I’ve worked with dozens of millwork shops implementing Microvellum, and I’ve seen the same story play out over and over.
A company buys the software expecting instant automation and efficiency. Six months later, they’re frustrated, buried in formulas, and wondering why nothing feels easier.
The problem usually isn’t the software. It’s the approach.
Most shops try to rebuild Microvellum around their existing way of working. They recreate legacy joinery, machine logic, and workflows exactly as they’ve always done them, just inside a new interface.
And in doing that, they miss the point.
Step 1: Be Willing to Change How You Work
Microvellum already has a lot of structure and intelligence built in. The fastest path to results is to lean into that, not fight it.
If you’ve always built cabinets with a unique stretcher size, dado style, or hole pattern, ask why.
Is it truly required for your product, or is it just “how we’ve always done it”?
Microvellum’s default libraries and machining logic are designed for CNC efficiency and repeatability.
When you adapt your process to fit those standards, instead of forcing the software to mimic your old one, you remove 90% of the complexity that bogs down most implementations.
That’s the real mental shift: stop trying to make Microvellum behave like your shop and start letting your shop learn from Microvellum.
Step 2: Then Make It Yours
Once your team’s comfortable with the baseline workflows, then it’s time to make it your own.
This is where customization adds value, not confusion.
Use your library and spec groups to reflect your standards intentionally:
- If you always build with dowel construction, set that as the default.
- If your case backs are always ½″ dadoed, bake it in.
- If your nailers, hinge plates, or reveal sizes are consistent, preset them.
Microvellum’s prompts should only ask questions that actually vary project to project. Things like height, width, finish end conditions, or door swing.
Everything else should already follow your standards.
When you do that, you get the best of both worlds: efficiency from Microvellum’s built-in logic and consistency from your own proven methods.
And more importantly, you lower the barrier for new drafters. They don’t need to memorize tribal knowledge, it’s built into the system.
Step 3: Start With a Win
Any time you’re changing how people work, trust is the hardest thing to earn.
I always recommend starting with one small but visible pain point.
Maybe your assemblies are coming out of square. Maybe hole locations don’t line up. Maybe you’re tired of re-engineering the same cabinet five different ways.
Pick one, solve it, and show the improvement.
That early success creates buy-in, and once people see it working, they’ll start bringing you the next problem to automate.
Step 4: Commit to the Process
Building or refining a Microvellum library isn’t a weekend project. Expect three to six months to document your standards and another few months to fully transition.
The shops that succeed assign a champion: someone who owns the process, leads weekly check-ins, and keeps the team focused on the goals that started the journey.
The ones that fail drift back into old habits when the transition gets uncomfortable.
The Bottom Line
Microvellum can absolutely transform how your engineering department operates, but only if you’re willing to meet it halfway.
Adopt what already works in the software.
Refine it with your standards.
Then lock it in so your team, your shop, and your future hires can all work from the same playbook.
That’s how you turn your Microvellum investment into an actual system, not just another tool.
Jacob Edmond
CEO