As we enter the upcoming winter season, I’m seeing some changes that are improving the business climate for snow companies and their people. I would summarize this as quality assurance, a systematic process used by businesses to ensure that products and services consistently meet defined requirements and customer expectations.
This is the ongoing evolution of professionalism in snow and ice management. It reminds me of the flywheel effect Jim Collins wrote about in “Good to Great.” In the book, Collins compares a company to a giant, heavy metal disk. Pushing it once does little, but relentless pushing in the same direction makes it spin faster and easier until breakthrough performance is achieved.
Here’s the circular mechanism behind this incoming change:
Expectations are at an all-time high. The public expects to be able to transport themselves and others at all times, in all conditions. Pavement is expected to be reasonably clear of snow and ice, almost no matter what time and what severity of storm.
They are meeting these higher expectations and focusing on customer service. These are high-value customers interested in long-term partnerships and quality service providers for their properties.
Insurance professionals, both agents and carriers, are looking for reliable insurance risks, since companies need adequate coverage for risk protection. These insurance professionals have identified opportunities to connect service companies that meet or exceed industry standards and best practices with their customers on the building ownership side.
Add these three together, and snow and ice management companies start to see the real value of safety, documentation, technology utilization and more needed to achieve the results all parties are seeking.
This is where the flywheel starts to move in the right direction. Implementing proven methods for snow and ice companies is relatively simple. Obtain the right people, processes and tools (e.g., equipment, tech, etc.), and put them into action. Use data to show you're a good insurable risk who can perform in winter storms, and your market share will start to grow.
These conversations are happening now between industry contractors and insurance business partners, and awareness of the value of high-quality, insurable companies performing winter storm management work is increasing. I encourage you to join in the momentum, so we can be on the leading edge of positive change for the industry.
Martin Tirado, CAE, is CEO and executive director for SIMA. Contact him at Martin@sima.org.