European architects top 10: Most important manufactures characteristics

In the Q4 2014 issue of the European architectural barometer European architects were asked which manufactures characteristics they find most important. A key finding is that throughout Europe, architects find trustworthiness most important.

By Dirk Hoogenboom
17 Feb 2015
Construction, Dry- & wet finishing,
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The top 3 characteristics concerns the manufacturers themselves: trustworthy, knowledgeable and professional.

In the old days it was important to deliver a product with good or even high quality. Nowadays that is still important, but it is not a unique selling proposition anymore. Other aspects have become more important.The Q4 2014 results show that the company characteristics are most important, 4 out of the top 5 aspects can be traced back to the company characteristics: trustworthy, knowledgeable, professional and long-term guarantees.

The aforementioned company characteristics are mainly based on experience and can be seen as the brand image of a company. A brand image cannot be changed within a few months and takes years to build or change. Services on the other hand can be implemented and improved on a shorter term. Most important services a manufacturer needs to deliver are a clear website, technical advisors assisting on projects and a hotline for technical questions. These are quite ‘traditional’ services, although new services are already being offered, such as tools (calculation, energy performance, engineering, designing) on a website, webinars, apps for smartphones and BIM data, there are not the most important yet.

There are only minor country specific differences:

• a product documentation map is still important in France, but not in the Netherlands and Belgium
• the availability of BIM data is most important in the Netherlands of all countries
• the design service is most wished for by architects in the UK
• German architects prefer invitations to social events the most
• there are hardly any differences when looking at manufacturers providing aesthetical, functional or technical products.

The list of services consisted out of 22 possible services split by availability of training and tools, availability of information and providing assistance and the company characteristics consisted out of 12 aspects.

For more information on the European architectural barometer please visit our website or contact me directly hoogenboom(at)arch-vision.eu