Every day new ideas spawn and business missions alter due to trends, societal needs, and economical changes. This affects large companies, small businesses, and even door, frame and hardware distributors.
For example, the COVID pandemic dramatically changed design criterion for commercial buildings and residential homes. Successful door industry professionals quickly adapted to new design requirements such as touchless door openings, anti-bacterial surfaces, and many other pandemic related issues. Depending on costs of door materials, types of hardware products and something as simple as modern esthetics, door and hardware distributors and manufacturers are making constant adjustments.
Facilitiesnet.com published a study stating touchless doors and even electronic door openings are becoming more common due not just for easier accessibility but also because of COVID. Touchless doors reduce the amount of transmission between individuals and hazardous bacteria. As a result of COVID, many regulations mandate specific walkway and entrance operations, in order to keep individuals safe.
While the door, frame, hardware distributor now assists architects and general contractors with recommendations for these new door materials and hardware options. Door and hardware manufacturers are developing new designs and technologies at a dizzying pace. These trends are extremely important, adjusting material, products and services in order to better serve society and customers will make your door, frame, and hardware business more profitable.
In terms of software technology, we also must rapidly adapt to changing trends. For example, with distributors facing weekly price increase notices from manufacturers, and new shipping charges, Software for Hardware has developed new features for distributors to correctly bid and quote jobs. For us as a CPQ and project management software, we are able to quickly identify and react to these trends because we actively listen and poll our customers. The SFH Customer Council provides us regular feedback. I recommend any business to stay as close as possible to your customers, especially in this ever changing world.
Ian Oxman, Owner, Software for Hardware LLC, based in Atlanta, GA. You can reach Ian at ian@softwareforhardware.com
