iPro™ software from Sema4C liberates EWP dealers

Huge changes in technology in the timber building industry and, in particular, the software industry, have meant that the variety of purchasing options has never been greater. In turn, the desire for liberty in terms of software suppliers is even more important.

Dealers of engineered wood I-joists no longer have to be tied into a single supplier’s design software thanks to a new universal design program from multidisciplinary consultancy C4Ci. This software is also available now through SEMA4c, a company with which C4Ci has formed a collaborative partnership.

The iPro™ software designs, schedules and costs any EWP (engineered wood product) floor irrespective of the brand of I-joist being employed. The system marks a radical departure from the established practice whereby the EWP system owners provide their dealer network with software tailored only to their products.

Historically, this has meant that each customer is effectively tied in to one single joist supplier since changing suppliers would mean having to install an entirely new software system along with the complexity of redesign and training. iPro™ (EC5 version), offers the dealer a one-time switch. From then on, they will be able to design with any joist system which will strategically open up the dealers options.

Dealers who are considering a change of supplier – either voluntarily or due to a supplier pulling out of the market, as has happened in the past – would benefit from switching to an independent design package at the same time. They will in any case have to go through the process of learning a new software system but at least with iPro, the dealer will henceforth have control over their design software and never have to worry about switching again.

iPro™ is unique in that it has been developed by a team of professionals, each of whom has years of experience in the management, design and selling of I-joist floor systems. iPro™ (EC5 version) has all the features that a dealer would want from design through to scheduling, costing and optimising floor cassettes and roofs.

James Sweet of SEMA4c explains:
“The team has produced software which, for the first time, gives dealers the option to design with any joist system and provide strategic flexibility to change easily in the future. The software is interoperable with other business software applications and is congruent with Architectural DWG files, avoiding the need for redraw and having the ability to pass the file back to the architect or building designer in its native format, with the completed design in the file.”
iPro™ is the first truly generic EWP floor design package in Europe and the first to allow dealers to take full control of their design capability.

For more information, please call 07798 676610, email james.sweet@sema4c.com or visit www.sema4c.com.