A global vision with a local perspective
IKTG catches up with Hexagon’s Michael Pettit and Chip Martin to talk about the latest updates to CABINET VISION and how the Irish market leads the way for trends in the EMEA software market.
Michael Pettit, Business Development Director, and Chip Martin, Market & Product Manager, Hexagon
CABINET VISION, one of Hexagon’s premier products, has developed a reputation as the must-have design for manufacturing software since its introduction to the Irish kitchen market in 1999.
The product’s tag line ‘from screen to machine’ reiterates how CABINET VISION incorporates all design and manufacturing attributes in one system, streamlining the process for its end users.
The software is predominately adopted by manufacturers and kitchen retailers, alongside its sister product ALPHACAM, which is an essential tool for component and door manufacturing.
‘From its origin, CABINET VISION has been designed for woodworkers,’ says Michael Pettit, Business Development Director, Hexagon. ‘It’s very easy to train users in and it automates a lot of CAD functionality that is often longhand in other systems. One of the programmes biggest strengths is that it will run virtually automatically in an autonomous factory and can create all the manufacturing data instinctively from the design to labels, sawing information, delivery documents, and more.’
When IKTG speaks to Hexagon they are busy prepping for the latest release of CABINET VISION, Version 2022.1. Launching on May 19, the newest version has an added focus on functionality.
‘We’ve made the user experience more intuitive,’ says Chip Martin, Market & Product Manager, Hexagon. ‘It’s easier to layout rooms and this version encourages less user interaction, allowing the computer to do even more of the heavy lifting.’
With regular updates each year – encompassing a main release followed by incremental functionality tweaks – Hexagon can react very quickly to engage with any new machinery on the market.
‘Our products have evolved a lot over the years because manufacturing and design have evolved a lot over the years,’ says Chip. ‘Tastes have changed and our software has to be flexible enough to visualise those trends while ensuring the design is manufacturable.’
As a multinational company, turning over in excess $4bn per year, Hexagon is able to draw from a plethora of markets, not only reacting to trends as they develop but also foreseeing where the industry is moving.
‘Hexagon has a suite of products in the manufacturing arena that can expand a company’s capabilities through one supplier,’ says Michael.
‘A good example of that would be Geosystems, which is a large division of Hexagon,’ agrees Chip. ‘They create laser measuring devices which draw the room for the designer while they measure up – it’s that kind of synergy that we take advantage of within Hexagon.’
When CABINET VISION first originated in 1983, it was the US market that set the pace for the rest of the world but in recent decades the team has seen a shift towards regional trends moving outwards.
‘Certainly, from an EMEA standpoint, the Irish market has led developmental change on what we do on this side of the world,’ says Michael. ‘The standard of manufacturing in Ireland has led the way; it’s hugely innovative and something we have leveraged off and vice versa.
‘I would go as far as to say that the Irish market is one of the most successful markets for us globally. Northern Ireland is a hub for wood manufacturers, and a lot of those would be customers of ours for either ALPHACAM or CABINET VISION, we’ve very much embraced those manufacturers and learned directly from them what their needs are.’
Without meaningful communication with its customer base the brand wouldn’t be able to continue delivering the standard of product its users have become accustomed to. In both the North and Republic of Ireland Hexagon has a dedicated team on the ground meeting and building relationships with longstanding and new customers.
At the height of Covid lockdowns Hexagon was forced to reimagine this approach and introduce regular webinars as a way of staying in touch with its customer base.
‘The webinars were exceptionally popular as people utilised the opportunity to further their skills and add extra functionality to their products. One of the benefits of the pandemic is that we now see huge value in that ongoing communication with our customers in smaller bite sized ways; it’s really changed our mindset in how we communicate,’ says Michael.
However, Hexagon is no stranger to virtual support having established an online community which celebrates 21 years in July. With 11,000 members, CABINET VISION’s customer portal is one of the most successful communities within the Hexagon organisation.
‘You can service 11,000 people more effectively in an online platform than through individual phone calls,’ says Chip. ‘It’s a very vibrant community and they talk about trends and how best to use the software; it’s amazing to see all these customers around the world working together.’
As lockdown measures have relaxed and businesses are returning to some semblance of normality, in-person training for Hexagon products has returned. This can be done onsite or remotely in Ireland with the opportunity for office-based training for UK customers.
‘It’s important to us that our customers are using the latest version of the program and are getting the support they need to use it effectively,’ says Michael. ‘It takes a huge amount of effort and good will to get a customer on side so customer service is probably one of our highest priorities because we want to keep that customer and ensure the investment they have made is optimised.’
Recently the market has shifted with more customers opting for a subscription-based service due to a number of reasons. Whether a customer chooses a maintenance contract, which incorporates the latest updates and additional benefits, or a maintenance subscription, unlimited tech support is available.
‘We’re very open to that and try to be flexible as possible to work with a company’s financial situation,’ says Michael.
‘We keep our fingers on the pulse of the industry and part of my job role is to constantly engage with all of our partners to deliver the best possible product from design right through to service, so we’re constantly evolving, not only reacting to what has already happened but anticipating where the business is going next. We’re primarily a technology company and innovation is what the business is built on.’
