Shelby Shipman, Author at MBCI Site

Advances in Ordering Metal Building Products Online

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Shelby Shipman

You’ve heard it before: “Online is the way of the future!” but do online solutions really meet the demands of traditional building? In recent blog posts, we’ve outlined the general benefits of using an online ordering platform to order metal building products. These include the customized metal roof and wall panels and trim MBCI offers. Beyond basic ordering functionalities (which are must-haves for an effective tool), there are additional features that manufacturers can incorporate to save you time and help you effectively build your projects when ordering metal online.

Time-saving features that improve ordering metal online include:

Copying and Merging Online Carts: Sophisticated online ordering tools now feature the ability to copy previously-created quotes, quote templates and/or orders. Once copied and/or merged, you can then modify item attributes like color and gauge to suit your preferences. These tools can also feature the ability to merge all items from several sources into a single, combined cart.

Consolidated Carts: Some online ordering tools take care to consider not just the actual tool functionality, but the experience people have when using it. Part of this is ensuring users can quickly and easily view order details. Enhanced online ordering websites are attempting to achieve this by grouping like-products together—thus reducing the number of pages included for each quote or order. This not only cuts down on the amount of scroll time needed to view an entire quote or order, but enables you to quickly and easily see the most important details.

Changing Multiple Items at Once: Large quotes and orders often require that the same specifications apply across a series of different items. For example, you may want the same panels but in a different color, texture or thickness. Likewise, you may even want to remove entire product types (like panels or trim). Instead of modifying cart items one at a time, you can now change to several products at once.

Complete Building Assemblies: Ordering metal online helps make getting the products you need easier and faster. But what if you know what you want to build, but aren’t sure about all the products you’ll need to get the job done? Online ordering tools like MBCI’s now provide a selection of “Building Assemblies” that group all products needed to complete a project into single, pre-defined bundles.These complete product assemblies allow you to put all the metal building products you need for an entire building into your online ordering cart with just a few clicks of your mouse. In addition to saving time and effort, these assemblies can include warranty protection if all other conditions are met. Note that it’s also possible to remove specific products (like fasteners, sealant, etc.) if you already have them.

Account Management Improvements: Controlling who can place orders has been a key benefit of many online ordering systems. However, based on customer feedback, MBCI has overhauled this part of our tool, making it much easier for your organization’s designated account administrator to add and modify users, as well as set access and spending limits and track user activity within the system. Overall, these seemingly basic improvements allow you to more effectively manage your business.

View All Quotes and Orders: Common to many e-commerce sites, only the user who creates the quotes and/or orders generated through their account can see them. However, because most organizations rely on several people collaborating to best service their customers, more sophisticated capabilities are required. New features now allow your company’s online account administrator to grant multiple users access to view quotes and orders while controlling the level of detail shared. This allows your team access to the information they need to effectively do their jobs while also protecting sensitive details at your discretion.

Industry-first features like these further support building contractors, project managers and suppliers in meeting the needs of their customers and clients when ordering metal online. MBCI has recognized the value tools and features like these can provide. As more people shift toward ordering metal online, we aim to continue enacting improvements that positively impact the overall MBCI ordering process.

To find out more about ordering metal online, including how to price, quote and place orders, visit http://www.mbci.com/shop or contact your local MBCI representative today. To be the first to know when we launch new time-saving enhancements to our online ordering tool, stay tuned to our blog, email and social media posts.

Ordering Custom Products Online

Posted on January 22, 2019 by Shelby Shipman

In a prior blog post, we introduced the capability of ordering metal roof and wall panels, trim and building components online using the MBCI online ordering website. While most people are familiar with ordering products on the internet from a list of standard offerings, there is another exciting aspect to these sites–custom items can be ordered online too! That means instead of needing to call or meet in person to place a custom order with a sales rep during business hours, custom trim and structural products can be ordered online anytime. Here’s how it works.

When Standard Isn’t Enough

Most companies with online ordering websites offer products in standard shapes and lengths. Recognizing that not every job is standard, the MBCI online ordering website offers customers the ability to order custom trim and structural products online 24/7. Using the dedicated “Custom Trim” or “Custom Structural” product categories, you can select the type of trim or structural product you want and indicate all of the specifications desired. These include steel thickness, color, stretch-out (the width of the material before it’s bent), breaks needed in the trim, hems and other features.

Not every job is standard. To ensure you and your clients have exactly what’s needed, you can now create quotes and place orders for custom trim online at shop.MBCI.com.

Visualizing Custom Products Online

Even with the ability to set custom specifications, sometimes visuals are needed to ensure products are manufactured correctly. MBCI takes product customization a step further by enabling you to add hand-drawn or drafted drawings to show the complete layout of the product as a supplement to the selected specifications.

If drawings have already been prepared, they can be easily uploaded and linked to your MBCI order in any common electronic file format. If drawings aren’t already done, MBCI’s online ordering website provides an easy-to-use template that walks you through how to create simple hand-drawn or digital drawings.

A Time-Saving Process

Once all of the custom information is entered for your product(s) and you’ve reviewed for accuracy, simply add the item(s) to your cart. This process can be repeated for as many custom trim and structural products required. Additionally, you can save each custom item you create with it’s own product name to quickly add them to future orders.

Online ordering tools that offer a quick and seamless way to include custom trim and structural products in addition to standard items can save you time and help your business run more efficiently. The ability to customize products online makes it significantly easier to do business with the material supplier, particularly since most other online tools only allow standard products to be ordered.

To find out more about how to quote, order and build custom and standard products online, visit http://www.mbci.com/shop or contact your local MBCI representative to get signed up today. To be the first to know when we launch new time-saving enhancements to our online ordering tool, stay tuned to our blog, email and social media posts. Upcoming features include the ability to:

copy and merge items from multiple quotes onto one,
edit multiple items at one time,
add entire product packages (assemblies) based on building specifications,
and more!

Quote Online. Order Online. Build Your Business.

Posted on September 14, 2018 by Shelby Shipman

The age of electronic commerce is firmly in place. It seems that just about anything can be ordered and paid for online then shipped directly to customers. Since this makes the process of buying and selling so much more convenient and efficient, it is exciting to see that this method can be used to order metal roof and wall panels, trim, accessories and even steel-curtain roll-up doors! MBCI is among one of the first metal building component manufacturers to offer an online ordering service to contractors, building owners and other customers. Here are some of the benefits to those who take advantage of this very timely e-commerce tool:

It’s as simple as filling out your contact and company information to get started!

Simple and Safe Account Set-Up

Getting started using an online ordering website is usually quick and easy and only requires that you provide little more than basic company and contact information. Once those details are provided, your account verification and activation generally takes a few business days. This may seem like a long time to some—particularly in comparison to those e-commerce businesses that allow almost immediate account activation and even ordering by guests without accounts. However, instantaneous account approval methods often don’t allow for the customization and specialized pricing that online ordering services like MBCI’s do, and that verification and customization does take some time.

For those who have already done business with their selected retailer offline, historical account information can typically be linked to their new online account, including any unique pricing agreements. And, of course, sensitive information held within online ordering accounts can be kept safe using appropriate online security methods and password protection to keep everyone’s mind at ease when doing business online.

Immediate and Accurate Product Pricing

The biggest benefit of online ordering tools is often the convenience of getting quick, accurate, pricing information anytime it is needed. When a quote is sought for a project of any size, customers can simply log into their online ordering account and view up-to-date information related to all of their quote queries and order transactions. Some online ordering platforms like MBCI’s even include a “Quick Price” tool that enables users to search for specific products and set customized attributes for them to get an accurate price for that item immediately, all based on either unique or general pricing agreements. An added bonus is that when changes are made to pricing agreements, quotes and preferences, their impact can be seen in real time.

Time-Saving Features

When working under a deadline, you don’t always have time to wait for a sales representative to process your order manually. And besides, who has time to wait even when there are no deadlines! Instead of relying on others to receive accurate quotes each time you need to find pricing or place an order, you can use an online ordering tool to save time by:

The Quick Price Tool allows for users to get immediate accurate pricing on any product.(pricing subject to change)

creating as many custom quotes as you like and submitting orders anytime, anywhere and from any device—even when sales offices are closed
saving items as favorites for quick reference
creating custom quote templates for frequently-ordered product combinations

While online ordering is inherently faster than more traditional processes, these tools help speed up the process even further.

Intuitive Order Checkout Process

Once you’ve customized the products you need for your project(s) and added them to your cart, you are now ready to checkout. Online ordering makes this easy by providing fields that capture all necessary information like shipping address, delivery instructions, jobsite contact and more to help prevent delays in getting your material delivered. In addition, a variety of payment methods are often available, including purchase orders and even credit cards, allowing you to select the method you prefer best. An added benefit of ordering online is that once you’ve set your preferences, your account remembers them and helps you reduce the repeated entry of information that rarely changes.

Order Status Visibility

Another benefit to doing business online is that anytime you need to know the status of an in-progress or already-completed order, a quick glance at your online account should provide all the information you need. In most cases, you can check an order status by simply clicking on it to view details like the order confirmation and shipping status, which can also be easily shared with colleagues.

Account Management

Using the eCommerce tool, you can manage spending limits and employee permissions with the click of a few buttons.

Most online ordering websites feature a robust suite of administrative tools that make it possible to easily:

manage employee access
designate which employees are allowed to purchase
set spending limits on those employees and
assign customers to specific employees within a sales team.

In addition, account management tools can make it very easy to view detailed reporting that shows order trends by product type, order time-frame and more. They also allow you to enable notifications to track updates and changes and build an integrated, company-wide address book to expedite order checkout.

With benefits like those listed above, it’s no wonder that businesses are transitioning to this digital means of operation. To find out more about how MBCI’s online ordering tool can help you quickly create quotes with accurate pricing, order the products you need to start building, and save time so you can focus on your business, visit http://www.mbci.com/shop/ or contact your local MBCI representative.

Nice Curves! Stunning Architecture with Curved Roofing and Walls

Posted on September 30, 2016March 29, 2022 by Shelby Shipman

Breaking away from simpler panels, more and more architects are experimenting with arched and curved metal roofing and wall panels to upgrade their designs. This enables designers to incorporate exciting elements like concave and convex curving, not as feasible with other cladding materials.

Combined with unique angles, increased edge finishing options, appealing gutter options and greater compatibility with shingle types, architects now have access to a greater assortment of mix-and-match options.

For example, at Owens Community College in Findlay, Ohio, a regal red, double-curved canopy crowns the curtainwall with 15,500 square feet of 22-gauge curved metal roof panels. Designed by Rooney Clinger Murray Architects, the structural roofing panel system, fabricated by MBCI, is ASTM tested for air infiltration and water penetration, and incorporates a 2-inch tall standing seam that was field seamed during the installation process. The contractor, Charles Construction Services, won the American General Contractors (AGC) Build Ohio Award for “New Construction Under $10 Million.”

For Owens Community College, the Curved BattenLok® metal panels in red accentuate the arch of the campus, making it the focal point of the building.

Another noteworthy curved design example is the Central Los Angeles Area High School #9, designed by HMC Architects. “Metal enabled us to clad buildings of different geometries, including curved geometries, in one material, while also giving them a special appearance,” reported Kerstin Kohl, spokesperson for the project’s design architect, COOP HIMMELB(L)AU, in a Metal Construction Association case study, Steeling Art for Students.

Using CAD and BIM for Curved Metal Panels

For designing and fine-tuning curved metal creations, the latest CAD and BIM features are key tools for architects.

In creating the “geometry that has been freed from the relentlessness of the orthogonal layout,” as described by Mark Dewalt, AIA, principal at Valerio Dewalt Train, in a recent article in Metal Architecture magazine, New Trends in Metal Architecture, designers are using CAD in shop drawings to support unique façade fabrication.

“The use of computer design to warp and twist and perforate will give metal greater longevity, added Kevin Marshall, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, associate architect, Integrated Design Solutions.

Similarly, BIM software is further supporting enhanced compatibility with metal roof and wall designs with newer features such as automated light gauge steel wall framing work and the ability to more easily configure supporting structures, openings, complex L or T connections and service hole positions while providing photorealistic renderings so that the client can see exactly how their building will look once built.

West Haven City Hall combines MBCI’s Curved BattenLok® in Copper Metallic with Artisan® Series and Flat Sheet.

Ensuring a Tight Building Enclosure with Curves

As with any roofing type, designing and installing a tight building enclosure for curved roofing and walls is essential for delivering a high performing building.

For starters, architects must choose an appropriate vapor retarder, especially in cooler climates and interior relative humidity levels of 45 percent or greater. Also, buildings with high humidity interiors and construction elements that may release moisture after the roof is installed–such as interior concrete and masonry, plaster finishes and fuel-burning heater– require special considerations when choosing vapor retarders.

With utility clips, some curved panels will lay tight to the wood deck, but if tin tabs are used to attach the moisture barrier to the wood deck, then they will need to be covered to prevent the tabs from rusting the back side of the panels. Similarly, plastic washers may not be the best option as they run the risk of impacting the panels, resulting in undesired aesthetics. Rather, peel and stick membranes are a preferred underlayment because they eliminate the potential of underlayment fasteners penetrating or dimpling the panels.

A Savvy Look for Design

Whether it’s wavy, circular or some other exciting soft geometric shape, curved metal roofing and walls open up all kinds of new design possibilities. Out of the box, literally, architects are actively producing exciting, eye-catching creations with these welcomed capabilities.

Design and Color Trends in New Metal Construction

Posted on September 9, 2016 by Shelby Shipman

Design and color trends in metal roofing products are not exactly black and white. In fact, a whole host of options are available when choosing textures and colors for new metal construction projects, depending on specific criteria. Some are practical, some are aesthetic—but all are shaping how designers are specifying metal products, coatings and paints. Let’s walk through a few of the top trends in the industry now.

More color options for coil coatings

Through vertical integration, manufacturers are offering more color options than ever.

It used to be that coil options were limited to standard stock choices and availability was determined by the coil coaters. Now, with evolving industry strategies, such as NCI’s vertical integration, many more manufacturers are properly positioned to enter into the market with multiple color choices across multiple brands without as much deviation. This also allows manufacturers to quickly adapt to requests for custom colors—both internally or externally.

Ratings and regulations are leading to more energy-efficient choices

Moreover, color requests based on aesthetics and paint systems have evolved based on changing code requirements. For additional benefits, specifiers can turn to many rating systems, such as the Cool Roof Rating Council and ENERGY STAR®, as well as earn LEED points by having specific SRI (Solar Reflectance Index) values.

Much has changed over the past 10 to 15 years. For instance, the components industry has evolved from customers merely selecting colors based on preference to a more integrated approach accounting for aesthetics, cost and energy efficiency. Today, owners and architects are more likely to consider a color such as Solar White to save on insurance or receive tax rebates. Environmental considerations and regulations have changed the way customers purchase steel, incorporating such issues as unique regulations for different states and weather conditions, LEED points and reflectivity into the atmosphere.

Insulated metal panels used in higher-end architectural projects

Another design trend in the industry is a move towards insulated panels, mimicking what is typical in the aluminum composite material (ACM) world. High-end car dealerships are known for design with ACM. This includes blocked-off designs that can be elongated, can be different colors or have joints in different places. This application has been ACM’s primary wheelhouse for decades. Now that ACM manufacturers have entered into the insulated metal panel (IMP) industry, more of the design community is considering a thinner, horizontal IMP. The intention is to replicate the appearance of an ACM panel, while reaping the major cost and insulating benefits of IMPs.

Depth of color and texture: the rise of metallic colors

Architecturally, more metallic paints are being used. Historically, metal panels were white, tan or Galvalume. The current trend has expanded to a wider color palette, including mica fluoropolymer. These metallic coatings give depth to the color, adding sheen and sparkle. In fact, there are actually metal flecks in the paint. Metal oxide-coated mica pigments offer up the metallic look and add to the durability.

Vasa Fitness in Lehi, Utah features MBCI’s FW-120 panel in Signature® 300 Silver Metallic paint.

What’s behind this trend? Designers are thinking about metal roofs in a whole new way. They are looking to leverage colors and properties of paint to bring out a unique architectural appearance not previously available.

Conclusion

Trends in metal construction are as broad as the choices of color and coatings. Whether a reaction to energy savings criteria or simply a desire of an educated consumer to bring new life to their project, it’s worth taking the time to investigate all your options when specifying your next metal project.