Why Supplier Support Matters in 2023

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No one wants to start 2023 on a sour note, but to make a point, let’s consider a hypothetical scenario for a moment.

Imagine that you’re a mid-sized commercial glass manufacturer. Despite a few challenges in 2022, you had a good year. So good, in fact, that you made the investment in a new automated insulating glass (IG) line to maximize your production potential and meet demand. Maybe it’s your first line. Maybe it’s your second or third. In any case, it’s an investment in your own growth and prosperous future.

So, let’s say your new line is being installed this month. Your equipment supplier will remain on hand to see that production is up and running and that your equipment is properly calibrated and in good working condition.

Then, they’ll leave. And what happens next is critical.

Successful Automation Doesn’t Happen by Accident
It can be easy to fall into the trap of viewing an automated line as a money printer. The promise of increased production figures, all accomplished with less labor, is an attractive one. But the reality is that an automated line is a sophisticated piece of equipment, and making the most of your investment takes the right skills and right mindsets.

For example: Are your maintenance teams up to the task of keeping your new equipment in proper working condition over the long term? Do they know the proper best practices to ensure you’re running the same quality glass in 12 months that you were in month one? Are they willing and eager to learn about how your new equipment works and how they can maximize its potential?

How about your raw materials inventory—are you ordering enough to meet your new production targets? Are your shipping operations capable of getting more units out the door?

These are just some of the questions you need answers to, or else you might find yourself wondering why your major investment isn’t delivering the return you might have expected. The good news is that our industry is a collaborative one. Still, unless you’re one of the major commercial glass manufacturers who are operating dozens of automated lines, there’s a possibility that you don’t have all of the required expertise under your roof.

And that’s OK—because in an ideal scenario, you should be able to find support from some of your vendor partners. It’s likely your spacer supplier has knowledge of how to best run their product on the type of equipment you’ve just installed. They may be able to provide you with additional tips and best practices on how to get the most out of it.

Leaning On Your Vendor Network
The truth is that the right network of trusted suppliers can bring significant value to your operations, and I think that’s something that will only become truer this year and beyond. The pandemic threw the need for flexibility and tailored support into sharp relief over the past several years. Today, it’s continuing to manifest in all different ways across the B2B value chain.

Recent research from McKinsey shows that modern B2B customers want more channels, convenience and a more personalized experience from their suppliers. New ways of communication and collaboration, which were made mandatory by widespread COVID policies, now have the potential to deepen engagement between B2B buyers and their sellers. Perhaps you have a training need in your facility.

A vendor supplier may be able to provide you with a virtual lunch-and-learn where once the only option was thought to be a time-consuming, on-site instruction course. Or let’s say you’re facing an equipment issue—you may be able to get in touch with a technical support resource more quickly and easily to help diagnose and solve a problem.

So, even if my automated line example was irrelevant to your operations specifically (maybe you’re an old pro at automation, or maybe your niche requires manual application), the point remains that leaning on your trusted suppliers may bring you unexpected benefits. Bringing in outside experience can shed new light on any problem, helping you remain successful this year and beyond.

The Role of Commercial Glass and Glazing, Today and Tomorrow

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The year is coming to a close rapidly, and it’s a time that I find valuable to reflect on where our industry stands today, and where we have to go in the future.

Anyone reading this will be closely familiar with the collective challenges we’ve faced around supply chains, labor and more over the past few years. Despite these issues, we’ve largely been able to make the best of it — and I’m confident we’ll be able to successfully navigate any choppy waters that may be ahead of us.

According to the Architecture Billings Index (ABI), an economic indicator for nonresidential construction activity published each month by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), October marked the first decline in billings since January 2021. This tells us two things: That 2022 has largely been a good year for the architectural industry, and that we’ll need to remain watchful headed into 2023.

“Economic headwinds have been mounting and finally led to weakening demand for new projects,” the AIA writes. “While one month of weak business conditions is not enough to indicate an emerging trend, it is worth keeping a close eye on firm billings in the coming months.”

Commercial glass and glazing professionals should do just that. But no matter the economic conditions we’re faced with — ideal or not — it’s worth remembering the critical role we play in the modern world. The glass and glazing technologies we help bring to bear are an integral part of modern architectural marvels around the world. But we’re also a critical part of more modest commercial buildings that people around the world depend on. Grocery stores. Schools. Banks. Office buildings. And so many more.

As we look toward 2023 my message is this: Stay focused on the fundamentals. The modern world depends on our ability to deliver uncompromising quality and reliability in critical applications, whether the construction market is booming or otherwise.

I’ve detailed a few of those fundamentals in a couple of my favorite posts for this blog over the past year. They include:

Quality. There are a number of ways we can ensure the quality of completed glass products. Whether it’s following established best practices for commercial glass fabrication or going the extra mile via testing to ensure long-term performance, continuing to explore how we can make quality improvements is an essential part of our industry’s future.

Read: Three Tips to Ensure High-Quality Commercial Insulating Glass

Read: The Increasing Importance of Mock-up Testing

Efficiency. Buildings are responsible for about 40% of global energy consumption and about one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, modern construction can and must be more efficient than ever before. We have the potential to make meaningful contributions with innovative new glass technologies. Seizing that potential will require incorporating those technologies into our finished products.

Read: Today’s Decisions Impact Long-Term Success

Read: Meeting New Demands without Compromise

Let’s remember the essential role we play and commit to always delivering quality, innovative work for commercial applications everywhere.

Joe Erb is national account manager for Quanex.

Today’s Decisions Impact Long-Term Success

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Allow me to borrow an example from the residential window market for a moment. Talk in the industry has revolved around the critically stringent new ENERGY STAR 7.0 criteria, set to take effect at some point in 2023. Window systems meeting the current criteria will in most cases need to make significant design alterations to achieve the thermal efficiency performance required to maintain the ENERGY STAR label.

The question for window manufacturers is this: How to go about making these changes? There are options, and some of them are more complicated than others. To date, residential manufacturers have typically relied on their insulating glass units to meet previous ENERGY STAR criteria; low-E coatings and high-performance spacer systems have gotten the job done.

But the new ENERGY STAR 7.0 numbers — requiring a < 0.22 u factor and > 0.17 solar heat gain coefficient in the Northern Zone, which covers much of North America — will trigger more dramatic changes. My colleague John Ryba has written extensively about the options manufacturers have at this magazine’s sister publication for the past year. Triple-paned IG could be a necessity if manufacturers don’t want to alter their window systems completely. Elsewhere, switching to energy-efficient vinyl systems can help manufacturers meet the new figures with greater confidence.

The latter process involves a greater upfront investment. Changing your vinyl systems is a big shift — but one that might be worthwhile over the long term for residential manufacturers who want to remain at the forefront of energy efficiency trends in the industry.

What does this have to do with the commercial glass industry? First, it’s important to remember that energy efficiency standards, barring some major regulatory shakeups, never go backward. ENERGY STAR is just one example. Government bodies around the world, from the local level to the national stage, are more concerned than ever with fostering greater sustainability in all areas of society. We’ve seen the effects in North America as new building codes in major municipalities are implemented, demanding higher and higher levels of performance from all types of buildings. That, of course, includes glass and glazing codes.

It means that the case is strong for commercial fabricators (both window and door and glass) to invest in innovative and forward-thinking technology today — before it simply becomes the cost of doing business. For example, high-performance vinyl systems have proven themselves to be viable in commercial window and wall applications, while delivering an outstanding thermal performance that metallic options can’t match without major modifications. Warm-edge spacer systems have likewise delivered outstanding efficiency gains in major commercial applications, including architectural glazing. The right products can also provide nice efficiency improvements in manufacturing.

Technologies like these represent not only a way for commercial fabricators to prepare themselves for a future where more stringent efficiency standards come into effect; they’re also a means to create separation from the competition. As we round out 2022, it’s worth keeping these things in mind while making plans for 2023 and beyond. It’s incumbent upon the commercial glass and glazing industry to remain innovative as codes and regulations change. Investing in high-performance technology is one path to get there.

Joe Erb is the national account manager for Quanex