Product Change Isn't Easy

The other day I was doing a final walkthrough in a recently completed home. As I walked in and out of rooms, it dawned on me that we are in a bit a rut on the products that we are using. I stopped and thought about how this happened.

At the beginning, we were trying out all kinds of new products, from glass infused wood to wireless lighting systems; again why is this not our norm today? Switching from product A to product B should be easy, right?

Well it’s not as easy as you might think. Let’s consider the following example – switching from our current wireless lighting system to a traditional system, the following would have to take place:

* engineering review
* architectural review and new drawings
* training our General Contractors in proper installation procedures
* setting up a new vendor to handle delivery
* additional new products needed to accommodate finishing details
* familiarize our homeowners with the new technology (staff time)
* risk assessment

All of these come at a cost and can slow down progress and make it difficult to standardize details. So how do we counter this?

We focus on a product selection and design process that insures the benefits offset the challenges. For example, a few months back we were contacted by a manufacture making a SIP out of magnesium. The claims of the manufacturer are:

*no need for an exterior sheeting
*no need for drywall
*minimal training for General Contractors
*minimal changes that impact the homeowner

The cost to implement this type of innovation would save more than the cost to change our standardized process. If you find yourself in a similar situation, design a process that collects new product data, reviews the performance of existing products and allows for ease of transition from old to new product.

Great post, Cesar! Are you on the lookout for new products at Greenbuild this week?