Ken Christie, country director for EPLAN UK, has already accompanied 13 new releases since 2008. But none like this: the EPLAN Platform 2022 has a completely new technical basis, a new design and many additional functions. He reveals more in the below interview.
What was the reason for the further development of the EPLAN Platform 2022?
For a long time, a complete overhaul of the software has been planned and being prepared by our development team. As we changed to a subscription model this year, it was a suitable time to implement other innovations. With the move to subscription, we’re strengthening relationships with our customers, and with an exchange and partnership-like cooperation, we get straight to the point with regard to software requirements. The new Platform has become more intuitive, more flexible, and overall, more productive. It is also integrated into a whole range of accompanying measures and solutions, such as our partner program and the developments in the cloud. In other words: it’s a complete package!
What do the innovations mean for the software users?
That depends on whether we are talking to existing customers or new customers. Whilst existing customers can benefit from the optimised interface for better working, new customers can quickly become productive with our software as it’s easy to use. However, to suit both existing and new customers, the intuitive interface is based on operating concepts that are well known to users, which offers a high recognition value. This can be seen in the integrated ribbon bars or the backstage view, which most people are already familiar with from other established software products. Overall, this significantly improves user ergonomics.
Users can also benefit from improved workflows as we have brought together all developments from over the years in the context of “insert” with the new insert centre. This will mean new customers can start with little effort and existing customers will clearly see the advantages after a short period of getting used to it. Initial feedback from the beta tests indicates that this is correct.
What were the challenges during the development?
Our solutions are not simply an ECAD system, but are often a kind of “backbone” for engineering and product development for companies. They are deeply integrated into the customer’s infrastructure and strategy and can be planned over years in terms of investment. This goes hand in hand with a huge responsibility. We really want to tailor our solutions specifically to the needs of our target markets. However, this will only be a success if we work very closely together and enjoy the trust of our customers.
For further information on the new EPLAN Platform 2022, please visit https://www.eplan.co.uk/itsinyourhands
