The first major project undertaken by Nigel, Paul and father Edward Stead, after purchasing Wolverhampton-based SJK Furniture, was a commission for the new grandstand at Royal Ascot – using Cabinet Vision. This prestigious job paid for the software many times over.
The Steads had been actively looking for a suitable business to purchase as a family for some time when they bought the company in February 2005. Their individual areas of expertise – Edward had his own joinery business, Nigel was a design engineer and Paul an IT specialist – has proved a winning combination in transforming SJK into the vibrant business it is today, with a team of skilled craftsman using the latest technology.
“We identified Cabinet Vision as being the leading software for bespoke cabinet making,” explains Nigel. “We trawled exhibitions to find out what was available, talked to others in the bespoke furniture business and trialled the most promising systems. Cabinet Vision was probably the most expensive, but it was able to do everything we required of it – and more.”
The £150,000 project for Royal Ascot involved designing and manufacturing cabinetry for 265 private boxes and shared kitchen areas in the new grandstand. Joe Royster of ERI – the company that project managed the refurbishment work – was able to visit SJK to sit down with Nigel and view accurate and photorealistic 3D images on Cabinet Vision to see exactly how the finished project would look. Alterations could then be made and the automatically updated version of the design viewed and approved, there and then – saving a considerable amount of time.
“Cabinet Vision can be described as a 360° solution,” says Nigel. “It allows you to model a design from the initial enquiry stage through to production. Accurate manufacturing information is generated automatically, providing all the data needed to produce the finished item. The comprehensive estimating facility allows us to streamline our materials order process so that wastage is kept to a minimum.”
When the family took over the company there was no historical data available but within a year all the technical information had been entered into the Cabinet Vision system. The flexibility of the software allowed SJK to reverse engineer many designs and the company now has 100% control over products, materials and costs from start to finish.
“At first, we had to handwrite machine code which was laborious and time-consuming,” says Nigel. “With Cabinet Vision, machine-ready code is produced in seconds directly from our updated designs.
“Because Cabinet Vision allows you to accurately plan the materials required for each job, it is not necessary for us to hold large quantities of stock. Our board supplier is a local company so it can be ordered as and when needed. Turnaround has fallen dramatically from typically 6-8 to 3-4 weeks.”
The inherent flexibility of Cabinet Vision has allowed SJK to tackle a range of different jobs from manufacturing the centre column armrest base for the Land Rover Freelander and headboard posts for Sharps Bedrooms, to routing oval cut-outs to accommodate number plates in thousands of seats for the new Wembley stadium.
“It’s safe to say that without Cabinet Vision we would not be where we are today,” concludes Nigel. “We didn’t have to wait months or years to realise the benefits – the results were immediate and our initial investment has paid for itself many times over.”
Established for more than 14 years, SJK designs and manufactures furniture for customers principally in the office, education and healthcare markets. The family-owned company combines the latest in CNC technology and design software with skilled craftsmanship to produce high quality bespoke solutions. For more information visit www.sjkfurniture.co.uk
28/11/2007
