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Coming in 2016!
What’s coming in 2016? In 2021? Have you even thought ahead
that far? Maybe you think you’ll be lying on a beach somewhere enjoying
retirement. If you are a leader at a forward-thinking company, hopefully
you have thought at least five to ten years ahead. Two stories I wrote
recently, one in July-August, and one in this issue, prove that companies
must start looking that far in advance. If you do, you will be one of
the forward thinkers.
The first topic companies should be thinking about was addressed in our
special investigative report on tornadoes in July-August (see page 26).
Not just one, but several experts, said window companies must start looking
five to ten years out when it comes to products specific in tornado-prone
areas. And they must not look at just products, but at cost-effective
products. I hope this topic is on your radar and that you will build it
into your future development plans.
I just came back from Texas Tech University (see page
32) and researchers there echo those sentiments. In fact, they say
companies are already looking at tornado-specific products—they know this
because they are doing the testing and working with many manufacturers
on some of these innovations. Maybe you should be looking into this as
well.
Larry Tanner, research associate at Texas Tech’s Wind Science & Engineering
Research Center, says he welcomes industry input. Take advantage of this
opportunity.
“If you want to know how glazing is performing, storm researchers [such
as us] would be a great resource,” echoes Ernst Kiesling, professor of
civil engineering. (For more on my interview with Tanner and Kiesling,
see page 32).
The second topic readers should be thinking about is Building Information
Modeling (BIM). When I called a few companies about this subject for my
feature on page 38,
some admitted they weren’t knowledgeable about BIM. Others, however, are
well entrenched in BIM models, and so already have a competitive advantage.
Yancey B. Hughes, president, LEED GA, works as an architectural rep for
ProVia Door, and says while the company does not yet offer BIM models,
it’s certainly coming.
“In 2012 it would be something they need to consider,” he says. “I believe
BIM is what CAD was 15 years ago. Every architect will be using it.”
He goes even farther saying, “In four to five years it will be mandatory
and the smaller manufacturers will follow the leads of the larger guys.”
Four to five years will be here before you know it. And window companies
currently using BIM told me it is not an easy process. It takes a significant
cost and time investment. That emphasizes the importance of building the
cost and training time into your development plans now.
What other topics are causing you and other companies to look far in the
future? I’d love to hear from you.
DWM
© Copyright 2011 Key Communications Inc. All rights reserved.
No reproduction of any type without expressed written permission.
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