If there’s one thing you can count on in a wood design project, it’s change. Engineers don’t control changes—whether they stem from design revisions or unexpected site conditions—but you have to deal with them. And if your workflow isn’t efficient, those changes can lead to significant delays, missed deadlines, and increased costs.
Change Can Be Costly
Every project change demands careful recalculation, often leading to hours or even days of reworking data. With so many moving parts, it’s critical to have a system in place that adapts easily, keeps your workflow smooth, and minimizes costly setbacks.
This is where the traditional tool of choice—spreadsheets—starts to show its weaknesses.
Let’s take a closer look at why spreadsheets, while popular, may not be the best tool for handling inevitable project changes:
- Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC)
Spreadsheets lack built-in error checking. Diagnosing issues can be incredibly time-consuming, delaying critical decisions. - Time-Consuming Updates
Manually adjusting the spreadsheet can eat into valuable project time. - Lack of Transparency
The person who developed the spreadsheet might not be the one using it. Assumptions and built-in logic are often unclear, leaving room for confusion. - Limited Workflow Adaptability
Spreadsheets typically follow a rigid workflow that doesn’t adjust well to changes. New project conditions might cause the spreadsheet to fail or produce inaccurate results
In summary, while spreadsheets are readily accessible to most engineers, they struggle to keep up with the dynamic nature of wood design projects. With LAVA, you get a solution built for change—quick, accurate, and adaptable—so you can manage your projects efficiently and keep costs under control.
LAVA Offers a Better Solution
Seamless Workflow
A seamless workflow that adapts to any project changes with real-time recalculations.
Professional Report
A seamless workflow that automatically updates along with the project changes and provides real-time calculations.
Code-Driven Design
The wood code is complex full of special exceptions and footnotes for every element. LAVA automates the code.