Information based delivery system for sprayed polyurethane foam in roofing

This paper describes the results of a three year research effort to reshape a Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) roofing manufacturer's delivery system from a "low-bid," marketing system, into an information based delivery system. The objective of this program is to develop a high-performance product sector that is based on performance information, parallel to the existing commodity sector that is based on low price. This paper describes an SPF roofing delivery system aiming at the following: 1. Use of Information Measurement Theory to identify performance criteria. 2. Use the performance information to increase the "perceived" and actual value of the installed system. 3. Allow the facility owner and their representatives to impact the contractor's rating to motivate a higher level of performance. 4. Allow contractors to relate better to various requirements depending on the type of work, facility owner preferences, and performance/price relationships. 5. Increase the market share for a high performance SPF roofing system. 6. Eliminate several business problems that affect performance of SPF systems. This program infers that the performance information is the best way to reduce liability risk of the contractor and manufacturer. The participants also realized that using performance information is the best way to maintain profit margins in a very competitive marketplace.