The market of flooring systems in Poland

Abstract

The range of functions and the expectations of the users of flooring systems indicate that apart from purely construction-related (i.e. general construction) characteristics, floors used as partition elements have the potential to meet various customer needs on the construction market. Therefore, they constitute interesting research material not only for specialists in the building sector, but also for economists. The aim of this article is to present the results of a survey of the determinants of selection of flooring systems, the popularity of the specific systems on the Polish market, as well as to present the customer needs map as a universal tool in the customer service process on the example of flooring systems. The paper was prepared on the basis of the available literature, as well as the quantitative research carried out in the period from September 2015 to February 2016. The research results indicate that the influential factors taken into consideration in the process of selection of a given flooring system are construction parameters, the speed of assembly and the final cost. Among the key technical parameters influencing customers’ decisions one may list noise insulation, thermal insulation and lower surface finishing. In Poland, monolithic and multi-rib beam-and-block (Teriva-type) flooring systems prevail. Based on the factors and criteria set out in the survey, a special map of customer needs relevant for the process of selection of a flooring system has been created. Among other purposes, the map is supposed to enable more profound relation with customers, individualization, streamlining and unification of the customer service process, as well as better understanding of their needs.