Walk toward the future

So, to define the Look and Feel of the future, it involves time-honored Out-Of-The-Box thinking. The question is whether we still do this enough. I am happy to discuss this with you in this guest column.

When I survey the market, I see that too many parties are still focusing too emphatically on returns and are therefore unable to really shake up the chain. I see that many organizations remain stuck in their own technical world. It is the reason why failure costs in construction are still far too high. The percentages will differ everywhere - it depends a bit on the definitions - but percentages of 8% or 9% are more standard than exception. 

How is it possible that many do not manage to get those percentages down?

Of course, I can say here that we have managed to achieve failure rates of up to 2% in our manufacturing processes, but that is not the point. I would like everyone in the market to be able to achieve those rates. 

However, this is only possible if you really dare to think out of the box. Are you willing to be controversial with a well-founded vision? Do you intend to do things really differently? 

A small example as a metaphor: for this column I was photographed. Now I can look into the camera with my face as standard, but that's not how it works. Even with this photo - which has to stand out - I want to convey a story. And so I stand with my back to you. But with my face to the future. In this case, I am looking at the advanced machinery and automation that we have put in place within our organization. I am not standard. I don't want to be standard. I don't want to look like the others who came before me in these guest columns.

Innovation in thinking and doing must therefore be your core business. For every product you develop and deliver, you have to be able to say, for example, that there is less waste, that savings have been made, that the production and assembly processes have been made more convenient so that you also need fewer personnel. As a result, you achieve lower final prices that you can charge to the market. 

And you know what's great: if you achieve lower end prices for the market with your products, the market has more budget space for the extras. That is exactly what makes the world a better place.

Therefore, don't just look to the future. Walk into the future consciously as well.    

Henk Weber is director/owner of KUFA window systems of IJmuiden, Netherlands. Innovation is the central theme within the organization. Revolutionary are the RenoS9000® profiles developed in recent years, which have brought about a real efficiency improvement in the chain.