By Rebecca Stevens
Special to AECnewsGeorge Ajami, co-founder of Strucsoft Solutions of Montreal, Canada, is one of those keen entrepreneurs who sees opportunity in every challenge. Or, in this case, a software application to solve every structural engineering problem presented to him.
Founded in 1994 by George and his partner Diane Hansen, StrucSoft Solutions have become expert consultants and software solution providers to the plant, structural steel, and wood industries. The company is both a reseller and developer of 3D engineering, construction, and fabrication solutions. StrucSoft has built a large customer base by understanding its clients and their project requirements, and offering a high level of customized services
. Customers look to StrucSoft as a resource for their engineering application needs. “They bring us a problem, our job is to solve it,” says George Ajami.
StrucSoft solutions typically involve a mix of structural analysis, design detailing, and drawing production as well as integration with other applications and hardware such as CNC machines and ERP systems. Examples of industries with specialized requirements serviced by StrucSoft include microwave and cellular towers, offshore platforms, industrial mezzanines, pressure vessels, light steel construction, rock climbing structures, curtain walls, and sky lights. “If we don’t have it already, chances are, we can develop it for you,” says Ajami. “We want to offer our clients a solution to streamline their work process and be more efficient. This is the goal we set when we begin a project and to date have never failed.”
“We identify areas of expertise that are not covered by out-of-the-box programs,” continues Ajami. “Specialized structural fields is one of those areas that lends itself well to customization. This is an area where projects are similar but not identical. Our target customer is someone who cannot be effective with an out-of-the-box solution, but is not willing to spend the time and money developing a customized application.”
With over 20 years experience as a structural engineer, Ajami has lived the experience of being there and not having the right tools to do the job. This is why in the early 1980’s Ajami began programming at his job as a structural engineer. “The first thing I did was buy myself a $400 programmable HP calculator – a lot of money in those days. My boss, the head of the department, cracked up. He laughed and made a statement that I liked expensive toys. Soon after, the company had a rush project that required a long line of conveyor galleries along with a series of supporting towers and bents. There were many similar but not identical calculations required, so I wrote a program for my own use that drastically reduced the calculation time. Two months later, no one was laughing. Their project was a great success and the company paid me an embarrassing amount of money for the program.”
Several years later George and his partner Diane met at an engineering firm where they worked in the civil department on the same project. Although Diane’s expertise was as a designer in the drafting department using AutoCAD, she had also spent many years working in advertising and public relations which helped lead to their success once StrucSoft became an established solutions provider.
Hours of tedious work were required to complete the steelwork for a hydroelectric power station. When Ajami introduced Hansen to the concepts behind the programs he was working on, it was an immediate reaction by both parties on how these tools would be beneficial to designers using AutoCAD. “I was sold on the concept immediately when I saw a complete stair with details, handrails, plate-work, a bill of material and all the views generate in less than a minute inside AutoCAD. As they say, It was a ‘no brainer!’, says Hansen.
StrucSoft decided to develop applications for the AutoCAD platform because even in the mid-1990s it was the most commonly-used CAD program. “Early on, our customers would find us via the Internet. Many of the applications we offer are unique. We were virtually unknown, and people would knock on other doors first. Then they would do a web search out of desperation and find us. We had one situation where our customer had exhausted all efforts to find a solution to his problem until he found us. There was no question of cost for this particular customer as he sent the payment before the job was even completed. He is an extremely successful entrepreneur himself who has brought the construction industry vision beyond anyone's expectations. The demand for customized solutions are evident and we see it all the time,” says Ajami.
Soon, customers started asking for software applications for related disciplines, such as piping and engineering design for process plants, and structural design for the wood industry. StrucSoft also seems to have become somewhat of a family business. With years of experience together Diane and George are a well known team in the engineering communities from which they come from. Danny Hansen joined Strucsoft in 2004 to manage their sales and support center for the Wood solutions divison, representing hsbCAD in North America, a tool of choice for Wood Manufacturing in AutoCAD.
That same level of faith in Strucsoft was also demonstrated by Kiwisoft GmbH, developers of ProSTEEL 3D. In 1999 Strucsoft became first exclusive resellers in Canada, then the U.S., and within a year had both exclusive distribution and development rights for ProSTEEL in North America.
Rebecca Stevens writes about software technology for the built environment, and consults on public relations. This article was commissioned by AECnews.