Changing perspectives

Summary
• The keynote speaker was construction economist Brian Green.
• Challenges ahead include the increasing attention on carbon reduction.
• Workshops included presentations on CE marking and changes to Part L.
• Roy Wakeman will take over as BWF president in July.

The theme of the 2011 annual British Woodworking Federation (BWF) Members’ Day was upcoming change and how to rise to the challenges that will inevitably come with it. This broad topic focused on a range of issues of concern to the woodworking and joinery sector, from the impending regulatory changes in 2013 to the opportunities for increasing sales via digital marketing and social media, through the increasing client requirement for certifications and revisions to employment law.

BWF president Ian Purkis opened the event, outlining the significant shifts that will be taking place in the industry and beyond over the next few years. This includes the one million additional households that will be created by 2020 and the increasing attention on carbon reduction and other sustainabilty-related issues.

Tracking trends

Brian Green, leading construction industry economist and author of the Brickonomics blog, gave the keynote speech, which concentrated on the importance of tracking trends and identifying the opportunities that changes in consumer behaviour, the construction sector, the political climate, funding streams and other areas could bring. He stressed the importance of staying positive about business prospects regardless of the current doom and gloom being propagated from many quarters.

Members were then invited to choose from a number of workshop sessions presented by industry experts and BWF specialists. A particularly popular segment of this part of the agenda was a presentation given by BWF technical manager Kevin Underwood. He gave a detailed description of the Construction Products Regulation and the implications of the expected changes to CE marking that will cover products for both new and existing dwellings. He went on to outline the requirements covering factory production control (FPC) systems and what this means for the woodworking industry, as well as other possible future changes in thermal performance and how this will be reflected in future amendments to Part L of the Building Regulations.

Digital marketing

Somewhat of a departure from normal proceedings in days like this was a presentation by digital marketing specialist Pritesth Patel of Pauley Creative which was extremely well received. He explained what the online landscape currently looks like and how organisations should optimise the digital marketing opportunities that exist to retain current customers as well as attract new ones. He encouraged attendees to think about why they have a website, what they want it to achieve and how well they measure objectives against outcomes. He also emphasised the importance of providing the content and tools that potential customers really want, and explained how to use and measure the business impact of social media tools such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

The day concluded with another innovative approach in the form of a ‘Question Time’ panel comprising incoming BWF president Roy Wakeman who takes over the reins from Mr Purkis in July; Construction Products Association chief executive Michael Ankers; Mr Underwood; and Liz Male of Liz Male Consulting, marketing adviser to The Federation. This lively session was chaired by BWF chief executive Richard Lambert and stirred up spirited discussions on a wide range of topics.

Questions covered included why so few houses were being built, the implications of CE marking for the joinery industry and how to promote more effective collaboration through the supply chain.

New regulations

Particular debate focused on the value of new regulations and European quality standards. The general consensus was voiced by Roy Wakeman that regulation and requirements, as laid down by BS and EN documents, were good for the industry in driving up quality and value, signposting the high standards that are demonstrated by BWF members, and eliminating cowboys from the industry.

However, views diverged as to how the BWF might support its members in meeting standards. The smaller manufacturers thought that the BWF should provide access to standardised product designs to overcome the need for expensive testing. For the larger companies, who have themselves invested many thousands of pounds in such tests, this implied compromising their intellectual property and threatened a return to the days of the EJMA (English Joinery Manufacturers’ Association) window, which is widely blamed for the decline in standards of joinery manufacture in the 1950s and 60s. The vigour of the exchanges suggests that the debate still has a long way to run.

Feedback

Feedback from attendees indicated that this interactive style was popular and productive, giving BWF members a forum not only for expressing their own views but also for learning from the experience of other members.

“Our Members’ Days have been running to a tried and tested formula for a number of years,” said Mr Purkis. “However, with this year’s theme being all about change, we took the opportunity to look at how the event itself should change. The important thing is to make sure our members attend, as much because they enjoy the day as because they find it useful for their businesses.”

• For copies of presentations visit www.bwf.org.uk/membersday.