Happy New Year
03/01/2010
As we look forward to 2010, we intend to double our efforts to inform our clients of the impact of the strategic implications of the decisions they make today. We feel that we have a responsibility towards our: clients, employees, shareholders, and the population at large to develop high-performance sustainable interiors. In order to achieve this we need to take ownership of the issues confronting us today and make an effort to contribute in those areas where we have an opportunity to do so.
Most of our clients and suppliers are socially responsible corporations and government entities. We believe they count on progressive companies to help them develop successful strategies to prosper in tomorrow’s competitive environment that is being defined, to a large extent, not only on doing business but also on how the business is carried out. We do not intend to let them down!
One of the most important aspects of a leader is to develop a vision for the future of their business or department and craft a strategy consistent with that vision, turning it into reality through investment and operational priorities. Yet as simple as this sounds all too often people get caught up with the pressure of day-to-day operations or obsess with meeting today’s goals, losing sight of the long-term direction of their industry. Their vision for the future becomes impaired by the demands of the present.
Such short sightedness is dangerous in today’s economically challenged environment and can easily become fatal for a company operating in the interiors industry, where customers’ strategies and demands change quickly and what’s planned today is often changed or cancelled tomorrow. As we enter 2010, the need for leaders to keep a close eye on the future has never been more crucial as tomorrow’s business environment will be vastly different from today’s, thanks largely to the changes wrought by the worldwide financial crisis.
In the last year, we have seen a shift in office interior trends from lavish and opulent to a more sustainable practice of economical and functional office environments. Fortunately, quality remains an important factor when deciding on a design or a fit out contractor and clients are now demanding more for less in today’s fiercely competitive market. Also the green movement is gaining ground as it not only benefits the environment but, equally important, has a direct positive impact on a company’s bottom line through water and energy related cost savings, as well as improved employee performance. It is no longer a matter of implementing eco-friendly practices by paying a higher price but rather implementing green practices and benefiting financially. Organizations can now do well by doing good!
Given such trends, it is hard to imagine a vision of the future for interior office fit out companies that do not rest primarily on the role of innovation and consistent implementation of sustainable practices. With the growing importance of “corporate social responsibility” and taking into consideration that buildings account for approximately 40% of the consumption of raw materials and energy, the building and interiors sector is very important in matters of environmental sustainability. A design or a fit out contractor that does not give serious thought to green initiatives, however progressive they may be in their other operational processes, will fall behind their competitors as they are not fulfilling the client’s primary objective of defining a vision for the future and taking steps to reach it.
Best wishes for a happy, healthy and successful new year from all of us at Summertown.