The Kitchen Concepts story
Glen Kelman founded his business, which initially traded as Install Concepts, In Christchurch, New Zealand, 23 years ago. In 2019, the family-owned and operated company rebranded to Kitchen Concepts to highlight its ability to design, manufacture and install kitchens.
Today, Kitchen Concepts is renowned for its high-quality joinery and professional design service. The company operates out of its state-of-the-art Christchurch HQ, which features a workshop where all its cabinetry is produced, a warehouse, and a showroom. The company employs around 29 people, five of which are designers who all use Winner Flex to create their renders.
Not long after rebranding to Kitchen Concepts, Glen realized that the business needed a more sophisticated software package that would streamline the design process and take its customer service proposition to the next level. And so, five years ago, Kitchen Concepts switched to Cyncly’s Winner Flex and has been reaping the benefits ever since.
Kitchen Concepts had been creating designs using simple, outdated software that produced very basic renders, which weren’t representative of the quality of its design service. The level of detail was limited, and it lacked the required flexibility to make changes quickly and efficiently.
The company aims to turn jobs around within 4-8 weeks so it needed a solution that would allow detailed, photorealistic designs to be produced faster, including iterations based on customer feedback. It also recognized that the quality of its designs needed to be top-notch to reflect Kitchen Concepts’ expertise and professionalism.
“When I look back at some of the designs we used to create with our old software, I do have a bit of a chuckle. But I just don’t believe that’s acceptable these days.”
- Glen Kelman, owner, Kitchen Concepts
Kitchen Concepts transitioned over to Cyncly’s Winner Flex software 5 years ago and instantly saw a huge difference in the quality of the designs, and the speed and ease with which they could be created and updated.
“The quality of the rendering with Winner Flex is a massive plus. Winner Flex gives us the flexibility to make our designs more personable, which really improves the customer experience. Our designers go and see clients in their own homes and now they can incorporate little details such as a favourite pet or piece of artwork into their designs, which people love.”
The company prides itself on offering a personalized design service and the quality of its customizable cabinetry and, thanks to Winner Flex, this is now reflected by the level of detail within renders.
Quicker turnaround times: Kitchen Concepts is a fast-paced business, able to create accurate photorealistic renders that are easy to update, which enables the business to confidently take on multiple projects and move them forward quickly.
“Winner Flex has definitely helped us achieve quicker turnaround times. I’d say each job is at least 2-3 times quicker to design and quote than previously.”
More consistent designs: The quality of the renders produced are consistently high across the board, which helps Kitchen Concepts offer a more professional design service.
“Some of our designers are more fluent with the software than others but they are all very consistent with the designs that they produce with Winner Flex.”
Increased customer satisfaction: More satisfied customers has resulted in an increase in repeat business and a higher referral rate.
“Winner Flex gives clients more confidence in us as a business and that massively helps us to attract more customers through word-of-mouth recommendations.”
Enhanced customer experience: Being able to better visualize their kitchen and see a greater level of detail in the designs gives clients more confidence and makes the whole experience more pleasurable.
“A lot of people can’t picture spaces or imagine what they will feel like so having the most realistic software is very beneficial. It’s great.”
Time-saving automation: Winner Flex is easy to master, which means designers can optimize its capabilities to create better designs. AI rendering and shortcuts within the design program speed up the process and make it easier to specify products from preferred suppliers.
“It reduces design errors, and recognizes products or finishes that we frequently use and puts them in our library.”
Easier to onboard new designers: Using the industry’s leading software means finding a new designer that is familiar with the platform is much easier, training requirements are reduced, and the transition is much more seamless.
“New designers tend to already know how to use Winner Flex, so it makes for an easier transition.”
Looking ahead
Cyncly’s innovative approach complements Kitchen Concepts’ ethos. Glen is training new designers to expand the team, and is evaluating Cyncly’s LIDAR technology to speed up the measuring process and free up more time to take on additional projects.
“I’ve always believed company image is important and having Cyncly behind us definitely helps in that respect. I think it gives the client confidence in the company that they’re using. Winner Flex is a big tool in our toolkit to help us grow. It’s industry leading and I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else.”
