Heading in the Right (Technological) Direction

One of the best gifts I’ve ever received was under the Christmas tree last year. It’s a Garmin Street Pilot, aka GPS. It’s portable, so I can take it on business trips and vacations – just plug it right into my car and off I go! What I love about the GPS is that it’s extremely easy to use. (I never even read the directions!) If I’m on the road in an unfamiliar area and I want to find a Target, I just type in T-A-R-G-E-T and every Target is displayed within 100 to 600 miles. If I’m on the road and want a hotel, I touch the hotel/motel button and pages of places to stay show up on the screen. Even the phone numbers are displayed so I can call ahead to find out if they have availability.

I would highly recommend a GPS for every kitchen and bath firm – it will save hours in lost time finding construction sites, client homes and the like. Like my cell phone, fax and Internet connection, my GPS has become integral to my life, and I’d be pretty frustrated if I had to go backwards in time and live without these technologies.

The Right Direction
For a while, I was pretty sure the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s Technology GPS was broken. Oh, I’d pick it up, throw it against the wall, shake it and it would work for a bit. But then the screen would invariably go dark again. Technologically, our industry was having trouble staying on track. I was especially worried that technology would pass by the Mom and Pop segment of our industry.

Today, the good news is, we are headed in the right direction. I’ve been sitting on the NKBA’s Technology Committee for the last five years and chairing it for the last two, so I can tell you first hand where we are headed – and the good news is, there are lots of positive things going on that will truly impact your business.

First things first: The Technology Committee’s liaison is Bob Spangler. He’s the senior manager of technology at NKBA and he has put the association on the technology map. Technology Committee members bring to the table items that we and other committees and Board of Chapter reps feel are important and necessary to our industry. Spangler makes those things happen.

How does the good job he’s doing directly influence your business? He has done such a bang-up job making sure the NKBA Web site is found by consumers, the average kitchen dealer (you!) is receiving a solid number of leads from being listed on our industry’s site.

And, it’s not just me who is a big Bob Spangler fan. One of the biggest names in the Internet game (and believe me, you’d immediately recognize it!) is bringing Bob in to talk to his company about the work he has done on the NKBA site.

Under his leadership, NKBA.org has also become an award-winning site. But Spangler doesn’t just hide behind his technology – he’s a people person as well. In fact, designer Mark Rosenhaus of New York called him up one day and wanted assistance putting together his free Web page on NKBA.org, and Spangler walked him through it and even made suggestions on how to upgrade.

So, what is being requested of Spangler and his department (which includes Jennifer Fish, Nik Ysambart, and Nancy Fifield)? More technology, thank goodness! More Web-based training, more e-mail communication from national and more Web-based video conferencing as a chapter meeting.

I’m happy to report, these items are being addressed and worked on. Additionally, Mike Kelly, the new CEO at the NKBA, has a degree in Computer and Decision Sciences, and was an IT manager and systems consultant for many years – so we know he is pro-technology and looking to support this team effort. Hang onto your seats folks, we’re taking off at lightning speed!

Now and Tomorrow
Don’t think it’s all down the road, though. There are great technologies currently in place for membership. The Iowa Chapter has already had a virtual chapter meeting! Max Isley, Secretary of the NKBA’s Executive Committee, along with Spangler, set up a virtual technology roundtable of sorts with the Iowa Chapter during 2005.