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.