Telltale Signs That You Need To Replace Your Kitchen Design Software

Is it time-consuming for you to create immersive 3D kitchen designs for your customers? Does your heart drop when you need to backtrack slightly to make changes to the design? Is your current CAD software difficult to use when adding in windows and sloping ceilings?

If you can relate to the above then it might be time to look into an alternative CAD design software that will eliminate the hassle and time taken to design kitchens.

Here’s a list of common telltale signs that you need to replace your kitchen design software:

1. 1. It’s time-consuming to create kitchen designs
2. 2. It’s difficult to generate accurate quotes
3. 3. Problems with outdated product catalogues
4. 4. You struggle to upsell kitchen products easily
5. 5. Multiple clicks to navigate from A to B
6. 6. Poor customer support experience

1) Is it time-consuming and difficult to create a single kitchen design?

If you’re using an outdated kitchen design tool it can be extremely time-consuming to complete relatively simple tasks like drawing the room layout, modifying room dimensions, adding objects, adding lighting, changing cabinet colours and finishes. This problem is magnified when customers like to see and compare more than one design before making their decision.

Winner Design drastically reduces the time required to finalise a design as the software makes use of a host of automated tasks that take the effort out of bringing your visions to life. Need plinths and worktops to flow around cabinets? Different model or colour? Want to change the entire colour scheme / model throughout the entire design? No problem. It’s all done with the click of a button, with no need to rebuild from scratch. You can even create, save and change multiple versions of the same design!

Cumbersome tasks that take hours in other design tools can be achieved in minutes with Winner Design. Here are some examples:

• Sloping ceilings can be added to a design with the click of a button – it’s easy to set the angle of the slope and change the positioning
• Velux windows can be easily placed on a sloping ceiling with any dimension you need
• Windows and doors are easy to drop in, as well as change their positions midway through the design without having to start from scratch
• Quickly add worktops, plinths and upstands to your design – if you choose to move a base unit, all of the associated elements automatically move with it, saving you time and ensuring you don’t miss the little things
• These types of features along with lighting effects and multiple viewing options are what sells the design to customers as they can view their bespoke kitchen in the highest level of detail almost like it’s the real thing.

2) Do you have to generate a quote manually or in another system?

Designers and retailers must spend time calculating a price after creating the design which:

• Opens the door for human error – meaning you might end up of out pocket
• Creating and changing quotes can cause long back-and-forth conversations with the customer until you reach an agreed price
• Designers enjoy the creative part of their job – it’s not a good use of their expertise or their time to produce quotes on a separate system before they can move onto the next design
• Quotes can’t be presented or negotiated with a customer on the spot, which reduces your chance to convert them to a sale quickly or at all, as your first chance of a sale is often your best chance
• Once the design is approved by the customer, retailers often have to refer to multiple physical catalogues to get the different costs and codes to finalise the order; or the retailer must resort to transferring the design to another system to finish this part of the process

With Winner Design, you can quote with certainty as the software automatically generates an exact quote as you assemble the kitchen. Your margins are calculated in real-time, giving you the flexibility to negotiate with your customer. Watch our videos to see this process in action.

3) Are outdated and inaccurate product catalogues a regular problem?

Some software providers fail to provide the most up-to-date product catalogues. Outdated data creates confusion and prevents you from closing the sale as you must backtrack to update your quote and your order. Workarounds are possible but they are time-consuming and often lead to errors.

Our team of 66 global data experts work continuously in partnership with leading manufacturers to ensure that our range of 1,500+ catalogues are accurate from price through to dimensions and specifications. Having accurate catalogue data empowers you to design and quote with confidence, helping you to win more business.

Find the brands you sell from today with our catalogue directory.

4) Do you find it difficult to promote and upsell kitchen products?

As a kitchen retailer, wouldn’t it be fantastic if you could drastically improve the way you upsell products?

Product Navigator is an extra module of Winner Design that transforms your sales team into product experts by allowing them to easily search, compare and upsell products.

• Easily search all products using key attributes, such as type, product features, dimensions and price to find exactly what you need.
• Effortlessly compare different brands and models side-by-side, so that you can guide customers to select the ideal one.
• Import the chosen appliances directly into your plans in Winner Design. Add them to your design drawing, product lists and quotes in just a few clicks, saving you time and ensuring accuracy.

5) It’s hard to find what you need quickly when designing

Other kitchen CAD programs rely heavily on technical knowledge and specific keyboard shortcuts to get from A to B.

Winner Design uses standard Windows actions and therefore there is no need to learn another computer language. Get to what you need in fewer clicks with our clean and modern UI that makes designing even easier. On average you can complete a design with 150 fewer clicks compared to other software providers.

6) There is little or no software support from your current CAD software

Many customers agree to a contract only to receive very little support or guidance on how to successfully use the software. As a result, the designers must teach themselves through trial and error, often picking up “bad habits” along the way.

Compusoft offers exceptional training and support. We provide comprehensive training programs for those who are either new to Winner Design or those who want to develop their skills even further.

Have a question? Feel like you’re going round in circles trying to figure something out? We resolve customer queries within 6 minutes on average and 92% of queries are answered on the first contact.

Design, showcase, quote and order in minutes, not hours with Winner Design

We realise that the process of replacing your current kitchen CAD design system is a minefield. As with any large scale change, it’s no secret that there might be teething issues, however the growth in terms of your productivity and your ability to convert more sales quickly will far outweigh the time and preparation required to make the switch.

  As a next step we recommend watching our 4 minute online demo to see how Winner Design works.

  Or if you’d like an estimate of how much time and money you could save designing kitchens then take a look at our free online calculator.