It’s no secret that the door and window industry is dealing with a bit of uncertainty as we dive into the new year. We continue to have challenges, such as attracting and retaining talent, supply chain issues, economic uncertainty and high interest rates. And I could go on.
But our industry is resilient, and I’m confident we’ll forge ahead successfully this year despite all these things. And that brings me to today’s tip:
Control what you can control.
For any door and window manufacturer, there’s not much that can be done to change external variables. But what you can do is manage your internal strategies, and operating with a steady hand is a good way to handle whatever the market throws at you. A few more specific tips include:
Focus on your strengths.
Every manufacturer knows what they’re good at, and it may be a good time to redouble your efforts to ensure you remain strong in these areas. What those areas are depends on your business, your niche, and your growth goals—but a slower winter season is a good time to evaluate these strengths and be sure you’re maximizing them from every angle.
Simultaneously, however, it’s possible you’re waiting to install new equipment that you invested in at the tail end of last year. That investment should bolster your strengths and comes with the potential to help you reach new markets. Maybe you’re able to expand into offering higher-performing units or higher-volume orders. Maybe increased capacity enables you to take on more work from more customers. Doing so successfully requires doing your proper due diligence, of course. It’s also about knowing when to be selective with opportunities. Evaluate them based on your business needs, on expected profitability, and your ability to complete them confidently, on time and within budget.
Don’t go bargain shopping.
When facing economic uncertainty, it’s tempting to cut corners on price wherever there appears to be opportunity. But is your organization’s reputation worth those kinds of small-time savings? Especially as demand for higher and higher performance grows, the time to reliably and dependably deliver higher performance is now. As we work toward higher-performance door and window technology, choosing proven components from reliable vendors is more important than ever, no matter the market conditions.
Keep communication lines open.
Plant efficiency is always one of the most important parts of success, and it’s one of the main reasons why our industry has invested so much in automation technology over the past several years. But automation comes with new considerations for manufacturers. You might find with increased capacity that you’re running low on raw materials more quickly than you’re used to. You might also need to allocate greater square footage for inventory purposes. There are a lot of factors to think through here, but one thing is certain: Fluidity on today’s plant floor depends on all stakeholders communicating openly and honestly. Working with suppliers and vendors who share that mindset can go a long way.
The first quarter of 2025 will likely be a feeling-out process for much of the industry, but that doesn’t mean resting on our laurels. Shoring up your operations, your go-to-market strategies, and your supply partners can go a long way toward success no matter the market conditions.
John Ryba is technical services director for Quanex.