- – “The team events we had this year. Focussing on team outside of the business, especially with family. The mid-year Christmas (only seems like yesterday) and the Neo Christmas event this last weekend. It’s been great to socialise with a truly neat group of people.”
Neo is looking forward to having the team back together in the office and continuing the journey of achievements and growth. We are looking forward to undertaking new and exciting projects and growing the team to match the needs of our clients through training, on-project experiences, and mentoring. It’s a great time to be an engineer!
From the team here at Neo, we’re wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday break, and a prosperous 2023. We are grateful to have earned a well deserved break, but look forward to a new year filled with plenty of exciting work and opportunities. It is a pleasure working with our clients, colleagues and associates – thank you all for your continued support.
