"The Now Society"

by Mike Morton, Modular Technology, Inc.

Everyday, the world seems to speed up just a little more. Photographs are developed in an hour, an entire family meal is handed to you within two minutes of your order, eyeglasses are ground and fitted while you wait. No more standing in line, wasting time at the bank, either. ATMs let you walk right up and handle your transaction on the spot. Actually, you don't even need to take the time to get out of your car anymore.

No one under the age of forty-five is immune from the effects these advances have made on our culture. No longer will we stand for the turtle-slow mail to take our messages. We send our letters overnight, or if that's too slow, we fax them. Better yet, e-mail it instantaneously. We are all captives of this "Now Society." Instantly is still just a little too slow for us these days. People of the Now Society live by the adage, "I want it yesterday."

Members of the Now Society are a new breed. The ability to get it and have it now outweighs all other factors in their decision-making process. Automobile dealerships know this best and use it against their customers. An interested buyer may step onto the car lot with a specific vehicle in mind. She probably figured a beige interior, cherry red paint job and a nice conservative list of options. However, that exact car is not on the lot today. Special ordering will take approximately eight weeks for delivery. Chances are, that car buyer will select a beautiful blue car with some additional options that is parked just fifty feet away so she can drive it home today. Automobile dealerships have discovered that the people of the Now Society no longer have any patience, so they stock as many variations of their cars as they can. Their profits prove the success of this tactic.

Even more amazing is the trend for the Now Society to place more value on time than cost. It doesn't matter that to get a letter delivered tomorrow will average about $15, whereas normal two to three day mail is a measly 32¢. The majority of catalog companies find that their customers want their orders shipped overnight, even with the additional charges. How often do you find yourself paying an extra $5, $20 or more just so you can have that dress or new set of golf clubs or new office equipment today rather than next week?

So how does this observation of today's customers affect you, me and the modular building industry? It means we need to capitalize on our greatest asset: providing buildings NOW! Modular buildings are no longer purchased because they cost less, as in the past. Instead, they are purchased because they can be provided sooner than by any other method of construction. This asset of ours is extremely significant and continues to move our industry forward. You are all aware that schools need to limit construction to fit within their vacation schedules to eliminate disruptions to their campuses and students. Corporations have the need for immediate office space upon receipt of a large new contract. Sales organizations need their operations up and running as soon as possible to increase their number of revenue generation days. These members of the Now Society and many others benefit from the time savings our modular method of construction offers.

As our society progresses faster and faster, our industry needs to adjust to the pace and stay focused on our advantage over other forms of building construction. We can take a lesson from old Aesop's fable, the Hare and the Tortoise. If the hare had stayed focused and capitalized on his speed advantage rather than stopping along the way to take a nap, the poor tortoise would have been blown off the track before he got past the starting line. Each of us in our industry must avoid becoming the "hare" in this traditional fable. If you are currently quoting 120 day delivery due to the manufacturer's backlog, the slow and steady pace of the site-built contractor is going to win the race and re- capture our market share. Remember, a Now Society customer wants it now and is going to buy it from someone that can provide it now.

Are you currently napping along the way, or are you focused on your advantage and making the adjustments necessary to maintain this advantage? Are you a Now Society supplier?