By Clees
•
September 11, 2025
Competitive through collaboration – the Otto Simon way! When manufacturing companies bring in external engineering support, a familiar challenge often arises, lost time and impeded efficiency is frequently experienced as new engineers get up to speed with the organisation’s unique business, people, and technologies. Each new project can feel like starting from scratch, with the client often footing the bill for that learning curve. Over the course of multiple projects, this cycle can erode both productivity and the overall quality of the work delivered. With the current challenging economic environment we understand that Clients are constantly seeking ways to reduce costs across the board, this includes their engineering contractors. However, the practice of repeatedly sending out enquiries and selecting on the basis of “the lowest price” can often lead to hidden costs down the line. Projects risk overrunning on both time and budget particularly when the successful bidder lacks a deep understanding of the client’s technology or underestimates the complexity of the work. The short-term saving can quickly be outweighed by longer-term inefficiencies. One proven way to break this cycle is by engaging with a trusted engineering partner on a retained term contract basis. By working with the same engineers consistently, clients benefit from a team who already understand their processes, people, and pressures. This promotes further efficiency by minimising time spent on background learning, while also allowing personal relationships to develop between the client and contractor teams. Engineers who know the stakeholders, and the sometimes-conflicting requirements they must balance, are far better placed to deliver solutions that work first time. At Otto Simon, collaboration is at the core of our business. We pride ourselves on working flexibly with our clients, finding pragmatic solutions that respect budgets and timescales while ensuring full compliance with regulatory and safety requirements. A retained relationship allows us to truly act as an extension of our client’s team, contributing ideas, insights, and efficiencies that go far beyond transactional project delivery. Our strength lies in the breadth and depth of our multi-disciplinary team. With experienced process, mechanical, E,C&I, and process safety engineers, we have the capability to deliver improvements on existing assets, design and implement new builds, and tackle the complex challenges of high-hazard processes. We understand the regulatory environment and are used to navigating the realities of energy costs, ageing assets, decarbonisation pressures, and productivity demands. Clients can be confident that we not only understand their challenges, but also bring the technical know-how to solve them. With over 1,000 projects delivered across a wide range of industries, and more than 150 years of engineering heritage, Otto Simon has earned a reputation for reliability and results. Our track record includes everything from feasibility studies through to full EPCm delivery, giving clients the assurance that we can support them at every stage of the project lifecycle. Long-term partnerships with some of the UK’s most respected companies demonstrate that our approach works in practice as well as in theory. As an employee-owned trust (EOT), our culture is different from many of our competitors. Every member of the Otto Simon team has a direct stake in the success of the business, which means they are personally motivated to deliver the highest quality of service to our clients. Our values - respect, integrity, responsibility, camaraderie, and pragmatism, shape the way we work together and with our clients, ensuring that every project benefits from collaboration, accountability, and genuine care.
