Trade Journals for the Concrete Industry

Prilhofer Consulting has been accompanying and supporting manufacturers of precast concrete elements for over 20 years. In all those years, one wish has been submitted to us again and again. Isn't there a “product” or a “system” in the production of precast concrete ele- ments with which one can set oneself apart from the competition? At the beginning of the 1990s it was sufficient to invest in excellent plant technology and automation in order to have at least an advantage with regard to production costs. Those days are gone, however. Today, all the companies producing in the market have a similar level of efficiency. So is there no solution to the problem of setting oneself apart from the competition? In addition, the media are reporting increasingly on subjects such as the VW scandal, refugees and a digital revolution in the form of BIM and Industry 4.0. All of these reports are unsettling us and making planning for the future difficult. This naturally also applies to manufacturers of precast concrete elements, who are looking for new business models that are innovative and future-proof. Watchwords such as intelligent buildings or "smart buildings" are on everyone's lips in this context, but the question arises as how such buildings can be achieved and to what extent the producers of precast concrete elements have to adjust for this.