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Commercial Interiors
  • Design and sell office, healthcare and educational spaces in 2D and 3D
  • Specify using over 175 manufacturers from our global database
  • Accurate calculations and specifications supported by built-in Parametric Graphical Configuration (PGC)

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Kitchen & Bath
  • Design and sell kitchen, bath and closet spaces in 2D and 3D 
  • Draw, specify and order with ease and in real time alongside your customers
  • Accurate calculations and specifications supported by built-in Parametric Graphical Configuration (PGC)

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MATERIAL HANDLING
  • Lay out warehouse and storage spaces in 2D and 3D
  • Draw, specify, sell and order warehousing solutions with ease
  • Accurate calculations and specifications supported by built-in Parametric Graphical Configuration (PGC)

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CET is an all-in-one software solution for space planning and configuration of products.

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Use Spec as a stand-alone quoting tool or import from CET CI or other industry design tools.

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CET is an all-in-one software solution for space planning and configuration of products.

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Visualize layouts in less time using dynamic product symbols not attached to a specific brand.

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CET is an all-in-one software solution for space planning and configuration of products.
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ConfiguraWed, Dec 21, '223 min read

Learn from the Past to Create the Future: Space Planning and Design SaaS

In today’s digital world, nearly every space planning and design employee has a computer with advanced software to create and manipulate designs. How did we get here? 

 

A brief history of software development 

 

Throughout most of the 20th century, until the 1980s and 90s, computers were not widely available. It can be hard to believe because so many of us around the world today live with technology—our phones, tablets and laptops. Not too long ago, though, the first computers could fill and entire room and were used primarily by engineers, universities and research institutions.   

As the power of the computer became well-known, and the size of the machines became manageable, businesses—and eventually individual households—began employing the technology on a regular basis.  

To ensure user efficiency and satisfaction, computers for home and business needed to run programs that could be used by non-experts.  The need for reliable programs gave rise to the birth of computer programming as a profession. Business big and small began hiring programmers and code writers.  

A computer programmer in the early days was not the same as a programmer today. In the space planning and design industry specifically, early attempts at software were bulky and far from intuitive, although they could crunch numbers and visualize spaces faster than using pencil, stencils and paper.  

 

A shift to workstations  

 

It’s hard for us to imagine a desk without a computer, but these machines were not always a central part of office workspaces. Instead, in the early days of computing, the enormous machines were housed in separate rooms. Programmers would write code, bring the work to a dispatcher and then the code would get queued for processing. It was a tedious process. Programming and computing were two different jobs, and there was no interaction between the programmer and the actual computer.  

Since the 1960s, software has improved tremendously. New languages were created, and complex systems made way for better tools and methodologies. There are now procedural, modular and object-oriented ways of programming, all of which became more intuitive and advanced when personal workstations came on the scene in the mid-1970s.  

Workstations were a giant leap forward, particularly for people using computers for design. The mouse and screen displays with increasing resolution made work faster and easier. Workstations were powerful enough to allow for serious software development, complex computations and a compiler for advanced programming languages. 

saas

 

Introducing Software as a Service (Saas)  

 

First coined using the abbreviation SaaS in 2001, the Software as a Service concept describes a system where no installation is needed as software is hosted under an Application Service Provider, and a monthly or annual subscription fee is paid so that many employees can use the software. 

Unlike traditional software packages, SaaS programming involves providing software services on demand through centralized management.

Three major benefits of SaaS include:

  1. Cost reduction—in part due to the reduced need of an outsourced work force
  2. Customization—since one hardware and software are used, businesses and customers can customize their experience
  3. Social collaboration—interaction between users enables the sharing of information and ideas

The software industry is leaning into the license subscription business model. This model offers access to services like product upgrades, training opportunities and even a user community beyond the software itself. 

 

Software in space planning and design  

 

Software can be tricky to navigate, especially in the commercial interiors, kitchen and bath and material handling industries. As history shows, software is constantly evolving and ever changing to best meet user needs.  

Designing spaces, incorporating product catalogues, quoting projects and sharing visual renderings can involve the use of multiple programs and expensive technology. If those solutions don’t work well together, that can raise costs. A SaaS solution that addresses several needs is worth pursuing.   

CET is an all-in-one SaaS solution. You don’t have to create layouts in one program, specify in another, work on renderings in a third, submit an order in a fourth and print preview installation drawings in a fifth. It’s all in one. Plus, each license provides users with access to a library of helpful articles, the opportunity to register for individual or group training and on-demand support via our robust user community.

Ultimately, employing SaaS to integrate all steps of the design process within CET is about seamless workflow.

 

As designer Jared Sinclair has said, “Good design is about process, not product.” 

 

For additional information about SaaS ROI, especially using the CET suite, check out our 7-part blog series. 

LEARN MORE

 

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Configura

Founded in 1990, Configura Sverige AB creates software solutions that help businesses and people around the globe design spaces and sell configurable products in the commercial interiors, material handling and kitchen and bath industries. Configura’s software products include CET Commercial Interiors, CET Material Handling, CET Kitchen & Bath, Design Studio, Stage, Spec and more. Configura also has a growing user community of thousands of designers, salespeople, dealerships and manufacturers around the globe that use Configura’s products.

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