The creator of MiTek PAMIR design software shares the surprisingly personal story of its development. It’s been a lengthy process, with setbacks and successes along the way. But the look on clients’ faces when they sit down with the finished product is making all the effort worthwhile.
We’re living in an age of transience where everything seems to be shifting faster and faster. People change jobs, even whole careers, in just a handful of years. The idea of one person devoting over two decades to a single product feels like something from a different time. It conjures up memories of craftsmanship, dedication, and sincere belief in what that person does.
But this is real life for Mats Hofverberg. He’s given 22 years to PAMIR, taking it from a bright idea to the industry’s most refined design package. Today, more than 3,300 people rely on his creation every month to simplify their work and every year nearly 1 million projects are created in PAMIR. When we caught up with Mats, it was clear that this is a big source of personal and professional pride. And for MiTek, it’s a testament to the lasting impact of innovation, and dedication, and what truly great software can achieve in advancing an industry.
How did it all get started? As Mats explained, “For me, really it began in 1991. That’s when we started developing PAMIR’s predecessor. That grew over about 10 years, we ended up with two systems that talked together. There are natural limitations when you work like that. In 2003 we decided we needed new software. We needed to start again and put integration at the heart of everything. That was PAMIR.
Integration, flexibility, and automation. Those were the guiding principles. One system that could do as much as possible. A flexible system, so users aren’t in the hands of a software that sets the limitations to what they can do. But at the same time, they needed to be able to automate those tasks. There’s a balancing act to pull off there.”
Taking chances and kickstarting careers
Getting that balance exactly right didn’t happen overnight. Mats was building something that customers didn’t yet know they needed.
Like all labours of love, the process became very personal. Even the name PAMIR was suggested by Mats’ own wife. She took inspiration from the Pamir Mountains, the roof of the world where ideas from many cultures intersect.
It was also both personally and professionally gratifying to see careers begin and flourish as Mats grew his small team. “We hired one new recruit, he was fresh from school and turned out to be brilliant. Most of the architecture and development over the first couple of years was his work.
“There was a really solid foundation to start on. We could ramp up quickly with more developers, it all scaled into a big project within a few years.
The breakthroughs we made were thrilling. Plane solving, for example, everyone in the industry was struggling with that. We went through about seven different algorithms and theories before we finally cracked it.
“This became a gem for us, and it happened before we really nailed the way the software did trusses. We were running before we could walk in the early years.”
Mats is quick to emphasise that while he was the original driver behind PAMIR’s development, it’s evolution into the powerful tool it is today is thanks to the exceptional efforts of a fantastic development team spanning Sweden, the UK, and France: “Together they have happily taken on every new challenge and grown alongside the product,” he says. “Many of us have been part of PAMIR’s journey since the early years.”
Facing up to the challenges of development
Starting in 2003, it wasn’t until 2014 that real-life customers would be sitting down and using PAMIR. Throughout this long process, the project was kept alive by breakthroughs and little leaps forward like the plane solving feature.
In between these moments, however, there were hard times. “We got to one point where there were talks about whether we should continue or not, because it felt a bit like we’d never reach the end. That was the hardest period, but we got through it.
“Most importantly, we’ve homed in on what the results should be. We’ve asked what we want to achieve, rather than trying to recreate old methods. Instead of being constrained by old solutions, we’ve come up with superior ones. The way the software describes how two timbers meet, for example, is done in a completely different way to in the past.”
Finally, time to reflect and plan ahead
Today, with PAMIR leading the marketplace, Mats has bought himself a little time to breathe. He spends as much time as he can with his wife, three children and two grandchildren. There’s a little cottage by the coast where they love to escape together for a few days wherever possible.
Mats is also a keen golfer, a love he shares with his son. Golf, like software, takes care and devotion to get exactly right. Both produce plenty of those little wow moments, split-seconds of inspiration where it feels you’ve finally mastered the game. So, what still wows Mats about PAMIR? And what plans does he have for its future?
“It’s always exciting seeing how much further we can go. Like with walls, we started out being able to handle wall panel framing. But then we realised we could integrate layered walls, all the sheathing, wooden cladding and insulation and so on. That was groundbreaking at the time, and we’re using the same technology now on roof and floor cassettes.
“When you take the software to demo, then take a step back and look at the client’s face. That’s definitely always a wow moment, because you know you can be proud of what you’re presenting. It’s not a smoke-and-mirrors demo. It is a rush, knowing people appreciate what you’re doing.
“The future will see us follow a very similar trajectory. Right now, we’re hard at work on whole-house design. We started with trusses, added floors using Posi-Joist, then full advanced wall capability. We’re putting it all together, integration is still the guiding principle. When it all comes together, and we’re almost there, we’ll have a very strong whole house concept.”
With his 22-year journey still not at an end, Mats still feels he has more to give the industry. PAMIR is his love letter to housing design, a deeply personal project that’s made thousands of jobs easier. That kind of dedication is rare nowadays, but we think the results are speaking volumes.
Watch Mats share his story: https://youtu.be/lhAOGTXUnH0
