36 | Sector Focus: Software
SUMMARY
■Kitchens International has been exploring how AI can assist its designers
■Microsoft’s Copilot AI tool assists in automating back-office tasks
■MGM Timber launched an online service and e-commerce platform for DIY and trade customers
■Spec3D is a totally new brand within the Donaldson Group
EMBRACING CHANGE
Les Calder, chief technology officer at the Donaldson Group discusses technological advancements in the sector and how the Donaldson Group is embracing change and driving innovation
This is a fascinating time to be working in technology and IT. There has been real acceleration of digital innovation in recent years, and we can see change taking place, bringing many benefits to our industry. Increased automation can speed up processes, but it also makes them less labour- intensive, which helps to drive diversity and attract a new generation of talent into the industry. New technologies are also advancing product development and elevating the client experience. The positives – and opportunities for improvement – are endless.
At the Donaldson Group, our goal is to challenge and change the industry to be more sustainable, more innovative and more efficient. As proud pioneers in the construction sector, we’re keen to consider new ways of working with emerging technologies, while also tackling the current problems of skills shortages. We’re investing in and strengthening our customer experience, with a focus on digitisation, automation and artificial intelligence (AI). We want to ensure that we’re at the forefront of digital technology, while
challenging ourselves to think outside the box; be more innovative and explore new avenues.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE One of the most exciting new avenues to explore in our sector is how we best utilise AI. I’ve seen many technologies being heralded as the next industrial revolution, but this is the first one in 20 years I can see having a ground breaking impact on our industry - and indeed life in general.
With our focus on driving sustainability, innovation and efficiency, we’re investigating ways AI can automate time-consuming manual processes, which will allow us to channel our talents and time into value-added activities.
There are limitations when it comes to AI. While it is clever, it is still just an enabler – artificial intelligence not actual intelligence. It has the potential to reshape work, but not replace it. However, this is a crucial point in the process and adoption of AI. By investing in it early we can stay ahead of the market and future proof our business while continuing to add value for our customers. Although AI is still very much in its
Above: Spec3D is a fully walkable 3D house visualisation and selector tool TTJ | July/August 2024 |
www.ttjonline.com
infancy, the results can be extremely effective. At Kitchens International, for example, we’ve been exploring how AI can assist our designers; specifically, how Adobe AI toolset can automatically unwrap and recreate initial 3D models of a kitchen from a Pinterest style mood board that a customer has brought in. We still need designers to understand our customers and perfect these models to fit the real-life space in our customers’ homes, but it allows us to quickly home in on what our
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