by Let’s begin with a thought experiment. Spaceship or lifeboat, which one are you in?
That question and those metaphors make an excellent starting point for a conversation on digital ecosystems for manufacturers and 3D technology teams in the furniture industry. The answer depends on how far along you — and the industry — are in the development of the ecosystem.
Are we cast on turbulent seas with limited resources and struggling for individual survival? Or do the market and emerging technologies dictate that greater integration and cooperation are desirable and indeed inevitable?
Reality is, we exist in the tension between those two metaphors. We exist in our own individual competitions as businesses, but the world and technology draw us ever closer and sometimes blur the lines between competition and collaboration. A daily reminder is only a news cycle away. Increasingly, manufacturers can’t look to work vertically in their own space and field of expertise but must look horizontally along the customer’s journey and path to purchase.
Beyond 3D: destination digital ecosystem
As the post-covid market evolves, manufacturers are being pushed to improve time to market, create engaging content and close more deals. Digital ecosystems are made possible by technological advances and have allowed for new ways of collaboration between manufacturers, suppliers, vendors, service providers and sometimes even competitors.
3D visualization technologies simplify the process of configuring and visualizing furniture and offer to reduce order-processing errors, improve return rates and make retail sales associate training quicker and easier.
Everything in the furniture industry today takes place in an interconnected ecosystem. Physical outlets, sales channels, retail partners and their sales representatives, designers and e-tailers all play a role in influencing the final purchase decision.
Flora and fauna: how to grow it
The thing about ecosystems is that it takes more than one participant for it to exist and thrive. Century Furniture is an example of a manufacturer fully integrating an industry-leading 3D configurator engine throughout its ecosystem. Century’s bestselling sectional can now be configured live in countless variations on partner retailers’ websites. At retail, high-end interior design firm Theory Design Studio based in Florida provides clients with a curated selection of brands to furnish their spaces, and Century Furniture is among them.
“Our partners — retailers and interior designers — and their customers need robust tools to help make complex products more easily understandable. It also helps us train and tether our partners and their customers to our brand. It makes us ‘sticky,’ and that’s powerful,” said Guy Holbrook, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Century.
Amazon is perhaps the largest and most prominent example of a digital ecosystem. The company first constructed an enormous server network for its e-commerce endeavors. That led to renting server capacity to other businesses. Amazon Web Services was then formed not only to serve other companies’ computing needs but as a platform from which to launch other Amazon products like Music, Video and Amazon Studios, among other things. Amazon subsequently allowed outside businesses to work within and benefit from the ecosystem — a win-win for the companies and Amazon.
The housing industry serves as an example of a digital ecosystem on a smaller scale. Enterprising companies are working to form start-to-finish systems that follow the customer from property searches and comparisons, mortgage selection, moving, switching utilities and cable, to home-improvement options.
Getting to the promise land
3D visualization companies offer great promise, and many make extravagant claims with respect to conversion rates and sales increases. Success, however, depends to a large extent on how the technology is deployed. The key to unlocking the promise of 3D visualization is not only for manufacturers to use the technology themselves but to employ it throughout the sales funnel, throughout their own digital ecosystem.
Without a doubt, 3D technology is a tremendous asset when properly deployed throughout the sales chain. But it is a process that takes time and trust to develop, implement, and continually nurture to remain relevant and competitive. If you are considering 3D technology for your business, then you are in it for the long game. You already have the mindset of a marathoner, which is what’s needed for successful implementation and integration.
Rome was not built in a day. A digital ecosystem is no different because it is the foundation of a modern business, built for a thriving commerce and future growth.
Home News Now contributor Michal Stachowski is co-founder and chief visualization officer at Intiaro, a software company based in Greensboro, North Carolina that specializes in the home furnishings industry.
