Clearview National January 2020 - Issue 218 | Page 22

INDUSTRYNEWS
“IT’S BEEN A GREAT YEAR: AND
SO MUCH MORE TO COME”
So declared Anda Gregory, Managing Director of the Glass
& Glazing Federation’s Commercial Group, when speaking
at a press event during which she offered an overview
of the achievements and future plans of its brands.
» DISCUSSING EACH OF THE
Commercial Group’s brands, which include
FENSA, BFRC, Installsure (formerly
GGFi), Borough IT and RISA, Anda
said that cooperation and unity between
the commercial businesses “has been
unprecedented….helping us to make more
of each company, in terms of promoting each
other’s businesses and lending expertise to
deliver the best service possible.”
Referring to the rebranding of the former
GGFi to Installsure, which was carried out,
in part, to remove confusion between GGFi
customers and GGF membership, Anda
reported that 2019 has been a record year for
applications to join the specialist insurance
and financial services provider, facilitated by
better marketing, improved communications
within the Group, the digital distribution of
documentation and the simple provision of an
online application form.
Inspections and audit body RISA was
the next to receive attention. Anda reported
that crucial changes were made to how the
team operates with subtle yet highly effective
changes such as renaming ‘inspectors’ as
‘assessors’: “This has fundamentally changed
how we do things so that the assessors now
develop personal relationships with the
FENSA Approved Installers in their area,”
said Anda, “improving customer service,
and delivering a higher number of on-site
assessments with the fitters and a greater level
of efficiency with fewer miles covered.”
Borough IT continues to offer bespoke IT
development services to the glass and glazing
22 » JAN 2020 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
industry as well as the wider construction
sector, recently working with LABC
(Local Authority Building Control) to
support government on receiving
necessary data
from Competent
Person Schemes
such as FENSA.
The main focus
of Borough IT, said
Anda, has been the provision
of delivering on a large number of
big IT change projects for the other
businesses within the group
The British Fenestration Rating
Council – BFRC – has also undergone
significant change, reported Anda,
including a new rebranding and
website designed to promote
BFRC as the best way for
companies to prove the energy
efficiency performance of their
products. “Our bold new rebrand
reinforces the vital role BFRC plays in proving
this invisible performance, and includes a new
logo, our new ‘proven performance’ slogan,
a manifesto which underpins everything we
say and do, as well as new ratings labels for
use in the industry,” she advised. BFRC is also
expecting UKAS accreditation and she added
that “a number of new product developments
will be launched next year”.
BFRC will also be organising a further
Fabricators’ Forum early in 2020, with an
emphasis on the anticipated revisions to
Approved Document L of the Building
regulations, and how it will affect the UK
fenestration industry.
FENSA continues to be the highest profile
brand of the GGF Commercial Group, a
position that has been extended during 2019.
Crucially, Anda reported that despite the
difficult trading conditions, uncertainty and
economic worries, FENSA job notifications
remain buoyant with around 570,000
installations in 2019, mirroring the number
reported for 2018.
Anda stated that it had been recognised
during a review in 2018 that customer service
had to be improved and big improvements
have taken place, with the team strengthened
with recruitment and training.
“Safety glazing failure rates haven’t been
showing any signs of improvement, so we’ve
had to take a tougher stance on this to start
moving the dial,” she added, “so we’ve started
a campaign to reduce the incidences of failures
due to safety glazing, which is fundamental to
keeping homeowners safe in their homes.”