Cătălin Datcu, National Sales Manager
“Each project comes with its own particularities (…) there is no “standard door” that fits perfectly everywhere. That is why, for us, customization is not a commercial advantage – it is a technical necessity .”
Behind every functional building stand carefully considered technical decisions, and access is not just a simple entry point, but an essential part of safety, flows, and user comfort. This is why KADRA approaches every project as a unique challenge, where customization becomes the key to correct and durable solutions.
In construction, details make the difference – and access solutions cannot be treated as mere finishing touches. From hospitals and sports arenas to logistics centers or public buildings, each project has its own particularities, and complete standardization does not work. This is where the KADRA team steps in, taking on the role of technical partner, present from the earliest stages and involved all the way through to final acceptance. Customization, says Cătălin Datcu, National Sales Manager at KADRA, is not an “extra” we offer to clients, but a technical necessity, without which functionality and long-term durability could not be guaranteed.
1. Does the client always know what they want? What needs to be clarified before they say: “I need you to install a door for visitors/patients, etc.”?
Cătălin Datcu: Most of our projects are complex, large-scale ones: hospitals, logistics centers, sports arenas, etc. In their case, access solutions usually come with predefined requirements — either from the designer, the builder, or the final beneficiary. Our role, as the KADRA sales and tendering teams, is to join this process as a technical partner who understands the context, regulations, and on-site challenges.
We work together with all project partners to define the real need as clearly as possible and to adapt, whenever necessary, the solutions initially planned. Because in practice, constraints or particularities may arise that require adjustments.
In the medical field, for example, we collaborate directly with doctors to understand how a space should function: flows, circulation directions, access times, hygiene levels, or airtightness. Wherever we can contribute to a more efficient solution, we do so — always with respect for the work and role of each project partner.
What are we really aiming for? To deliver a complete solution, adapted exactly to the on-site needs, that works flawlessly and in the long term. For this reason, our consultancy starts in the early stages of the project and continues all the way to final installation.
2. How important is the moment when you start a project? What happens when access solutions are treated as a final detail?
CD: Our approach is the same, no matter when we are involved in a project: we go on site, analyze the reality on the ground, review the proposed solutions, and come with adapted recommendations. We do not rely exclusively on the project documents, such as the joinery schedule – because we know how dynamic site conditions are and how important it is to have correct, applicable, compliant solutions.
Where adjustments are needed, we discuss openly with all project partners: contractor, beneficiary, designer. It is a technical collaboration that seeks compliance with regulations – for example, NP 015, which refers to the design and verification of hospital buildings and related installations, or P118, concerning fire safety in buildings – and to avoid later problems during acceptance or inspections by the Fire Safety Inspectorate, which is increasingly involved in verification phases.
That said, the major difference is made by the moment when we are included in the project. If we are involved early, during the design phase, our products and solutions are costed correctly, and the budget is much closer to the final reality. In complex projects, which unfold over long periods of time, it often happens that some of the initial estimates are exceeded by the time execution begins – which can generate the need for additional budget allocation.
Our consultancy, offered free of charge, is the way we put our experience at the disposal of everyone involved. For the contractor, it means receiving from the very beginning all information related to door swing directions, dimensions, and installation details — without the risk of on-site modifications. For the designer, it means access to validated solutions that are easy to integrate into the project, including dedicated tools such as the BIM models for Tormed doors. And for the beneficiary, consultancy ensures that their real needs will be met through a coherent, functional, and durable solution.
At the end of the day, for us, everyone is a beneficiary — and our role is to support each one with the know-how accumulated over hundreds of projects.
3. Standard solutions vs. customized solutions: which one actually wins in practice?
CD: Every project has its own particularities — in terms of space, flows, functionality, budget, and regulations. In reality, there is no “standard door” that fits perfectly everywhere. That is why, for us, customization is not a commercial advantage — it is a technical necessity.
Our colleagues in the KADRA sales and tendering team know the entire portfolio very well — which is vast — and they know exactly how to select the product that best meets the on-site requirements. Whether we are talking about automatic doors, fire-rated doors, or smoke hatches, we always start from the concrete reality of the project. And, most importantly, from dialogue.
Our consultancy also includes direct meetings with those who will use the solutions — for example, in hospitals, we often discuss with doctors to understand how access should function in certain critical areas. We start from real, documented needs, which allows us to provide a fully customized solution down to the smallest detail.
We are often asked: “What makes your solution different?” The answer is simple: the level of functionality, durability, and project integration. Customization does not mean just a “made-to-order” product; it is a coherent package: from technical consultancy and design to installation, maintenance, and ensuring long-term performance.
4. Budget constraints vs. quality requirements — how do you reconcile the two in a project that must last over time, not just work at the start?
CD: Budget is always an important factor in a project, especially in large-scale ones, where every adjustment can have a significant impact. Naturally, doors appear later in the timeline of a construction project, after many other stages have been completed and the budget has already been partially spent. In this context, it is normal that sometimes there is a need to optimize or adjust costs, including in the access segment.
This is precisely why our involvement from the design phase can make a difference: a well-prepared quotation, based on real and updated solutions, provides much better control over the final budget. KADRA’s consultancy — included in every project — helps all partners correctly anticipate needs, avoid overlaps or modifications, and remain within the project’s technical and financial parameters.
On the quality side, we are already seeing a shift in the market — a maturation in decision-making. Many of our partners choose to personally verify the quality difference, and KADRA teams support this process through mock-ups and on-site technical demonstrations. When the solution is visibly stronger, more efficient, and easier to integrate, the decision comes naturally. Ultimately, a well-chosen and correctly installed solution is the one that delivers durability, safety, and worry-free operation.
5. How does KADRA respond to the challenges of such diverse and complex projects on the market? What added value does an integrated team, actively present on site, bring?
CD: KADRA’s portfolio includes a multitude of projects — not just in terms of volume, but also diversity: hospitals, public buildings, commercial spaces, logistics centers, and industrial facilities. We provide different solutions, tailored to each context, which requires a clear understanding of needs as well as a real capacity for integration.
One of the strengths of our team is that our sales engineers work on site, side by side with the project managers implementing the solutions. They gather information directly from the site, observe, adapt, and together find the most suitable options. It is a hands-on approach, supported by solid training: each colleague goes through a well-structured induction process, followed by periodic training sessions with our premium suppliers, such as Record or Came — companies with whom we have strong partnerships and that keep us connected to the latest technologies.
This integrated way of working means that our partners have a single point of contact, but access to a full range of solutions. From tendering to implementation and service, we can cover all requirements in the access area.
6. What trends do you see in the market today? And what does KADRA do differently, concretely, to anticipate them?
CD: We see a clear direction of development in the market on multiple levels. Large infrastructure projects — especially hospitals and sports arenas — are gaining increasing momentum, and this growth brings both technical challenges and real opportunities for integrated access solutions. In the logistics and industrial infrastructure sector — factories, production centers — we anticipate moderate but steady growth, while the public and private parking segment is already in an accelerated development phase, especially through the implementation of smart solutions that bring direct benefits to local authorities and operators.
KADRA remains active and involved in all these directions, with a special focus on medical infrastructure, where large regional projects are upcoming that will require staged, long-term consultancy. At the same time, we are strengthening our position in the HoReCa segment — particularly in the hotel sector — as well as in complex logistics projects, where we can provide a wide range of solutions, from turnstiles to docking ramps or intelligent parking systems. Our approach remains holistic, with genuine involvement from the consultancy phase through to implementation — and with a team ready to respond concretely to the needs of each sector.
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