THE SO WHAT? WITH JOE SCHUMAKER FCSI
the mic drop definition F
Independence:
or design consultants, it’s simple: we do not make any money from the sale of food or equipment. Mic drop. Te end.
Joe Schumaker FCSI ruminates on the true nature of objectivity for FCSI Professional members
What we must do instead is be ferocious learners. About our industry, clients, and the equipment we specify to serve those clients. To fulfil that, it’s essential we learn all we can about the equipment we’re specifying. We need to know everything about the equipment so we can help make the right selection for our clients’ needs. Some manufacturers do a good job of
earning that specification, but many have been forced – by an industry intent on nickel and diming itself – to try and buy that specification from more unscrupulous designer/dealers instead. Our job as independent consultants is to
deflect those influences as best we can. It’s about holding the line. Ensuring we remain impartial when it comes to equipment specification. Te problem is, sometimes it can be hard to understand where that line is. Is it OK for a manufacturer to fly a
JOE SCHUMAKER FCSI Based in Idaho, Joe Schumaker FCSI is the founder and CEO of FoodSpace
FURTHER DETAILS: So what do you think? Join the debate by contacting Joe:
10 joe@myfoodspace com
consultant to their facility to show us new products? Yes. Although I fully understand why some consultants prefer to pay their own way. Is it OK for them to try to pay for other trips not associated with a project or factory tour? Absolutely not. Tat’s where we must hold the line for us to be truly independent consultants. Tere is a gray area where we as consultants can get into some complicated issues. I believe there is zero reason why a manufacturer can’t pay me to design a Revit family for a new brand of equipment, because I’m transacting my services and my time, however that leads to the question: does that subconsciously make me, as a
consultant, more biased to that brand? Tere are some within FCSI who do believe there is an unconscious bias, but I believe people can make the right decision in that scenario. Why? Because a good consultant is always going to consciously make the right specification decision for their client. At FoodSpace we recently held a
Combi-Challenge Competition where we tested a range of combi-ovens under several different conditions to determine their strengths and weaknesses. We didn’t buy the ovens, they were shipped to us, temporarily. Am I now subconsciously drawn to just those brands? Te answer is no, I am not, but us being able to test those products will help us make the most unbiased specification possible in the future. As consultants, isn’t that what we’re dealing with every day, anyway? What’s the difference, if we’re seeing equipment at a trade show, a supplier’s factory, or in a test kitchen? If we’re taking
the extra effort to educate ourselves on the equipment then we’re the least biased. Our spec is the least ‘bought’. Tat’s how I define independence.
Tat does not mean that manufacturers
can’t pay us for services. Tey can still be our customer, partner, friend, and we can still be unbiased. Our client is paying us for our unbiased spec. Our expertise. Our years of experience. Being a Professional member of FCSI and adhering to the code of ethics makes us stronger as independent consultants. We must keep that integrity and turn that into a strength. Can a commission-based dealer designer specify from that same place of integrity? Tey cannot. Mic drop. Te end.
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