p10 BKU-DEC21 BKU Compusoft Q&A_bku 03/12/2021 10:57 Page 10
Q&A BKUQ&A Meet the Sponsors
Continuing our series of profiles of the sponsors who make our Awards so special, we hear from Alex Ainge, MD at Compusoft GB, who tells us about the company and offers his thoughts on the future of the sector.
Tell us about your company We help KBB retailers and manufacturers to increase their sales through powerful software that’s easy to use. We were founded in Norway in 1989 and quickly expanded throughout Europe and now we are one of the biggest global providers of software in the KBB market. Our UK office opened up 22 years ago and we expanded our UK presence significantly through our acquisition of EQ software, which is still one of the main KBB business solutions in the industry. Right now, we cover the complete KBB supply
chain with software for manufacturers, kitchen and bathroom retailers. A retailer can now use our entire suite of software to generate leads online, design and sell instore, then order and produce through 3CAD.
Why was it important for you to sponsor an award this year? We’re big supporters of the KBB market in general and we recognise the importance that the BKU Awards plays in the industry. Being part of the event provides a time to celebrate a vibrant industry and all the hard work that everyone involved puts in. We’ve also not been able to meet and see our
friends and partners across the industry for a long time due to Covid, so this year more than ever the chance to network with everyone again is vital to us as a company.
What lessons do you think can be drawn from the pandemic? How will they inform your plans going forward? The main thing we have learnt is that people need to have the freedom to work from anywhere. That’s a trend that has stayed with everyone and become something that people expect. Knowing this is a high need is one of the
reasons why we have invested so heavily into creating our Flex platform for our software. This new cloud platform gives everyone the freedom to access all of their projects securely online and allows them to work in the office, at home or even onsite with their client. Winner is currently benefitting from this and in the future it will be used for all of our design software, with even more possibilities being worked on to improve connectivity.
The KBB market has shown itself to be resilient to the immediate effects of the pandemic, but do you see any longer-lasting issues which could cause problems in the future? The skills shortage is a hot topic at this moment and one that could have a long lasting effect. Whilst not a direct impact of the pandemic, this has been coming for some time and has been brought to the forefront of everyone’s attention due to the surge in demand for home improvement services.
As we look back now on the events of the past 18 months, how proud do you feel a) to have come through; and b) to be part of such a resilient sector? We are always proud to be part of the KBB sector and it was fantastic to see how so many companies came together to support each other. From our own perspective, we worked hard to make it possible for people to continue to use our software, as many still had designs to do and were actively responding to clients who were at home but were looking to remodel their kitchens and bathrooms. We also provided free software and home packages to enable customers share designs and messages securely with their clients. This was a really hard time for everyone but
seeing the response as the industry has bounced back has been brilliant. There are still a number of difficulties affecting the industry, such as the shortages of skilled labour and supplies but people are again finding a way which shows the resilience and innovation in this sector.
What is the driving factor behind your brand’s success? Understanding our customers and the challenges they face and the solutions they need to be successful has been at the heart of our success. We have a good relationship with manufacturers and retailers to understand their needs really well, which means we focus on creating software that they need. With software, there are countless possibilities
but that presents a challenge, as you have to find the right focus to ensure you aren’t following a short-lived fad that doesn’t provide real value to customers. This dedication to knowing our customers and having an open communication with them, ensures that we maintain our focus on what they need now and into the future.
10 BKU DECEMBER 2021
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