SMART AS STANDARD: WHY HAS THE DOOR INDUSTRY BEEN LEFT BEHIND
Justin Harris shares his thoughts on smart technology and its growing role in our industry Smart technology is everywhere, except, it seems, in the part of the home responsible for protecting everything and everyone inside it. We control heating, lighting, appliances and security from our phones. A basic LED bulb might cost £5, yet for £7 it can offer an app, colours and dimming. Why, then, has the door industry expected homeowners to pay £500, £800 or even £1,000 more to make a door smart? We should be brutally honest. Smart perimeter access has not been held back because homeowners cannot understand it. They use smart technology every day. It has been held back because our industry has not consistently offered the right product, confidence, simplicity, support and price. Why has adoption remained low? Many smart products are retrofitted or combine a device, cylinder and lock from different suppliers. Compatibility and integration are not the same. Door manufacturers and installers carry the risk of difficult setup, unreliable operation, callbacks and uncertainty over responsibility. If they do not trust the product, they will not propose it. If they do not demonstrate the benefits,
homeowners will not know why they might want it. Low adoption may reflect industry confidence, not homeowner interest. Smart ready is not a smart door Some doors described as smart ready have no smart capability when installed. The homeowner may buy something later, but even then, it may only monitor whether the door is open or closed. That is “jam tomorrow”. A sensor can provide information, but it observes the door; it does not control it. It cannot necessarily lock or unlock the door, manage access or let someone enter without a key. A smart door should provide visibility and action. Crafted Synergy is installed as a complete solution from day one, not a promise the homeowner must complete later. Engineered as a smart doorset A smart turner is only as effective as its lock. Many locks were never designed for motorised operation. Real doors move, bow and twist. Weather and seasonal change affect the force required. A person can compensate. A smart turner cannot. Winkhaus did not rush another standalone product to market. AV4 and Thunderbolt accommodate the realities of a working doorset, with Polaris designed
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