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Technical experts come from among us

Answer:
A technical expert offers an opinion, which is given to the best of his ability. However, in days when lawyers and accountants have so much force, the expert is careful to give a disclaimer.
One such expert is Laurie Barker, the founder of the company now known as Altherm or First Aluminium.
His disclaimer says, “This considered opinion is given without prejudice and is based on my considerable experience in the window industry in design, product prototype testing and development, and involvement with the relevant standards. Acceptance of this report is conditional on acknowledging that I cannot be held responsible for error or omission resulting from, or loss arising from, the use of this report.”
In the early days of the Aluminum Association (now the Window Association of NZ), the need to carry out assessments was part of voluntary service to others in the association.
“We sometimes got consumer complaints, or a cry for help from one of our fabricating members about a product that wasn’t considered good enough by the client and he wasn’t going to pay... So on a voluntary basis we used to have two from opposing brands go out....
“We didn’t give written reports . We told them verbally what we thought [which] they already
Why do we read?
Answer:
Did you notice that industry related free posts got a lot heavier about a year ago, asks Richard
Vetter of Peninsula Roofing and Scaffolding in Whitianga.
“Nowadays, PlaceMakers, Carters and Mastertrade all put out their own newsletters
and kick in features of people and builders. With the other free stuff that arrives, we are
inundated with material.”
Richard says he takes care of it once he has a spare half hour.
“I quickly flick through. Most of it is not important enough to spend time on and
that’s the truth of it. Most of us are so busy already with our business structure that it’s
the rare magazine that gets read.” That’s what happens with RoofLink, the magazine of
probably knew but had painted themselves into a corner and couldn’t face up to. So they resolved the thing or accepted what we said and got on with the washing.”
Demands for assessments grew as he continued with the association. Some senior staff in companies did not have a technical background. The sale of his company ended a business connection with a particular brand and his “donkey’s years of experience” including membership of standards committees and the Branz board meant that requests for assessment continued, even when he retired.
As Laurie Barker Window Consultants Ltd, he now performs the assessment service for a fee.
“They ask for my opinion,” says Laurie. “I give them my opinion. It’s my honest opinion. They come to me because they think I have got certain expertise... They can dispute it and can do what they like with it.”
He says the increasing specialisation and degrees of education, lead to plenty of competence but perhaps in a very narrow field. Technical staff are usually behind the Cad machine and most managers are accountants or quantity surveyors.
“Old buggers like me we’ve done it all, starting by making the tea,” Laurie says. n