Safety. Security. Screens.

In my last column for this magazine, I wrote about how window and door OEMs have the opportunity to deliver greater value to the marketplace with enhanced screens technology. It’s a point worth reiterating: The untapped potential in your window and door screen offerings—both in the value they can bring for your customers and for the impact they can make on your production operations—is worth your thorough consideration.

But there’s more to this story, and more ways that screens can bring value both to your operations and to your customers’ homes and living spaces. Specifically, the right screens solutions can help enhance your commitment to safety and security in some surprising ways. Let’s take a look at why:

Less is more on the shop floor

Screens fabrication isn’t typically the window and door manufacturer’s favorite part of production, and there are a few reasons why.

First, it’s a labor-intensive process that requires numerous dedicated technicians working to produce your screens. It takes significant time, effort and skill. Maintaining consistency here isn’t always easy, especially considering the ongoing labor challenges faced by the fenestration industry at large.

Second, screens aren’t typically where OEMs are driving value in the marketplace (though they can be, with the right strategy—more on that later). Window and door makers are typically driving the value with their windows and doors. This is particularly true now that Energy Star 7.0 is in effect, which involves the deployment of advanced new framing technology and the fabrication of triple-pane insulating glass (IG) in some instances.

What does any of this have to do with safety, you might be asking? Consider this: screens might be an area of production where your crews are stretching themselves thin. It’s not uncommon, for example, for window and door production to outpace screens production; I see this happen with my customers with some frequency. Because no window or door system is complete without its screen, this situation places an artificial cap on the amount of window systems you can ship on a given day, and no OEM wants that.

Scrambling to keep up with screens production, then, has the potential to introduce greater risks when it comes to safety. Workers might be more likely to cut corners or circumvent best practices to maintain optimal production numbers. Scrambling in any part of your manufacturing process, screens or otherwise, really is not a best-case scenario.

The answer, then, can be to outsource your screens production to a reliable supplier. With screens taken care of—and delivered on time, in sequence, and to your exact specifications—your workers can breathe a little easier when demand is up. Labor can be focused on fabricating your windows and doors, and everyone should be able to work at a safer and more reasonable pace.

Safety and security for your customers

Consumers and homeowners are increasingly invested in enhancing the safety and security of their own homes. You can find evidence for this in the rising demand for smart cameras and video doorbells, which have some of the highest adoption rates among smart home devices. More than ever, security and protection have become priorities and leading factors when consumers are making decisions about their living environments.

For window and door manufacturers, there is opportunity to appeal to those desires with high-performance screens technology that may be available from your outsourcing partner. Today’s high-tensile meshes can deliver outstanding durability for pet resistance and superior security compared to more conventional mesh options, with higher resistance to common forced entry methods. These features can be paired with other security-enhancing features, including multipoint lock systems designed to resist common forced entry tools used by would-be intruders.

All of these features have the additional benefit of delivering longer functional life spans, with higher durability that can stand up to high traffic and years of use. When sourced from a reliable screens partner, these are differentiators that you can use to further position the value of your complete window and door options.

The bottom line is that screens can be more than a simple commodity when working with the right partner. Plus, taking screens fabrication off your plant floor can contribute to a safer and more efficient working environment, enabling you to focus on high-performance windows and doors. It’s worth considering as we head into busy season.