Solutions 4 Design

We’re back from BCMC 2026 with a lot to talk about.

The Solutions 4 Design team spent a great few days in Columbus meeting new people, reconnecting with friends and former colleagues, and talking about where the building-component industry is headed.

One of our biggest takeaways was seeing the upcoming additions Paragon is developing for the Paragon design platform:

Smart Production — Connecting office and production through flexible batching, scheduling, shop-floor tools, equipment integration, analytics, and output.

Wall Panels — An open, rules-powered platform designed to connect wall-panel design more directly with production.

D.A.N. — An AI-based tool focused on truss optimization and layout support.

What interests us most isn’t simply new technology. It’s how that technology can help experienced people work more efficiently and create stronger connections between design, engineering, manufacturing, and production.

That fits directly with what we’re building at Solutions 4 Design: experienced people supported by better tools and better collaboration.

Thank you to everyone who spent time with us in Columbus. We enjoyed the conversations and look forward to continuing them.

If we met at BCMC—or if we didn’t get a chance to connect—reach out and let’s talk:

https://s4dz.com/contact/

What if component design happened earlier?

Instead of waiting until a project reaches multiple component manufacturers, architects and engineers can coordinate truss and component layouts during pre-fabrication.

That creates an opportunity to identify MEP conflicts, point loads, tie-down requirements, wind conditions, bearing locations, and structural interfaces before they turn into RFIs and revisions downstream.

We think there’s a much bigger conversation to have around this at BCMC.

How early should component design become part of the building-design process?

If you’re at BCMC and this is a conversation you’d like to explore further—or we’ve already connected and you want to continue it—we’d be happy to set aside some time to discuss how earlier component coordination could fit into your projects.

⁠Schedule a conversation with Solutions 4 Design
https://s4dz.com/contact/

Better equipment makes manufacturing faster. Better information can make the entire project faster.

One thing we’re thinking about during BCMC:

What happens if we improve the information reaching the component plant—not just what happens after it gets there?

Earlier collaboration between architects, engineers, component designers, manufacturers, and contractors could mean fewer assumptions, fewer avoidable RFIs, more consistent bids, and better-defined projects.

Technology is making that kind of collaboration increasingly possible.

What needs to change for our industry to move more component design upstream?

If you’re at BCMC—or we met this week and there’s more you’d like to discuss—let’s keep the conversation going. Set aside some time with Solutions 4 Design and let’s talk about where the industry is heading and how we can work together.

⁠Contact Solutions 4 Design s4dz.com

What if component design started before the project ever reached the component manufacturer?

As the industry gathers for BCMC 2026, we think there’s an opportunity to look beyond what happens inside the manufacturing plant and consider what happens before the project gets there.

Solutions 4 Design can collaborate with architects and engineers during the pre-fabrication stage to coordinate truss and component layouts earlier in the design process.

That gives the design team an opportunity to address MEP conflicts, point loads, tie-down requirements, wind-design considerations, bearing locations, structural interfaces, and component geometry before those issues become RFIs, revisions, or production delays.

It can also create a better-defined project for bidding.

Instead of component manufacturers independently developing different interpretations of the same building, they can begin with a more coordinated component layout—helping move bids from apples-to-oranges toward apples-to-apples.

Using the Paragon design platform gives our team technology that can help support this type of collaboration, but the bigger opportunity is connecting architects, engineers, component designers, manufacturers, and contractors earlier.

Better information going into manufacturing can lead to better coordination coming out of it.

In our latest Knowledge Center article, Jarred looks at what this could mean for the future of component design and why it’s an important conversation for BCMC 2026.

https://s4dz.com/truss-design/bcmc-2026-component-design-prefabrication/

Better technology can make a great truss designer even better. But it doesn’t replace the experience behind the design.

Modern design platforms give us incredible capabilities. They improve collaboration, remove geographic barriers, connect workflows, and help experienced designers work more efficiently.

But somebody still has to understand what happens when that design leaves the computer.

It has to be manufactured.
It has to be delivered.
It has to be installed.
And ultimately, it has to work in the completed building.

At Solutions 4 Design, we believe the strongest approach combines experienced people with better technology.

That includes working with component manufacturers as an extension of their design departments, as well as collaborating with architects and engineers earlier during the pre-fabrication stage.

Getting experienced designers involved earlier can help identify MEP conflicts, point loads, tie-down requirements, wind-design considerations, and other structural coordination issues before they become bigger—and more expensive—problems later in the project.

The Paragon design platform gives our team more flexibility and better tools to do that work.

But the technology isn’t the service. Our people are.

Our latest Knowledge Center article looks at what still makes a great truss designer in an industry being transformed by technology.

https://s4dz.com/truss-design/great-truss-designer-technology/

Better truss design isn’t just about having better software. It’s about putting the right technology in the hands of experienced people.

At Solutions 4 Design, we combine decades of industry experience with modern design technology to provide manufacturers, architects, and engineers with the design support they need—without forcing them to change the way they already work.

Using the Paragon design platform as part of our design workflow gives our team greater flexibility to work across multiple plate systems, collaborate remotely, and produce the design information needed for different manufacturing and construction environments.

But technology is only part of the equation.

We can also collaborate directly with architects and engineers during the pre-fabrication stage, helping coordinate component layouts and designs before a project is released to component manufacturers for bidding. This gives the design team an opportunity to address MEP conflicts, point-load calculations, tie-down requirements, wind-design needs, and other structural considerations earlier in the process.

It also allows the architect or engineer to maintain control of the structural design and establish the component layout before bids are requested. Instead of receiving “apples-to-oranges” bids based on different layouts, assumptions, and interpretations, component manufacturers can bid from the same coordinated design. Plans can include completed component designs that are ready for production, helping reduce redesign, review cycles, coordination issues, and delays later in the project.

Our goal is to become an extension of our customers’ teams—providing additional design capacity, experienced support, and a workflow built around how they operate.

In our latest Knowledge Center article, we look at how the combination of experienced designers, scalable resources, and modern technology can help eliminate design bottlenecks and keep projects moving.

Read the full article: https://s4dz.com/truss-design/better-truss-design-technology/

Can your customer see the finished deck before you build it?

For many homeowners, drawings and measurements aren’t enough. They want to actually see what they’re investing in.

That’s where professional deck design and 3D renderings can make a huge difference.

At Solutions 4 Design, we help deck builders and contractors turn their ideas into professional, buildable designs that help customers visualize the finished project before construction begins.

That can mean:

✔ More confident customers
✔ Clearer expectations
✔ Fewer design changes
✔ More professional presentations
✔ Less time spent designing and revising
✔ A better opportunity to win the project

And these aren’t just pretty pictures. Our designs consider the real project—structural requirements, materials, site conditions, construction efficiency, and how the finished space needs to function.

With 30+ years of experience in deck design, home design, and construction, we understand both sides of the equation: how a project needs to look and how it needs to be built.

If you’re a deck builder who would rather spend your time building and selling projects instead of sitting behind design software, that’s where we can help.

👉 Read the full article:
⁠Why Professional Deck Design Matters Before Construction Begins

What makes the biggest difference when you’re presenting a deck project to a homeowner?

🚨 Most production problems don’t start on the shop floor.

They start long before manufacturing even begins.

When design is delayed, revisions pile up, communication breaks down, and production schedules feel the impact.

In our first Knowledge Center article, we explore why professional truss design is one of the most important—and often overlooked—parts of the manufacturing process.

You’ll learn:
✔ Why design bottlenecks slow production
✔ How experienced design support improves efficiency
✔ Why outsourced design should extend your team—not replace it
✔ How better design management helps manufacturers scale with confidence

With more than 30 years of experience in the construction and design industry, Solutions 4 Design helps manufacturers, builders, and contractors improve workflows, increase capacity, and deliver better projects.

👉 Read the full article:
https://s4dz.com/news/truss-plant-production-design-bottlenecks/

What has been the biggest challenge your team has faced in the design process?

At Solutions 4 Design, we believe great companies don’t just build projects—they help build stronger communities.

We were honored to donate a grill and cooler to support the incredible work being done by Amputee Aid. Organizations like Amputee Aid are changing lives every day by providing hope, resources, and support to individuals and families navigating limb loss.

A special thank you to Leeper Meats, LLCfor generously donating their locally raised beef and helping make this effort possible. Supporting local businesses that invest back into their communities is something we strongly believe in, and Leeper Meats stepped up in a big way to help make this donation even more meaningful.

Whether we’re designing truss systems, creating deck designs, supporting manufacturers, or giving back to organizations making a difference, our mission remains the same: creating lasting impact through meaningful partnerships.

Thank you to Amputee Aid for everything you do, and thank you to Leeper Meats for helping make this donation even more impactful.

Together, we can accomplish more.

Learn more about these incredible organizations:

🔹 Amputee Aid – https://www.amputee-aid.com
🔹 Leeper Meats – https://www.leepermeats.com
🔹 Solutions 4 Design – https://www.s4dz.com