Tech Savvy

Tech Savvy

From AutoCAD to cell phones, the kitchen and bath industry is becoming increasingly automated,  sources say.

BY BARBARA CAPELLA LOEHR

And with clients being more tech savvy as well as more design savvy than ever before, designers and dealers are responding to their needs in more cutting-edge ways, note manufacturers.

"[Plus], now the cost of technology has decreased, making it easier to incorporate technology into daily operations and making the adoption rate higher," observes Vipul Shah, v.p./operations for NoWag, Inc.

"What we're seeing in the kitchen and bath industry is the automation of it, through CAD programs [and] on-line catalogs. You can design on the fly if the software has a pricing model and a cabinet list. And, if there are other options, it makes costing the job a lot easier," notes Tim Hmelar, president of NoWag, Inc. in Mountain View, CA.

"What we see is a continuing trend toward graphical design tools," agrees Igor Krichevsky, v.p./business development for 20-20 Technologies Inc. in Laval, Quebec, Canada. "The other trend we're seeing is that design tools are becoming connected to business tools so that you can create a design, send it through an electronic ordering process and then send it to the manufacturer into its ERP system."

According to Krichevsky, there are several advantages to this second trend: "There is no re-keying of orders, and no mistakes or delays being introduced We are seeing dealers understanding and embracing this type of software more and more, realizing the benefits and becoming more effective and efficient."

TECH TOOLS
Certainly, there's a plethora of software, hardware and tech gadgets on the market that can help designers and dealers in their daily operations. But, how do designers decide what they need, and what they can live without?

"The big thing that we're now seeing is that clients are wanting to be more involved in the design process, so designers need to be able to help them create and visualize their design," says Scott Harris, v.p./sales and marketing for Chief Architect in Couer d'Alene, ID. He notes that clients are becoming very visual.
In fact, "consumers are using their cell phones to snap pictures, and compiling their thoughts into a digital scrapbook," he adds.

As a result, Harris believes, at the very least, designers and dealers should have an AutoCAD program in place to provide visuals for clients.

Darryl Weekly, retail sales manager for Planit Solutions Inc. in Tuscaloosa, AL, concurs, noting that most of his designer, architect and cabinet manufacturer clients are using software programs that take them from the CAD stage to the manufacturing process.

"It creates perspectives for the client Then, you can break out countertops, walls, cabinets, etc. and hand them out to installers to show them exactly what they need to do. And, you can price out the entire job, from installation and labor fees to taxes. Some CAD programs even have PowerPoint wizards," Weekly explains.

He further notes how many designers are taking their CAD-equipped laptops into the field and into clients' homes to show them exactly what can be done in their kitchens and baths.

For cabinet manufacturers, Weekly believes that CAM software that can generate cut lists and materials lists would help them save money on wasted cuts and lumber costs. He also sees CNC machines dropping dramatically in price so that even mom-and-pop cabinet shops can afford them.

Miguel Merida-Nicolich, general manager for Microcad Software, Inc. in Cresskill, NJ, sees integration of hand-held laser meters into software, Web-based applications and the expansion of the range of products offered in catalogs to include items such as closets and some light office material as technology that's up-and-coming.

Hmelar lists cell phones, CAD software, e-mail, laptops and portable printers as current must-haves for design professionals. He also cites software that bundles spreadsheet capabilities, PDAs with digital camera capabilities, GPSs, wireless Web capabilities and Web-based applications as the next must-haves, or soon-to-be must-haves.