Denisse Luna
Digitization emerges as the transformative answer in the quest for closer manufacturer-specifier collaboration. GEALAN, a European leader in window and door profile manufacturing, pioneered digital transformation, especially through its partnership with bimobject.com. But what were the benefits of transitioning from traditional methods to digital innovation? To shed light on this, we spoke to Akin Cavdar, Digital Planning Specialist at GEALAN, to uncover the insights.
Founded in 1921 as a fur processing company, GEALAN has undergone a remarkable evolution over the past century. From humble beginnings to its current status as one of Europe's foremost manufacturers of plastic profiles for windows and doors, GEALAN's journey is a testament to resilience and innovation. With a workforce of more than 1,600 spread across Europe and annual sales of EUR 345 million in 2023, GEALAN continues to set new benchmarks in the industry.
Digitalization has fundamentally transformed GEALAN’s collaboration with architects and designers, particularly amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated the adoption of methods like BIM. Today, architects and designers rely on online BIM libraries to find objects that meet their project requirements. By tapping into online communities, manufacturers can place their products at the natural path of their target group while simultaneously collecting data and learning from user preferences.
GEALAN’s venture into the world of Building Information Modeling (BIM) was sparked by forward-thinking leadership and a dedication to innovation. GEALAN has embraced the new way of connecting with the AEC community by joining bimobject.com - the global marketplace for BIM content. By joining the platform, they solidified their leading position in the industry by making it simple for architects, engineers, and construction pros to find and use their products for their building projects.
By incorporating digitalization and leveraging BIM, GEALAN has expanded its reach to AEC professionals worldwide. Akin Cavdar remarks that digitalization has transformed their collaboration with architects and designers, who now prefer simpler, digital workflows. Since adopting this approach, GEALAN not only engages with German architects but with professionals worldwide.
GEALAN-KUBUS® profile system defines a new design language for PVC windows in architecture. More light and transparency from the large glass surfaces open up new design possibilities.
As Europe's top manufacturer of PVC profiles for windows and doors, GEALAN understands the importance of digital innovation. They've embraced it by partnering up with BIMobject, which has helped them expand their market and make their brand more visible.
Providing easily accessible, high-quality BIM content is important to offer a good service to architects who use BIM in their daily workflows. In 2017, GEALAN published their BIM content on BIMobject marketplace to reach and engage with its target audience. Akin Cavdar comments:
‘’Partnering with BIMobject provides us with the chance to expand our reach to a broader audience, enhance access to our products, and elevate the user experience.’’
This represents a major change in how companies like GEALAN connect with architects. In the past, they stuck to old-fashioned ways of communication. But now, with platforms like BIMobject, everything's gone digital. Architects and designers appreciate digital solutions because they simplify their work. For GEALAN, it means they can communicate directly with their audience, focusing on being where design decisions happen.
BIMobject’s marketplace features products from over 2,000 building product brands, attracting over 4,000,000 active users and visitors. But what advantages has BIMobject.com brought to GEALAN? According to Akin, it has simplified access to technical information and download of their products for use in popular design platforms.
From the beginning of their BIM journey, GEALAN acknowledged BIMobject as the largest BIM platform, and saw an opportunity to leverage its extensive reach to showcase their products effectively.
GEALAN-acrylcolor® Bronze. Window systems finished with GEALAN-acrylcolor meet the highest technical and functional demands for innovative, colored surfaces. GEALAN is the only system house to offer metallic color shades in this surface technology.
Explore and download GEALAN’s curated BIM objects today.
BIMobject offers its customers a wide range of marketing tools like email campaigns, paid promotions, product ratings, and website integrations. For GEALAN, BIMobject’s suite of tools and features allows them to gather valuable insights into industry trends, architect preferences, and emerging market demands. Akin Cavdar adds:
‘’BIMobject’s tools have significantly increased brand visibility and awareness with our main target audience. Our product promotion campaigns have an immense influence on the visibility of our products. Our numbers can increase up to 200% during different campaigns.'’
Because of these targeted marketing activities, GEALAN has become a top performer and preferred manufacturer in the windows and doors categories on BIMobject, having one of the top 40 most visited product pages in 2023.
Dive into a fest of BIMobject stats here.
For GEALAN, BIMobject’s marketing tools have yielded results, increased engagement, and interest in different regions. For instance, in regions where GEALAN has intensified their marketing efforts based on insights from BIMobject data, they have noted an uptick in downloads, inquiries, and interactions with their BIM content. Their localized strategies have translated into improved brand perception and market penetration. By addressing specific regional preferences, the company has been able to solidify its presence in different markets.
Acknowledging the importance of catering to specifiers, GEALAN not only develops BIM objects they also provide a professional planning tool tailored for windows and doors. Akin comments:
‘’We see BIM as a great way of digitally sharing information with architects and specifiers. We are aware they can benefit from an efficient digital workflow, which ultimately improves the speed and quality of the specification process.’’
A service-minded approach means putting the needs of users first. Besides their offering at BIMobject, GEALAN provides a planning software plug-in that enables architects to create high-quality BIM data for windows and doors, saving hours of manual work. Integration with industry-standard platforms like Revit and ArchiCAD facilitates smooth collaboration between architects, planners, and suppliers. Digital project files can be easily shared, simplifying communication and procurement processes.
Architects frequently highlight the time-saving aspect of GEALAN’s BIM solutions. By utilizing Planersoftware 3.0 and its plug-in/add-on functionalities, architects can create high-quality BIM data for complex window and door elements in a fraction of the time it typically takes.
Their planning tool empowers architects to plan with precision, and their BIM models are designed to cater to different levels of detail (LODs) while maintaining compact file sizes. This ensures efficiency without compromising on data quality.
GEALAN’S relentless pursuit of excellence does not go unnoticed. The company’s approach to digitalization garnered them a prestigious Heinze award that recognizes the best BIM data offering in the industry for three years consecutively.
GEALAN Planersoftware 3.0
Sustainability is a non-negotiable focus for GEALAN. Taking sustainability as a core aspect of their strategy, GEALAN recognizes the urgency of reducing their environmental impact.
GEALAN continually develops more sustainable products and services in close collaboration with suppliers and customers. Internally, the company is on a mission to achieve climate neutrality by 2045.
‘’Sustainability isn't just a catchline for GEALAN; it's deeply ingrained in the company’s future vision. We aim to maximize the use of recycled materials and minimize its environmental footprint across the entire product lifecycle.’’
The company has launched various initiatives to optimize its corporate footprint regarding CO2 emissions. From incorporating recycled materials into product designs to utilizing circular raw materials for PVC mixtures, GEALAN prioritizes sustainability at every stage of product development. The company is committed to sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable sources and minimizing waste through internal training initiatives on waste reduction.
Looking ahead, GEALAN aims to intertwine sustainability with digitalization and product offerings further. Plans include integrating sustainability data, such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and CO2 footprints, into digital platforms like BIMobject. The company is shaping a greener, more environmentally conscious future for the construction industry.
PVC profile system GEALAN-LINEAR®
GEALAN’s BIM offering and partnership with BIMobject puts emphasis on their commitment to customer-centricity. GEALAN has extended their market reach and simplified their access to technical information, empowering architects with more efficient workflows.
Every day, an increasing number of architects and engineers search for manufacturer-specific products for their projects - and BIM is becoming a must in many markets. Professionals in the AEC industry express the urgency of adopting a digital way of working and selling building products. Akin concludes the interview with a piece of advice for building product manufacturers like you who are thinking about investing in BIM:
“At GEALAN, our digital journey has opened new horizons and strengthened our relationship with architects. Through our partnership with BIMobject, we've made our products accessible to a broader audience and facilitated the planning process for construction professionals. For companies considering investing in BIM, I urge them not to hesitate. It's the key to remaining competitive in an increasingly digitized world and meeting the needs of our customers optimally”
Eager to reach specifiers worldwide like GEALAN? Begin your journey by scheduling a demo with us today >>
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