COMMERCIAL SECURITY & SAFETY
Maximising Hardware Value in a Cost Driven Environment
John Fairhurst of Allegion UK investigates the significance of cost in ironmongery and identifies how specifiers can add value to their door hardware selections .
» THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH Architects ( RIBA ) describes a project budget as the construction cost plus the cost of certain items required postcompletion and during the project ’ s operational use . Covering various elements , project budgets carry huge significance and can often become a central feature for many developments , determining what is affordable and what can be achieved .
Where cost control is essential , costbased decision making can occasionally feel all-encompassing , missing the mark where it counts . The cost and time pressures associated with modern construction - think recent supply chain constraints for example - can lead to hurried decisions , where value management is overlooked , and poorer quality is more readily accepted in favour of completion . And , when it comes to architectural ironmongery this can lead to expensive mistakes .
Typically , door hardware accounts for around two to three percent of overall construction project cost . However , when you consider that door hardware items comprise 25-30 % of a complete list of contract items , the importance of investing wisely is clear . The correct specification and installation of doors and their hardware should never be undervalued , and instead , by focusing on future benefits rather than present costs , decision makers can look to add real value to their projects .
Low value , high risk
On surface-level , doors and their hardware provide access and egress to a building and its occupants , allowing the free flow of movement while enhancing fire safety and security around the premises . Yet , making a choice on hardware is far from a linear decision - especially when value is under consideration .
Value and cost share a complex relationship , and it ’ s important to find the balance when specifying hardware products . The process itself requires careful analysis and deliberation to ensure the final decision delivers on elements such as functionality , appearance and above all , safety - all while harmonising cost and value output .
John Fairhurst
Despite this , tempting for many is the false economy of purchasing cheaper , lower quality hardware to reduce upfront product costs . Hardware options with a lower ticket price may appear beneficial at face value , but they can ’ t always offer the best value for money . Unlike their highly engineered counterparts , cheaper alternatives are often manufactured from less robust materials and thus offer poorer quality , performance and functionality . Over time , their shorter lifecycles - due to lower durability - heighten the chance that maintenance periods and replacements are required . And so , between substitute materials and costly labour spend , any potential cost saving from the initial procurement is swiftly negated .
What ’ s more , from a safety standpoint , cheaper solutions can also lack the highest grading standards , raising question marks over their reliability in the event of a fire or security breach . Irregardless of cost , safety should always remain top priority , and inadequate door furniture compromises that . Quite quickly , cheap solutions can reveal themselves as low value , high risk options , and so decision makers must look towards providing higher quality , long-term solutions with branching value benefits .
42
MAR / APR 2022
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