ADS Life Cycle Cost Analysis

CS spoke to Interior Product Solutions Business Development Manager, Mike Delin, to learn the backstory behind our recently updated whitepaper, Interior Doors Life Cycle Cost Analysis, and to see how Acrovyn Doors stack up against other doors in the market:

How did you gather the data for the whitepaper?

The original study was about 14 years ago. We spoke to stakeholders at facilities across various markets to get their insights. Our goal was to understand differences related to the cost of ownership, operating costs and maintenance costs over the lifespan of plastic laminate, hollow metal, wood veneer and Acrovyn Doors.

What do the results show?

Customers often focus on the initial investment to purchase a door. But that’s not the full story. To get the true cost of ownership, you have to factor in upfront costs plus the cost to repair and replace a door, and labor and materials over time.

What’s new in this updated version?

We updated the whitepaper with current pricing to reflect the initial investment costs on all door categories. And also updated labor and material costs to reflect 2023 numbers.

Labor and other costs can vary across regions. How did you arrive at the pricing?

Labor and material costs are based on published reports that are national averages. Door initial investment costs were derived from different sources across the country and averaged together to make the analysis as accurate and objective as possible.

What’s the big takeaway?

Acrovyn Doors cost more if you only look at upfront costs. That’s not the case when you look at total costs over time. Also, what the analysis doesn’t quantify is the hassle of doors that need to be repaired and replaced starting almost from day one of opening a new facility. Doors that damage easily without replacement options become an eyesore for clients and staff – and may become a liability issue if they cannot perform as intended.

What’s important to know about owning Acrovyn Doors over time?

We’ve been producing Acrovyn Doors for 18 years. Some customers still have their original doors and others have since standardized on Acrovyn Doors because they hold up so well under duress. In 2010, we introduced our Edge of a Lifetime warranty that offers customers a free replacement edge if their edge is ever damaged.

The whitepaper is a powerful tool that can help owners, architects and designers make purchasing decisions when choosing doors. It isn’t designed to show how much cheaper Acrovyn Doors are over time. Rather, the value proposition can be summed up like this:

Although our doors come with a higher initial investment, they aren’t more expensive when you apply the cost of ownership. Other doors will need attention a few months after a building first opens. With the Acrovyn Door, you hang them and have peace of mind for 10-plus years.

Imagine buying a brand-new car and knocking off the side-view mirror. Then imagine that instead of just replacing the mirror, you had to buy a whole new car. That’s the difference between Acrovyn Doors and other door options.