TRADA members want the association to put more emphasis on communication, timber promotion and training, according to a survey undertaken by the organisation at the end of last year.
Respondents to TRADA’s questionnaire rated its research and innovation work highly, but many said they were unaware they could participate in projects. The organisation said this highlighted the need to promote research programmes more actively.
Over half of those surveyed said they regularly used the internet for business, but 80% said they still wanted TRADA to back-up e-mail communication with hard copies. Corporate members were more willing to forego print than professional members such as architects, engineers and specifiers.
According to TRADA, training was an area of its activities valued by many respondents, underlining the merit of its new Rotherham training centre.
Fastening timber to timber and other materials was another area where more research was wanted.
More generic promotion of timber was also called for – not just to architects and specifiers, but also to the timber trade itself to ‘encourage firms to promote their material’.
A total of 1,333 questionnaires were sent out and 245 returned – a response rate of 18%.
TRADA Technology managing director Andrew Abbott said the exercise would ‘feed into new initiatives’ and help the organisation ‘develop closer relationships with members’.
