The Pen | Jan C. Smit, Business Manager Driekleur-Besturingen BV

From working to collaborating

We are now focused on our health, and quite rightly so. But this coronavirus, which highlights the fragility of our society, may also give us a push to work differently.

We actually already knew that all this traveling from here to there and back again is not desirable and efficient. Every time there is a positive period with a lot of growth, we start driving and traveling a lot as a logical consequence. For example, you build up a good relationship with a real estate company or housing corporation that has properties throughout the Netherlands. And yes, before you know it, you're in Groningen while your home base is Eindhoven. Or you experience competition with your "own" client in your "own" region because you can't handle the project because you're too busy driving to the other side of the country. Either way, you get the idea.

And then we also have important issues like the environment and the burden on the road network and public transport on our plate. These seem far away at the moment, but they are coming back bang on!

In this particular time, we are experiencing that working in a different way really can. As we are forced to manage things from a home workplace and more than ever "remotely," perhaps the coronavirus is giving a boost to working together. Working together says it all: working together with trust in each other, focusing on one's own strengths and added value.

Many smaller and medium-sized awning companies can also handle larger projects through cooperation and can therefore use their regional strengths. I myself, with Driekleur-Besturingen, am only just entering the sun protection industry. Our company started three years ago as a specialist in blinds control technology and you probably do not know us yet or not well. I myself come from the automation industry where cooperation in projects is already a real business topic. This cannot be otherwise because the separate disciplines have become far too complex. I can see such a development taking place in the shading industry as well. At the same time, I marvel at the many sun protection specialists who are willing but nevertheless reluctant to cooperate. "We've always done it this way and are very busy," is what I often hear....

Especially now, Driekleur-Besturingen is also trying to do its part to cooperate. We do this by advising and assisting regional sun protection specialists in case of malfunctions or projects in control systems. It may have the added value of working more from home. Good for the environment, good for the technician(s) of the sun protection specialist and good for the wallet.

Greetings from the home office!