With no strict standards in place for door & window hardware and no entry barrier, how does PEGO address competition, including from the unorganized sector?
Your question itself threatens the very existence of uPVC and aluminium windows & doors, and not only for the hardware! It is for this reason that associations and organizations are working tirelessly with BIS to get standards in place for doors & windows, along with all the auxiliaries.
With no entry barrier and accountability, the industry is bound to get an influx of various products. Cheap is not always good nor is expensive always good. Hence, efforts have been made by us at PEGO to inform, update, train and educate all the stakeholders about the various parameters with respect to the hardware so that it leads to informed buying. We are spending a lot of time, effort and resources as we believe that standardization is essential.
Further, the customer appreciation; loyalty and references are intangible yet the biggest assets, which can never be traded. Our interactions with customers contribute to our knowledge which has helped us in developing the products as per industry needs.
This has been one of our biggest strengths, plus, successful delivery of projects has added to our brand value over time.
What are the quality parameters that manufacturers are required to follow?
As mentioned, any information on the standards followed in the hardware by the manufacturer must be backed by certification. The key quality aspects include product life cycle testing; base metal composition; plating/powder coating thickness; and weight capacity testing.
PEGO has in-house testing machines and we invite customers to our facility to witness the same. This transparency helps in building trust with the clients. Furthermore, we have created animated videos and manuals for our hardware products showing their application/installation in different window types like sliding, folding, tilt & slide, lift & slide, etc. This makes it easier for the door and window manufacturers to understand the hardware/fittings and helps them in their designing and manufacturing processes. In fact, our technical understanding of profile systems helps in developing & providing solutions to customers at the designing stage of the profiles itself.
We are committed to provide more robust, aesthetically superior, viable and long-lasting solutions to customers
Karan Shah
How do door & window manufacturers determine the right fit of hardware for their products?
Application, utility, and geographical location are key elements in deciding the hardware needed for any door or window. At PEGO, our focus is on developing hardware that meets customer needs. We have launched many firsts in the industry and our hardware has been well received by the fenestration industry in India.
Our experience centre at our HQ has been the biggest value addition as it gives customers the opportunity to experience the products and their application.
What have been the challenges post Covid -19 for the fenestration industry and PEGO as an organization?
Covid -19 brought internal and external challenges: from safety at the workplace, to rising raw material prices, from shortage of raw materials to unexpected lockdowns, and from cash flow management to travel restrictions.
At PEGO, we realized that one should not make very futuristic business plans and strategies as we are living in a very dynamic environment where situations are changing rapidly. Rather, having short- and medium-term goals are better, and they should be reviewed regularly if one wants to stay ahead of the curve. Today, we have made a shift from making yearly forecasts to making quarterly forecasts.
The pandemic has also shown that one must have robust systems and processes within the organization. Accordingly, we have spent a lot of time and resources at PEGO in building our strengths both internally and externally, which has helped us in maintaining a pole position in the market.
How has demand been impacted by the pandemic?
The rise in demand post the first lockdown was more than what any of the pandits had predicted. It made us realize that while the nature of lockdowns will remain uncertain, but businesses will remain intact and positive.
In the current financial year, we have witnessed 50% growth YoY. And I can confidently say that this is not only true for our organization but for the fenestration industry of India at large. While the bottom-line has been hurt significantly, the growth in the topline has helped organizations stay healthy.
What will be the new innovations in door & window hardware?
Like any industry hardware design and products also have a shelf life and they are eventually replaced by new designs and innovations. However, I believe that the straight line, minimal hardware is here to stay. The end-consumers, architects, and consultants are demanding hardware design concepts that are not too diverse so as to enhance the interior look and aesthetics of a space.
The Covid pandemic has accelerated the demand for automation, and since the protocols are here to stay, the demand for smart windows will gather steam. Certain areas where accessibility and operation of windows are difficult, smart windows will make them easier.
Though automation and smart windows are the future, it will take time to incorporate technology into the hardware and make it foolproof. The biggest challenge would be the after-sales service since smart windows would require careful handling. The price of these new products would normalize with scale and there would be more trained personnel for the after-sales servicing.
What new products will PEGO introduce this year?
We are very much aligned with the demand and needs of the fenestration industry. We have already introduced “one design, one family” complete hardware solution. This is based on straight line design.We are coming up with more designs on the same concept.
With lines blurring between the hardware for uPVC and Aluminium, we are using our strength in both the verticals to give the best solutions to our customers. We are also reinventing some of the concepts to provide more robust and aesthetically superior experiences to customers.
We are committed to introducing viable and lasting solutions in smart windows vertical as well and we will also be strengthening our manufacturing capability.
