CPA Bulletin

www.cpa.uk.net CPA Bulletin > May 2021 7 FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE We are planning to hold the CPA Conference on 14th October this year - if it is permitted and safe to do so. You can read more about this on page 10. The Conference is being held in association with headline sponsor Point of Rental Software and will have two areas for discussion: Net Zero Carbon, and Digitalisation. Both of these subjects could easily fill two days, but we aim to bring an overview of some of the key issues relating to plant-hire companies. These global changes are unstoppable, so the question for our sector is: do they bring threats, or opportunities? Net Zero Carbon as a concept is fairly well understood, and we are all seeing its impact on everyday life - but how far, and how fast will it affect construction plant and related activities? To take one example, the review of the CPA Model Conditions has referred to recharging battery-operated plant, and also addresses mobile plant that needs an electricity supply. There is a lot of work being done on Net Zero Carbon by many different organisations, and we aim to distil some of that to help answer your questions about the technology and the potential market for ‘greener’ plant and working methods. In contrast, the topic of digitalisation seems boundless, as we are only now starting to understand some of the possibilities - and the challenges. Do telematics blur or move the distinction about ‘who is responsible for what’ when plant is on hire? If transparent and easily available data helps customers move rapidly to a leaner, just-in-time operation, what does this do for the company basing its business on a just-in-case service? Where are the protocols around sharing individual or aggregated operator data? The CPA Conference 2021 sets out to help you turn these uncertainties into opportunities. I look forward to seeing you there. The future: threat or opportunity?