JUSTIN HARRIS shares his thoughts on smart technology and its growing role in our industry
Smart technology is everywhere, except, it seems, in the part of the home responsible for protecting everything and everyone inside it.
We control heating, lighting, appliances and security from our phones. A basic LED bulb might cost £5, yet for £7 it can offer an app, colours and dimming. Why, then, has the door industry expected homeowners to pay £500, £800 or even £1,000 more to make a door smart?
We should be brutally honest. Smart perimeter access has not been held back because homeowners cannot understand it. They use smart technology every day. It has been held back because our industry has not consistently offered the right product, confidence, simplicity, support and price.
Why has adoption remained low?
Many smart products are retrofitted or combine a device, cylinder and lock from different suppliers. Compatibility and integration are not the same. Door manufacturers and installers carry the risk of difficult setup, unreliable operation, callbacks and uncertainty over responsibility.
If they do not trust the product, they will not propose it. If they do not demonstrate the benefits, homeowners will not know why they might want it. Low adoption may reflect industry confidence, not homeowner interest.
Smart ready is not a smart door
Some doors described as smart ready have no smart capability when installed. The homeowner may buy something later, but even then, it may only monitor whether the door is open or closed. That is 'jam tomorrow'. A sensor can provide information, but it observes the door; it does not control it. It cannot necessarily lock or unlock the door, manage access or let someone enter without a key.
A smart door should provide visibility and action. Crafted Synergy is installed as a complete solution from day one, not a promise the homeowner must complete later.
Engineered as a smart doorset
A smart turner is only as effective as its lock. Many locks were never designed for motorised operation. Real doors move, bow and twist. Weather and seasonal change affect the force required. A person can compensate. A smart turner cannot. Winkhaus did not rush another standalone product to market. AV4 and Thunderbolt accommodate the realities of working doorset, and Polaris was designed specifically around them.
We have placed doors under duress and repeatedly tested whether Polaris continues to operate. Comparative assessments with prospective customers reinforce the conclusion: the mechanical lock is critical to successful smart operation.
One complete ecosystem
Crafted Synergy combines German engineered locks, cylinder security, sensing and smart technology with one purpose-built ecosystem. The components have been designed and tested together so installers and manufacturers have confidence in the whole system rather than separate parts from unrelated suppliers.
Technology sits discreetly inside. Outside, the door retains its traditional appearance and compatible furniture. Smart functionality should be experienced, not displayed to the street.
The sale is not app, motor or sensor. It is children entering without keys, managed access for relatives, carers or tradespeople, and reassurance that the door is secure.
Our lifestyle videos and homeowner materials will demonstrate these real-life benefits. Customers receive the product, story and support needed to take it confidently to market.
A complete smart door for as little as £180 more
With Crafted Synergy and Polaris, the additional cost to the homeowner can be as little as £180. Over a conservative 15 year door life, that is £12 a year, £1 a month or less than 25 pence a week.
They receive mechanical security, active access, meaningful door information, simple operation and real family benefits from installation.
This is price plus: engineering, integration, testing, simplicity, immediate functionality, design freedom, homeowner benefits and marketing support at a realistic price.
Be first and lead the change
The market is difficult. That makes differentiation more important, not less. When competing doors look similar, why should homeowners choose yours?
Crafted Synergy changes that conversation. Sell how the door protects, operates and supports the way the homeowner lives. Stand out, increase value, sell more doors and improve profitability.
Smart technology has changed the rest of the home. It is time for the door industry to catch up.
