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3D product configuration – Making the impossible, easy

There are many benefits to 3D production configuration, from increasing the volume of furniture sales to streamlining the process for you and your customers. But let’s think about this with a quick question: How many configurations is it possible to assemble with six six-by-two LEGO blocks? It seems like a straightforward answer, perhaps a low number, you might guess somewhere near 100. In fact, the answer is much higher.

The puzzle was first attempted in 1974 when LEGO mathematicians arrived at the number 102,981,500. Mathematician Søren Eilers would later crunch the numbers through a computer program to arrive at a much more massive number – nearly a billion, or 915,103,765 combinations, to be precise. What has this got to do with 3D product configuration software?

Like with the LEGO bricks, there are many ways to configure furniture and other products, but the bits that make up those products are certainly going to be more than six of the same shape. This makes that maths question exponentially more complicated as the possibilities are almost endless.

In addition to this abstract concept, in the real world, customisation has been taking off in a big way over the past ten years or so, as consumers become increasingly used to shopping online and ordering products just as they want them. In turn, manufacturers have had to up their game and update their design and manufacturing processes to be able to keep pace with increasingly demanding customers.

We now live in an age of mass-customised production—where consumers can put together mass-produced parts in so many configurations, that a means to test and visualise the most optimal configurations, for both customers and manufacturers, is crucial. That’s where 3D product visualisation comes in.

Benefits of configuration design software for manufacturers

Increase volume of furniture sales: Firstly, having a design configuration tool with 3D product visualisation on your website is kind of like a toy for customers; they will be enticed to play with the product configurator for furniture and create their own products in the virtual world. Those looking to make a purchase will be more likely to buy from you over someone who doesn’t offer such a tool, and those who are not yet looking to buy will be more likely to return to you once they are ready. This can only translate into an increased volume of furniture sales.

Streamline the process, from conception to production: The design configuration tool will only allow customers to model those options that are possible to produce, so no specialist knowledge is necessary. The customer can choose what they want, safe in the knowledge that it can be manufactured as shown. This streamlines the whole process from conception of the idea to production as only the end customer and the factory need be involved.

Easier, more immediate integration/Catalogues always up to date: Because the software is connected to the Cloud, products can be integrated into the configurator as soon as they come on the market. Similarly, if something changes with a product—if it’s removed from the catalogue, updated, or if something else is altered—this can be fed into the system as soon as the change happens too. This all means that your customers can be safe in the knowledge that your catalogues are always up to date.

Data collection: With online design configuration software, it is possible to collect data which might be useful for market analysis. For example, the data may indicate customer preferences and point towards trends as you will be able to see which materials, products, colours etc. are selected most frequently. In addition, although it might not be possible to collect data from individual users, it is possible to trace where those users came from geographically. So, this type of data collection has potential for allowing you to tailor your offering based on the preferences of those users in a particular location.

Stand out from the crowd: Coming back to where we started, 3D configuration software will allow you to stand out from the crowd and make more of an impact. Making your products customisable will only help you get ahead.

Benefits of configuration design software for customers

Firstly, the customer can configure the product to their own specifications, making it more likely that they will be 100% happy with it and that it will suit their needs. They can play with all the possible configurations until they’re satisfied they have the ones they need. Being able to configure products also empowers the customer as it gives them ownership over the thing they create.

Users can see their configurations in three dimensions through 3D product visualisation. They can zoom in and rotate the model in order to properly examine each aspect, and the product configurator for furniture is easy to use with a simple and intuitive interface that guides the user through the process.

After configuring a product, the user can save a picture of their creation, which can then be shared.

Finally, no special requirements are needed in terms of computing power as nothing needs installing. The design configurator runs directly from the user’s browser and can be accessed directly on the manufacturer’s website.

Customisation and personalisation are BIG business and they’re only going to grow as consumers demand increasingly more from their online shopping experiences.

We want it all, we want it OUR WAY, and we want it NOW. That is why a 3D configurator is a vital tool, now and in the future, for the huge role it has to play in the shopper’s buying journey. To find out more about how 3D configuration software could help your business, click here.