BETTER TOGETHER

Ken Price, MD of the Automatic Door Suppliers Association, explains how specialist industries can be part of the bigger picture.

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main." This line from John Donne’s famous poem explores the idea of connectedness, how by coming together, people can support their own wellbeing and survival and that of others. It applies not only to individuals but also organisations. The supply of automatic door may be considered to be a ‘niche’. Indeed, a recent apprentice to the Powered Pedestrian Door Technician apprenticeship course, which ADSA initiated, commented that it wasn’t even aware that “it was a thing” until he entered the business.

What recent events have impressed upon us, is that we are all interconnected: from the pandemic and supply chain dependence to the escalation energy costs and the ramifications of the Building Safety Act, our industry is part of a bigger picture. It is one that directly links us to others within construction and wider society, which is ultimately our end user. That’s why this bigger picture is part of our business strategy. Only by working together can we stay fully informed, best placed to provide an integrated response and be in the best position to influence the nation’s decision makers. We have approached this in a variety of ways.

We recently became members of The Trade Industry Association - the UK’s leading body for professional trade associations from which we hope to gather learning opportunities around best practice and meet with the heads of a diverse range of industries. We are also working with the Government-backed Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education after being invited to join its Employer Directory. In doing so, we had to meet a rigorous criterion which included demonstrating our governance structure, responsibilities, statutory functions, identify board members and their roles across a range of employers and membership numbers.

We were in an ideal position to demonstrate the latter: having increased membership by 25 per cent. Last year saw the introduction of the new CSCS card which links to an app where site managers can check the cardholder’s credentials - secure in the knowledge that a site worker is suitably qualified. ADSA was part of the working group that introduced the Smart Check scheme, working alongside other selected accredited delivery partners. Our work with industry trade associations continues. Last year, we worked ever more closely with the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) and were delighted to sponsor the Product Design and Innovation Award (Electronic) category at its prestigious AI Specification Awards during its 40th year. ADSA also continues to work closely with the Door Hardware Federation, with whom we founded the Entrance Systems Alliance in 2021, to boost NVQ opportunities to people working with door and gate related industries. To date, we have welcomed 180 learners who have achieved or are currently working their way through more than 300 NVQs. ESA was created to raise the bar for training and education within the sector.

Its qualifications are critical to measure the competence of those working in the industry and provide a framework for much needed development. We have also applied this strategic vision to ensure our own house is in order. As the leading voice of the industry and exponents of quality standards and best practice, we thought that it was only right to assess our own working arrangements. We have started working towards ISO Accreditation - ISO 9001 and ISO 450001 – which relates to quality and safety and ISO 270001 – a gold standard in data management. To date, we have undertaken process mapping and a gap analysis, followed by full audit and are working through a series of recommendations to further improve what we have in place. It has been a reflective process aimed to ensure that ADSA truly practices what it preaches.

We are keen to remain robust and resilient, which in turn will demonstrate our commitment to members, and reinforce the confidence that they have in us. Not all initiatives are proactive, sometimes an emerging issue presents an opportunity. We have been working in partnership with the Health and Safety Executive around the publication of a report into a fatality involving powered pedestrian doors. Although this came about as the result of a negative situation, we have harnessed the chance to support the H&SE, supply inspectors with industry information for the compilation of the report, assess its findings and present them as a series of recommendations for those in the industry and our stakeholders.

This will culminate a whitepaper to be published in the spring, available to download from our website: www.adsa.org.uk Our Better Together approach has come full circle. By embracing co-efficiency, we are making ADSA better for its members and those joining us. Becoming a member of ADSA will allow organisations to become part of something bigger, stronger and with greater understanding and prominence. For more information on ADSA membership visit: www.adsa.org.uk or email: rachel@adsa.org.uk

PR company Tillymint Communications scooped a cluster of wins at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) PRide Awards – including one which highlighted the benefits and achievements of the Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA). Tillymint Communications won: Best Independent PR Practitioner of the Year (gold award), Best Low Budget Campaign (silver) and Best Publication (silver).

ADSA’s Conversation Campaign picked up silver for the Low Budget award. It is an integrated campaign highlighted member benefits delivered through display advertising, social media content, events and marketing collateral. Aimed to get members and industry professionals talking about the issues that matter, a hashtag device #bepartoftheconversation was used across all channels. Output included an animated graphic, which to date, has received more than 40,500 views.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDTV_K8K4AY

The campaign underpinned a wider communication strategy for ADSA as the leading voice of the industry, representing its members interests by establishing and maintain standards, increasing competence levels and boosting membership opportunities. As a consequence. ADSA membership grew by more than 25 per cent during the first phase of the campaign. Said Tillymint founder Alison Gallagher-Hughes: “It is such an honour to be recognised by fellow professionals within the communications industry which neatly coincides with our anniversary. It is just two years ago this month that Tillymint was established and it’s great to look back at how far we have come and what we have achieved for our clients.” For more information on Tillymint’s PR and marketing services visit: www.tillymint.co.uk and for information on ADSA membership view www.adsa.org.uk/membership