2.1 Conclusions

The way FCR production is organised is in two main categories which will to be looked at separately where producer and user are the same where producer and user are different

- In the case of producer and user (customer) being the same individual or organisation, the problems are more production orientated. The aim of this type of organisation will be to get products at a good standard for its own use.

- Acceptance of the product is easier in such cases, because the users are involved in the production process. The marketing problem does not have to be faced.

- Economics are not purely valued in profit but in socio-economic benefits such as

· job creation
· foreign currency savings
· use of local materials
· improvement of roofing-technology

- In the case where the producer and user are not the same, marketing becomes the main problem; quality standards and costs will be judged by the market. In this case, FCR is in competition with other roofing materials such as clay tiles, asbestos-cement, galvanized corrugated iron-sheets. Transport adds another special problem to this form of organisational set-up.

- The buyer will ask for guarantees from the producer. The producer might be able to give guarantees for the product but he has no influence on how the roofing materials are mounted on the roof.

- Acceptance by the users which are not involved in the production process will be much more difficult to obtain.

- There is not a definitive answer of how production should be organized. Successful production and self-use or production for the open market depend on the local situation of course. Nevertheless, the preconditions for success seem to be better, if producer and user are the same.

- The various forms that producer - user relationships might take will influence both the potential scope for the organisation and in particular, the constraints upon it. It is important for it to be aware of this.

- A licensing system has not yet been established for FCR technology.