Compelling Product Configuration Drives Efficiency and Leads

Bridging the gap between the possible and the practical

Founded in 1933, Vent-A-Hood® Limited is the first manufacturer of home cooking ventilation and range hoods. The company earned its reputation with the uniquely designed Magic Lung® blower system, an unmatched concept that remains at the forefront of kitchen ventilation technology.

Today, Vent-A-Hood leads the premium residential ventilation market. Its highly skilled workforce achieves quality craftsmanship for products sold directly to consumers and through an extensive dealer-distributor network.

The Challenge

“We can make almost anything the customer wants within the physical constraints of the blower system,” says Mike Sy, Head of Technology and Purchasing.

“But what we really needed was a way to help them customize the hood without exceeding the limits of what we can produce in a timely manner, ensuring lead times don’t get out of hand.”

Before engaging with Autodesk, Vent-A-Hood had to rely on tedious processes, such as handdrawn sketches, with distributors to determine customer needs and pricing. “It involved a lot of calls, handwritten notes, emails, and a scanned paperwork,” Sy says. “It was a cumbersome process.”