Innovation Way
Industry leaders weigh in on what innovation is and why it matters
There’s a sign in my basement that reads “Innovation Way.” My late husband used to always say how neat he thought it would be to live on a street called Innovation Way. Since our mailing address never said that, I decided making a sign for our home was the next best thing.
Our conversations about innovation usually revolved around protecting our free-range poultry from the local fox and coyote population, overcoming myriad parenting challenges, and how best to tackle our extensive “must do” and “would be nice to do” lists around the house.
We all innovate in our own lives, and what once were innovations of the past are now just part of our everyday function. The vehicles most of us drive every day are the result of centuries of innovation, from the wheel all the way up to the all-electric engines in some of today’s models. The ability to have fresh produce in the middle of winter is the result of innovation in agriculture, food transportation and food storage like refrigeration. And that we can stay comfortable indoors despite the outdoor environment is possible because of innovation in the fenestration industry.
Ray Garries led an “Ignite Innovation” panel at the FGIA Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, in February. Garries, alongside three industry leaders, discussed their thoughts about how best to approach innovation and its ultimate goals for the industry.
Garries suggests the industry is at a “tipping point.” Artificial intelligence and human creativity are what he refers to as the “perfect pair,” where humans can use their creativity while having AI take over rote tasks and enhance them. “Dig into it. Don’t ignore it. The more you know now, the better you’ll be in the future,” he says.
David Cooper, president and CTO of Vacuum Glass LLC, noted vacuum insulating glass is on generation 3.5. “Time doesn’t stand still in the innovation and VIG world,” he said, predicting triple silver coatings will become the norm for VIG with center of glass reaching 0.05 U-values.
Anthony Pigliacampo, CEO of Joseph Machine Co., spoke on how innovation should lower costs. If it doesn’t, it’s not needed. Pigliacampo said we’re often good at finding hammers and then looking for nails to hit; or, we find great solutions but not necessarily solutions for the challenges at hand. This often results in over-engineering and a mismatch of needs. “Break the cycle by starting with the customer’s problem, develop points of view and implement a continuous feedback loop,” he advises.
Innovation can also take the form of thinking outside of your company. Chris Giovannielli, global director of project management at Kawneer, noted the company developed partnerships with universities to further research.
Life doesn’t stand still, and neither should innovation. I want to hear from you: What is your company doing to innovate?
