It doesn’t seem too long ago that the timber sector was wrestling with its first computer systems at the dawn of the age information technology. Now, Jason Ruddle believes, design software is helping to shape the way that the industry develops and giving it a sharper competitive edge.

He also maintains that the reinvention of MBA Computing, the specialist in computer aided design systems to the construction sector, as Consultec Ltd will give added impetus to the exploitation of new computer technology in the timber industry.

Mr Ruddle, who was recently appointed managing director of the new business, speaks with some experience of the sector. He joined MBA Computing in 1997, starting out s a software trainer and support technician.

Over the years MBA became a leader in the design of CAD systems to the construction and timber using market, enjoying particular success in timber frame.

“We now have over 57 companies using our timber frame systems around the UK and Ireland,” said Mr Ruddle, “and one of the leading players, Stewart Milne Timber Systems, has been with us for 10 years.”

The successful MBA business was given still greater clout in the market by being part of Eleco, the listed building systems and software group, and at the beginning of this year its back-up resources were strengthened further when its parent bought Consultec Group AB of Sweden. This company specialises in estimating, planning, on-site management and timber engineering software and is a Swedish market leader. It was a logical move for Eleco, and its new acquisition dovetailed perfectly with MBA.

“The purchase also more or less coincided with the departure of MBA’s founder, so the strategic view was taken that it would be a good time to restructure our company and for us to adopt the name of the bigger Consultec business, given that we had so many synergy opportunities,” said Mr Ruddle.

Anglo-Swedish partnership

He stressed that the restyling did not amount to a takeover by one business of the other. The Swedish and UK Consultecs continue to operate autonomously and develop product separately for their own markets. “But we do work closely together, in fact all 54 of Consultec’s Swedish staff came over this year for the company’s annual conference,” said Mr Ruddle. “Our Swedish colleagues will also adapt our products for the Nordic markets, while we Anglicize theirs.”

The aim of the Anglo-Swedish Consultec team is to create software systems that make designing, engineering and manufacturing timber building components and structures easier, quicker and more accurate.

“Just a few years ago in timber frame all the design and calculations work was done manually,” said Mr Ruddle. “Our software speeds up the process, enabling companies to take on more projects and it may even have helped to tempt new players into the market place because it makes the work more straightforward.”

Easy interface

Thanks to its modular ‘architecture’, the timber frame software has been picked up by different sizes of company, and the users range from architects and designers, to the timber frame kit makers themselves.

“In developing the system, we’ve also worked closely with companies in related fields – the I-beam makers, trussed rafter producers and machinery manufacturers – so our software can interface easily with their design and production software and systems,” said Mr Ruddle.

“We are also in close contact with the architectural and design community to ensure the software keeps abreast of developments in their field.”

Consultec in Sweden has been impressed with the UK timber frame software and will look to adapt it for the Nordic market. The first fruits of Consultec Ltd adapting Swedish software for the UK are already out in the market. Probably making the biggest impact so far is StairCon, a Windows-based design system for designing, ‘visualising’ and planning bespoke and standard staircases.

“We tweaked the system for UK customers, adding new features and taking account of the fact that we do more straight flights than the Swedes, who prefer their stairs winding round and round!” said Mr Ruddle.

“Since the StairCon launch at the last Woodmex, we’ve had fantastic response. Our first official UK user, the Essex staircase maker and truss fabricator Bolt Building Supplies, is fully up and running. We are also in the process of signing up a leading Irish company making 5,000 staircases a year, and another in Somerset and we’re in talks with two other major manufacturers.”

Training

As with all its software, Consultec offers on or off-site training for StairCon and it’s modular so businesses large and small can take the components they need and upgrade and add to its capabilities as they want.

“We also work closely with the key stair machine makers, like Maka, Biesse and Masterwood, so StairCon links effectively with their products and CAM systems,” said Mr Ruddle.

Other Nordic Consultec systems now tailored to the UK market are PlanCon, billed as a “powerful project planning tool for the construction industry” and BidCon, an estimation software package, both of which can work in isolation or in conjunction with other Consultec products.

And there are more projects are in the pipeline.

“We’ve got new releases in October in our core timber frame product and we’re increasing our UK sales team,” said Mr Ruddle. “We’ve also got big plans to raise our profile generally. Over the next 18 months you’re going to see a lot more of Consultec!”