With a head office in Peterborough and six specialist showrooms, Premier Kitchens and Bedrooms is the largest independent retailer of its kind in the region.

Part of the Furniture: ArtiCAD for

Premier Kitchens and Bedrooms

ArtiCAD for designers on the move  

Although ArtiCAD is now radically different to the first copy of the product supplied to Premier in the early ‘90s, the reaction from customers to the 3D designs continues to contribute significantly to the company’s sales success. 

Premier currently has a large team of designers, all of whom are equipped with laptops running the ArtiCAD software.

At the first on-site visit, having measured the space and discussed the design options, the designer uses ArtiCAD to produce a plan and 3D visualisation of the proposed kitchen.  Iain Forsythe:  “By producing the design in the customer’s own home - in front of them - we find that they become more involved in the process and this helps them to feel more confident that they really will get the kitchen they want.   This ‘comfort factor’ is further enhanced by the ability of our designers to make instantaneous changes using ArtiCAD in response to the customer’s requests.  By the time a designer leaves the customer’s home, we have a really good idea of the final kitchen.

ArtiCAD is then used to produce a parts list of the proposed design which is priced up and included within the customer’s sales pack.  This is presented at a second appointment, at which time the designer can make any further changes to the design, demonstrate the results in ArtiCAD and agree the contract.  

A designer’s perspective

Heidi Sutton is one of Premier’s designers. She has found the system very easy and quick to use. “I think it’s brilliant”, she said.  “I can’t imagine doing my job without it and am sure, from my own point of view, that it is the best selling tool that we have.”

"We find that the customers become more involved in the process and this helps them to feel more confident that they really will get the kitchen they want."

ArtiCAD for technical surveyors

At this stage in the sales process, Premier’s team of surveyors make their entrance, also armed with ArtiCAD on their laptops.  Their role is to carry out a detailed technical survey of the proposed design at the customer site.  Alison Forsythe:  “The surveyor checks all aspects of the ArtiCAD design and ensures that it takes into account, for example, access to utilities such as gas taps and water stop cocks.  He will also double-check each unit and appliance with the customer to make sure that they are happy with everything that is to be ordered.  Not only does the surveyor use the ArtiCAD design as the basis for this survey but he also uses it to produce the final parts list and order, which is then sent to the manufacturer.”

  “I can’t imagine doing my job without it and am sure, from my own point of view, that it is the best selling tool that we have.”