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Henry Ford famously said “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Same holds true today in our industry. We ask our customer how we can help further. The answer we get is “give me faster horses".
Ford did not give faster horses as a product. Against all odds, he pursued an assembly line process and changed the product completely. It wasn’t about giving people what they wanted. It was about precisely knowing what customers truly needed without even them knowing about it. It makes perfect sense when we look back at it a century later. We even admire the courage it took to make such a bold statement despite the risk of alienating his customers. Even though we have this excellent example from the past, it still sounds counter-intuitive and risky to make such a move today. Today’s rapidly changing environment has magnified the gap between what customers really want and need. “It works, don't change it” mentality has been dominating. Henry Ford was lucky because what he packaged as “new” could be sold the next day. Unfortunately in today’s world, what is new today could be sold last week. Hence, it creates this very illusion that visionaries are the predictors of today. In fact, what we see today were envisioned minimum five years ago. Exponentially advancing technologies create such a time delay that puts us behind meeting our customer’s true needs. As a result, we cannot distinguish what is truly “needed” and “wanted”. We react to what is wanted and do absolutely nothing about what is actually needed by our customers. There are various reasons for this environment. Business has always been “usual” because elevator contractors do not always know what they really need, and power of fixture suppliers have been strong with resistance to change, and there has not been any life-threatening demand for technological needs from elevator contractors. So, everyone has been happy. I can tell you with confidence that everyone is not happy. We just don't know about it. Implementing new ideas in the elevator fixture sector has been unforgiving. Areas of improvements have been stagnant from order processing to technological applications. Risks are great, negative impacts are costly. The good news is that there are many ways to improve services and products to reshape the dynamics and create value to each project. We can start from the services that directly impact project lead times.
In short, busy is good. Busy is better when it is for the rights reasons. Today, we could re-shape the dynamics of the fixture order processing and potentially help by delivering the following;
What Henry Ford proposed set the course of future of its time. More highways and roads were built to make it feasible. There is a light at the end of tunnel; we do not have to build roads and bridges to order fixtures. All we have to do is keep an open-mind and learn more about what Monitor has to offer.
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Monitor has just finished working out the detail of its new 180&360 dial indicator offerings. Monitor can not only re-work your existing dial, but also provide new dial face plate with different finishes and materials. Arrows are offered with limited options to stay within feasible motor requirements. Options can include encoders upon request. Please consult with your inside sales representative for more information and availability.  Monitor has recently introduced a new type of floor lockout keyswitch setup. Each floor lockout will have its own unique key cut number, specific to each building.
This particular set up will insure that the keys cannot be replicated as easily as others in the market. Hence, it should be specifically reviewed and requested per job basis. There has not been any changes to current dimension, form and fit. The change is only on the key cuts on the keyswitch assembly and the key. Existing floor lockouts can also be replaced with Unique Security key locks. For more information, please contact your Inside Sales Representative. Originally Published: Monday, June 2, 2014
Innovation Industries, Inc. of Russellville has completed the purchase of Monitor Elevator Products of Hauppauge, N.Y., from parent company, Halma of London, UK, according to Paul Horney, President and CEO of Innovation Industries. “Monitor has been a solid competitor with a very strong presence in the Northeast U.S. market for many years,” said Horney. “Since the 1960s, Monitor has developed an excellent reputation for building high quality, custom elevator fixtures for the largest elevator market in North America. The addition of Monitor’s products and established customer base is an excellent complement to Innovation’s product lines and sales network,” added Horney. Horney stated all Monitor employees and management will be retained. Innovation Industries, Inc. is a privately held company that designs and manufactures an extensive line of elevator push buttons, fixtures and components. Innovation products are used throughout North America in countless commercial buildings, as well as places of interest such as Yankee Stadium, the Space Shuttle launch pad, and the Smithsonian Institute. Innovation currently employs 136 workers in Russellville while Monitor employs 76 at its Long Island facility. Full size swing returns are very commonly used on cabs. Monitor offers custom full size swing returns for variety of designs.
They are typically larger than applied car stations. Hence, full size swing returns will bring their own challenges;
Monitor has solutions to all of those challenges;
Monitor, with its ambitious and eager teams, is ready to handle any full-size swing return challenges. Monitor has launched three new product series.
Monitor has merged two of its successful products and turned it into a Guardian series. HPS1300 button series, which is regarded as the safest buttons in the industry, is the integral part of the design. Guardian series comes with a back plate to add extra safety and maintenance flexibility. Diamond series was designed with elegance in mind. Its unique button configuration presents non-traditional elevator fixture. Sutton Place series, with its multi-layer cover plate, reflects on how art-deco can be combined with contemporary design outlines. "...the design is a proof of Monitor's commitment to new and innovative products." said designer, Bill Galbavy. |