David Powles Kitchens discusses WoodCAM

Precise pricing makes all the difference at David Powles Kitchens

Based in Shepparton, Victoria, David Powles Kitchens is a highly respected and experienced kitchen designer and cabinet maker. The team of 10 completes more than 250 kitchens each year – mainly for the renovation market but also for commercial clients such as the Riverside Plaza and Parklake Motel in Shepparton.

With this volume of work coming through the business, it is very important to get the pricing on each job exactly right – as the underquoted jobs soon add up and can represent a huge loss in revenue.

The ability to accurately calculate the cost of production on each job was one of the main reasons why owner David Powles sought a cabinet making software solution. Having scoured the market for the best software, he chose WoodCAM – and, since implementing it in 2010, he and his team have never looked back.

From guesswork to pin-point accuracy

“Before WoodCAM was installed in our workshop, we had nothing. Each job was manually quoted – we would use a per-metre rate and multiply that by a figure that we’d estimate was right. It really was guesswork,” said Powles.

There was also guesswork involved in the amount of materials needed for each job – which subsequently resulted in a lot of excess ordering of materials.

Enter WoodCAM. David Powles Kitchens uses the software to cost every job that comes through the workshop. With five or six kitchens coming through each week at an average price of $6,000, the elimination of manual error has made a big impact on the efficiency of the business.

“Instead of using a rough per-metre rate and guessing at what we’d need, WoodCAM does everything. It counts screws, hinges, how many sheets of board we need – giving us a precise list of all the materials and how much it will cost,” Powles said.

The team uses the WoodCAM report to order the right volume of materials from suppliers, which has also helped to control stock levels in the workshop.

One step ahead in a competitive market

“The way our industry is heading, you need to be really accurate and professional in the way you run your business. With so much competition, you need to present a great front to your customers” said Powles.

Using WoodCAM in combination with kitchen design software KD Max, David Powles Kitchens certainly leaves a good impression.

“When we present to our clients, they know exactly what they’re getting and we know exactly what the costs will be. By knowing what our margins are for each job, we have more confidence to plan ahead,” he said.

“With WoodCAM, our turnaround times have improved significantly; and of course the accuracy of our pricing has gone through the roof. For a very reasonable outlay – WoodCAM was not a costly investment – we are now enjoying a more streamlined operation overall.”