BIM COURTESY BEXEL CONSULTING Each new material presents new challenges: perhaps a new method to store and handle the material or a new joinery technique. This might promote the need for a new tool or machine to be developed or a new adhesive or finish to be developed to hold it all together and protect it. The person who coined the term, "Necessity is the mother of invention" must have been a woodworker. Just a few decades ago, the concept of finding your niche market and aligning processes and marketing to it in a more concentrated effort transformed many woodwork companies. Streamlining processes, computer aided machining and material movement paired with advanced project management systems made it possible to produce products faster and more consistently. The gradual evolution of technological advances was accelerated by the new possibility to design and engineer the whole building on a computer screen. Velum and graphite have for the most part given way to live modeling, interfacing with numerous building trades and the comprehensive effects of BIM. Product libraries including specifications, maintenance records, product providers and warranties can all be connected to the interactive screen drawings. Being able to "see" the building before it is built has many advantages. Thus, more is possible in project design than ever before. Today's professional woodwork company has more business model choices as new technology offers options to both the cabinet maker and the large producer. Merging rather than replacing "old world craftsmanship" with state of the art processes makes it possible to enjoy a new array of creative designs incorporated into a fast-paced highly controlled process. summer 2018 I designsolutions 13