By Wojciech Brozyna – MD of Aluprof UK
Buying from a systems company offers an immediate partnership between the fabricator and supplier. This bond can become very strong over time as both systems company and fabricator work together to gain specification and supply architectural aluminium installations. Typically the systems company supplies an ‘off the shelf’ tried and tested aluminium system, be it a door system, windows or curtain wall, complete with detailed fabrication information which can include tooling and even fabrication software.
The procurement process is mainly one way, from systems company to fabricator, with system construction being prescriptive in order to meet the outline of the tests that the systems comply with. The benefit to the systems company is that they can share all the legislative and testing costs across many projects and customers, this keeps costs down. For the fabricator, to have a range of systems off the shelf is certainly much more competitive than having to try and design their own bespoke systems.
At Aluprof we have placed more emphasis on flexibility with our ‘Tailored Solutions’ approach. For example, by having an experienced and extensive design team in Poland, coupled with our own Polish extrusion facility we can quickly create bespoke profiles to suit any project. Our design team here in the UK will work with architect and fabricator to agree a solution which then becomes part of the overall Aluprof warranty provided on any project. But that is just part of the story.
Minimal profile and hardware stock is held here in the UK and we rely on twice weekly deliveries direct from Poland to anywhere in the UK. It did not seem sensible, when we set up in the UK some fifteen years ago, to double-handle project specific material; delivery to a UK warehouse and then onto another delivery vehicle for final delivery. This way material will often travel further to get to the fabricator with increased lead times. We also pride ourselves in shipping orders complete, this enables the fabricator to schedule fabrication from delivery, rather than having to check and wait for all the materials to arrive. Both these approaches to supply significantly reduces lead times allowing the fabricator to get products installed on site quicker, with an improved cash flow.
We also recognised that not all fabricators can put on extra shifts to meet busy times as production facilities often utilise a lean working ethic to maintain competitiveness. To assist fabricators, Aluprof introduced a fabrication facility in Poland that can manufacture some or all of the supply at the request of the fabricator. This has proven to be a real benefit to our customers and we have often seen the more difficult constructions within a project being made by us.
From specification through to installation, our team in the UK ‘partners’ with our customers to ensure that system supply is value managed, maximising profit for our customer. We believe this ‘Value Management’ strengthens our relationship with our customers who then often ask us to partner them on projects they have secured.
Value Management encompasses Value Engineering as it looks at every process from order through to completion. To begin with, an overview of the complete project programme is needed, with each of the processes and deadlines for completion itemised. It is at this stage that options are discussed. One of the obvious choices is that of the systems to be used for the windows, doors or facade. As with other high end systems companies, Aluprof offer their systems in various designs to meet the exact needs of the building. An example of this can be seen in Aluprof’s popular MB-SR50N Curtain Wall system, far from being a single system there are many options to choose from, these include various insulation levels, capping options or structural arrangements, each choice represents a cost or a cost saving. It’s a little like specifying options on a new car taking the base model of choice as a starting point.
A further consideration is the optimisation of aluminium profile cutting. To reduce wastage on fabrication, profiles can be extruded to special lengths which offer high levels of cutting optimisation which in turn reduces material waste, which then reduces costs. These are just some of the important issues that are reviewed in the Value Management process which ensures that the completed project performs exactly as specified and perfectly meets with the clients expectations.
To ensure that any installation meets exacting site requirements, new profiles can form part of the Value Management process. New profiles could offer not just a better detail, but new profiles can reduce the time taken to install on site. At the extreme end of Value Management is the option of developing an entirely new system to meet a projects requirement. The experience within the technical team at Aluprof makes this option entirely possible, it has been done before. On this point, we do have some exciting news shortly with a new system for the UK being launched very soon.
Installation ‘Value Management’ could mean that on site teams are chosen with installers who are experienced and trained in the systems being installed, possibly by making up new teams with experienced site agents who have used the systems being as they have worked on installations using the same systems.
These are but a few of the ‘Value Management’ principles that are explored by Aluprof on any project that they become involved with by specification. As expected, it is an iterative process and one that offers both value for the client and sustainable manufacture for Aluprof and its network of UK fabricators and installers. To take advantage of, or learn more about our ‘Tailored Solutions’ get in touch with one of our team members.
Since setting up the Aluprof Office at the Business Design Centre in London, the company has rapidly grown their specification influence in the UK with their high-performance architectural aluminium systems. Further expansion of the company’s headquarters in Altrincham now provides specifiers with meeting facilities and an extensive showroom of commercial systems to view. With overseas growth across Europe spreading into the Middle East and firm roots already in the East of the USA, the company is becoming a global player in facade supply.
Further information is available on the company’s website at aluprof.co.uk or direct from their UK head office in Altrincham on 0161 941 4005.
