From micro-enterprises to global corporations, if we were to look for things in common, I am sure all professionals would agree that success in business is impossible without planning, especially in the long term. Business planning was important during the economic downturn, but it has not received nearly as much attention as it does today.
With the end of the Great Recession in 2010, few would have thought that setting business strategy goals would no longer need to be done every 5-10 years, but every 3-5, or even 1-2 in the present day. This is true because, after the war and inflationary recession that followed the COVID crisis, and after the dramatic rise in energy prices, people’s mindsets have changed so much that short planning periods are no longer a temporary situation, but a fundamental necessity.
This means that, however short the planning period, whatever the sector of the economy, the development strategy of the company must be technically sound. Of course, well-prepared business leaders also know that to be successful, implementation, translation into practice, and professional process management are as important as a good plan, because the quality of these will determine the success of the strategy.
Sustainability or feasibility?
Perhaps the most difficult variable to plan for in the context of accelerating political and economic change (apart from the human factor), is the volatility of energy prices and the transformation of the whole energy market, where sustainability and operability have become equivalent and increasingly even overtake feasibility criteria. This confirms the importance of planning: it cannot be a static operation but must cover all the main aspects of the project (such as economic operation, return on investment in time, or quality product/service provision). A good example of this is the planning of spa and leisure baths and hotel pools as an economic sector that has been and still is heavily affected by the rise and volatility of energy prices.
Spa design processes in the 21st century
Due to the energy intensity of the sector, high-quality professional design is needed to achieve sustainable, fault-free, water-efficient, and health-friendly operation in the long term, which also ensures a faster return on the additional resources invested in quality design. This requires designers with the “bathing” experience and knowledge of bathing operations that relatively few architects have. Without this, many unavoidable changes may be made during construction or, worse still, major alterations may be required after completion – which can result in significant additional costs for the client.
Watercomp Institute
When designing a complete water engineering, cleaning, and disinfection system for spas or hotels, it is important for designers to rely not only on their own experience, but also on the advice of recognised experts with outstanding knowledge and experience in this field. Based on 28 years of professional experience, Watercomp Institute can draw on its knowledge gained in the design phase of more than 55 spas and leisure baths to provide high-level professional support and advice on the most important issues to be decided before the design starts: water circulation and building services technology, degree of automation, placement of components, chemical treatment (chlorine or chlorine-free), method of operation (in-house staff or external contractor), maintenance/repair, and any other issues that may arise.