What German construction suppliers can learn from the Brazilian construction industry
Brief analysis
Content of the study
How can manufacturers in the construction supply industry sustainably differentiate themselves in a competitive environment in which product-side innovation leads are catching up ever faster? The pressure for efficiency in construction, increasing certification requirements and the seemingly traditional, fragmented environment of planners, dealers and users also make it challenging to introduce new products to the market quickly. Furthermore, the construction industry is undergoing fundamental change. German construction supply companies operate in a world in which demand for their products is determined by application/installation capacity - or the availability of raw materials.
The shortage of skilled labour is already one of the key challenges in the construction industry today, but it will increase significantly in the coming years. This is because the age structure in the building trade is distributed in such a way that the majority of staff are much closer to retirement than to graduation. At the same time, there are not enough new graduates coming out of vocational schools to be able to realise the necessary projects in new construction and, above all, renovation in the future.
In Germany in particular, manufacturers are characterised by their high product quality (workmanship, durability, functionality, etc.), but many have not responded sufficiently to the changing requirements of their customers. Whereas a few years ago price was the most important purchasing criterion after quality in many trades, it is now service, installation aids, products that are easier to install and other issues that help to minimise application errors and maximise output per employee in construction.
In our opinion, it can help to look at countries that are already further ahead in this respect for systemic reasons - e.g. Brazil.
PLEASE NOTE: The study is currently only available in German.