Furniture makers: problems we solve
27 problems furniture makers bring us, each with the cause, what it costs and what we build to fix it.
Furniture makers problems
27 articlesWhy Does It Take Us So Long to Price a Commission Like a Walnut Dining Table?
Bespoke furniture makers lose commissions while quotes wait on timber, hardware and hours worked out by hand. We build quoting tools from your own rates.
How Do We Stop Mistakes in Cutting Lists Wasting Good Timber in the Furniture Workshop?
Furniture workshops write cutting lists by hand from drawings, and errors waste expensive timber. We build cutting lists generated from the approved design.
How Do We Know What Oak, Walnut and Ash We Actually Have Before We Order More?
Furniture makers reorder timber they already hold and run short of what they need. We build timber stock tracking by species, thickness and board for workshops.
How Do We Give Customers a Realistic Delivery Date for a Commission and Actually Hit It?
Furniture makers quote lead times from gut feel and then miss them. We build a workshop order book that shows what a new commission's real date would be.
How Do We Stop Finished Carcasses Piling Up Waiting for the Spray Booth?
Furniture workshops plan bench work but not the spray booth, machines or drying time. We build workshop scheduling that treats finishing as a shared resource.
How Do We Stop Starting Commissions Before the Deposit Is In and Chasing the Balance at Delivery?
Furniture makers start work before deposits clear and chase balances at the door. We build stage payment tracking and payment links for bespoke commissions.
How Do We Handle Clients Changing a Commissioned Piece After They Have Signed Off the Drawings?
Furniture clients change dimensions and finishes after sign-off, and the workshop builds the old version. We build change control for bespoke furniture.
How Do We Know Which Stain and Lacquer Sample the Client Actually Approved?
Furniture makers send finish and timber samples and lose track of which one was approved. We build sample tracking tied to each bespoke commission.
How Do We Stop Turning Up With a Wardrobe That Will Not Fit Up the Client's Stairs?
Bespoke furniture deliveries fail on access, parking and fitting details nobody collected. We build delivery booking with site checks for furniture makers.
How Do We Know Which CNC Program Cut Which Parts, and Find It Again for a Repeat?
Furniture workshops lose CNC program files and cut from old versions. We build file control linking each CNC program to the design, job and material.
How Do We Stop Commissions Stalling Because Hinges or Drawer Runners Were Never Ordered?
Furniture makers stall commissions waiting on hinges, runners and fittings ordered late from several suppliers. We build hardware ordering from each job.
How Do We Find Out Whether That Commission Took the Hours We Quoted for It?
Furniture makers quote bench hours but never record the real ones, so pricing never improves. We build simple time capture per commission for workshops.
How Do We Manage Interior Designers Who Order Pieces for Several Projects at Once?
Furniture makers struggle with interior designer trade orders across many projects, specs and prices. We build trade account tools for bespoke furniture.
How Do We Keep Track of Forty Restaurant Chairs Moving Through the Workshop at Once?
Furniture makers running small-batch contract orders lose track of parts across stations. We build batch tracking for chairs, tables and fit-out runs.
How Do We Stop Spending Hours on Furniture Enquiries With No Budget, Sizes or Timescale?
Bespoke furniture makers waste time on website enquiries with no size, budget or timescale. We build enquiry forms that gather details and sort them first.
How Do We Keep Track of Furniture Pieces Sitting in Galleries and Shops on Sale or Return?
Furniture makers lose track of pieces on consignment in galleries and shops, and of what sold. We build consignment tracking and settlement for makers.
How Do We Keep Track of Snags and Repairs Clients Report After a Piece Is Delivered?
Furniture makers lose snag lists and repair requests after delivery in texts and emails. We build aftercare tracking for bespoke furniture commissions.
How Do We Let Customers Order Our Tables in Their Own Size and Timber Online Without Emailing for a Price?
Furniture makers with a made-to-order range cannot price size and timber options online. We build configurators that price each option from your own rules.
How Do We Keep Track of Customers' Own Fabric From Arrival to the Finished Chair?
Upholstered furniture makers lose track of customers' own fabric, meterage and which job it belongs to. We build COM fabric tracking for upholstery work.
How Do We Find the Photos, Drawings and Specs of a Piece We Made Years Ago?
Furniture makers cannot find photos, drawings and specs of past commissions for new clients or repeats. We build a searchable record of every piece made.
Where Are the Doors We Sent to the Sprayer, and When Is the Steel Base Due Back?
Furniture makers chase outside sprayers, upholsterers and metalworkers for work due back. We build job sheets, return dates and reminders for outsourced steps.
How Do We Pull Together Material Certificates and Care Guides for a Hotel or Office Furniture Contract?
Furniture makers on hotel and office contracts scramble to compile material certificates and handover packs. We build document packs from each contract job.
How Do We Stop Our Workshop Methods and Jig Setups Leaving When a Maker Leaves?
Furniture workshops keep methods, jig setups and machine settings in one maker's head. We build a workshop method library linked to your pieces and jigs.
How Do We Organise Crating, Shipping and Customs Paperwork for Furniture Going Abroad?
Furniture makers shipping commissions abroad struggle with crating, freight quotes and customs paperwork. We build an export flow for bespoke furniture.
How Do We See What Timber, Board and Fittings Actually Cost for Each Commission in Xero?
Furniture makers pay timber, board and fittings bills in Xero without linking them to commissions. We build supplier bill allocation to each piece you make.
How Do We Keep Commission Clients Updated on Their Piece Without Endless WhatsApp Messages?
Furniture makers update commission clients through scattered WhatsApp photos and messages. We build progress updates with photos at key making stages.
Why Do So Many Furniture Clients Go Quiet After the Design Visit and Proposal?
Furniture makers send a proposal after the home design visit and then hear nothing. We build gentle follow-up so every prospective client gets a timely nudge.