Innovation Within The Lift Industry

In edition 114 of Elevator World Consultant Colin Craney explores innovation within  the lift industry.

Colin considers how cost, demand and entrepreneurship affect the amount, and speed, of innovation within the lift industry.

Colin takes his vast experience and longevity in the industry to assess how:

• Innovations have changed the face of the industry (Kones development of MonoSpace (TM and Machine-Room-Less (MRL) innovations being significant examples)

“Kone’s development of MonoSpace initiated a wave of technological development in what had previously been a market characterised by incremental development of the traditional lift.”

• Much of a part cost has to play in the innovation process; Gen2 and MonoSpace are both examples of how much innovations within the lift industry can cost.

“… a costly and protracted development process was required before a new product materialised.”

• The demand of an innovation influences its sucess and acceptance into the mainstream.

“Once demand … was established, other firms foccussed on their investment into what was an area of growth…”

• Innovations can open up the marketplace and catapult an otherwise ‘underdog’ firm into the spotlight and one of the market leaders.

A significant secondary effect of MRL arose in its disruption of the disruption of traditional industry structures.  Prior to the MonoSpace, Kone was viewed as the weakest of the global firms…MonoSpace changed this!”

• Technological and performance innovations within the lift industry can be ‘shelved’ if the demand and econominc gains are not there; if the customer makes the judgement that they do not add value.

“I recall development work on inductive power transfer…whilst it looked promising, it was unsaleable as a customer feature.”

Colin discusses many more push-and-pull factors when it comes to innovation within the lift industry (including why there seems to be so little movement in the developent of escalators).

To read the article in full, click the image below.

Colin Craney has 42 years of industry experience, initially in a number of field and management roles with Otis, followed by 17 years in consulting, currently for SVM Associates. Colin is a U.K. chartered engineer and a fellow of CIBSE, European engineer, chartered safety and health practitioner, accredited consultant on the HSE Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register and a member of the Chartered Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. Colin is a barrister, having been called to the bar by the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple.

Established in 2004, SVM Associates pride ourselves on our industry expertise, persistent attention to detail, personable working style and unique approach to all aspects of building services, including; Lifts, Escalators and Facade Access, Mechanical Electrical and Public Health and Facilities Management.

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