ORLANDO, Fla. — October 9, 2026 — Sensei Digital Founder and CEO Ashish Roy joined MetalCoffeeShop live from METALCON 2026 in Orlando to discuss how 3D configuration technology is changing the way custom metal buildings are designed, priced, sold and moved through the sales and engineering process.

During the conversation on the MetalCoffeeShop soundstage, Roy outlined Sensei's approach to creating a more connected metal-building workflow—one in which the building a customer creates online can continue through the dealer, manufacturer and downstream technical process without repeatedly rebuilding the same project in disconnected systems.

“The 3D configurator is where the customer designs, and Sensei Office is where the work gets done,” Roy said during the interview.

The conversation highlighted an important evolution in metal-building technology: the 3D configurator is increasingly becoming more than a visualization tool. It can serve as the starting point for the broader sales process.

Connecting 3D Design With the Sales Workflow
Sensei develops 3D configuration technology for manufacturers and dealers in the light-gauge steel building industry. Roy said during the interview that the company has been developing its technology for approximately five years and currently supports nearly 600 live clients.

Sensei's configurators can incorporate manufacturer pricing, product logic and structural rules while giving customers the ability to customize elements such as building dimensions, roof styles, doors, windows, trim, colors and panel orientation.

The value, Roy explained, goes beyond helping a buyer visualize the finished structure.
Once a customer creates a building, that information can continue into Sensei's office and sales environment, where dealers and manufacturers can review the configuration, work with the lead or quote, make changes and continue the transaction.

That approach can reduce the need to recreate the same building as it moves from the customer to the salesperson and manufacturer.

Keeping the Customer, Dealer and Manufacturer on the Same Page
Custom metal-building projects often evolve during the buying process.
A customer may decide to increase the size of a door, add windows, change the roof configuration or make another structural adjustment after seeing the building visually.

Sensei's connected approach allows those changes to remain associated with the same digital project.
“Everyone is on the same page—the consumer, the guy who's selling, the dealer and the manufacturer,” Roy said.

That shared project information can help reduce communication gaps while giving customers greater visibility into what they are purchasing.

Turning Customer Participation Into Better Sales Conversations
Roy also discussed the engagement created when customers can participate directly in designing their building.
Instead of simply viewing a standard product image, customers can experiment with dimensions, colors, trim, doors, windows and other options while seeing those decisions reflected visually.

According to Roy, users interacting with Sensei configurators can spend more than eight minutes on a website.
For buyers considering a significant custom-building investment, that time can represent something important: active participation in the purchase.

As customers refine a building to fit their property, use case and preferences, they develop a clearer idea of what they want before—or while—they speak with the sales team.

Using Configuration Logic to Identify Potential Issues Earlier
The MetalCoffeeShop discussion also demonstrated how a configurator can help customers make better-informed decisions before a project moves further into the sales process.

Roy gave the example of a walk-in door being positioned where it overlaps with a structural post.

Rather than allowing the configuration to proceed without guidance, the system can alert the user that the placement may require additional framing or result in an extra charge. The customer can then reposition the door within the appropriate bay.
That capability moves the role of the configurator beyond appearance alone.

It can incorporate manufacturer-specific rules and help surface potential issues while the customer is still actively designing the building.

Connecting the Sales Design With Engineering
Sensei is also extending the usefulness of the configuration beyond the initial customer and sales experience.
Roy explained that project information can be provided through PDF output and CAD files, giving engineers and other technical teams clearer information about component placement.

For example, a file can communicate whether a door is centered on a gable end or positioned a specific distance from another part of the structure.

By carrying information forward from the customer-facing configuration, the digital model can become more useful to the teams responsible for moving the project toward production.

Expanding Into More Types of Metal Buildings
While Sensei has established its technology within the light-gauge steel building market, Roy said the company is expanding its capabilities across additional segments.

Sensei has entered the shed and storage-building market and is also developing configurator technology for red-iron buildings.
The expansion comes as metal-building projects continue to grow in size, complexity and customization.

During the interview, Roy described an industry that has evolved from relatively simple structures into projects that can include highly customized residential buildings as well as much larger commercial applications.

As building complexity grows, the ability to connect product rules, pricing, visualization and project information becomes increasingly important.

Building Manufacturer-Specific Technology Faster
Customization was another central theme of Roy's discussion.
Different manufacturers may have their own product options, pricing structures and building rules, making a one-size-fits-all configuration system difficult to apply across the industry.
Roy said Sensei's technology is designed to accommodate those differences.
“We have the technology to build any customizations that our manufacturers require, and we are able to build them in weeks, not months,” he said.

The goal is to give manufacturers technology that reflects the way their products are actually engineered, priced and sold rather than requiring the business to conform to a generic configuration system.

The Next Step for the Metal Building Configurator
The broader message from the METALCON discussion was that the role of the 3D configurator is expanding.
A customer may begin by designing a building visually.
That design can become a lead.
The lead can become a quote.
The project can be modified as the buyer's requirements change.
Pricing and product logic can remain connected.
The dealer and manufacturer can continue working from the same project information.
And downstream files can provide additional context to engineering teams.
Rather than treating 3D visualization as an isolated website feature, Sensei's approach is to connect it more closely with the complete building-sales workflow.
For an industry selling increasingly customized and higher-value structures, that connection may be just as important as the visualization itself.

Meet Sensei at METALCON 2026
Sensei Digital is exhibiting at METALCON 2026 in Orlando, where attendees can meet Ashish Roy and the Sensei team and see its 3D configuration and connected sales technology in action.

Visitors can explore how Sensei supports manufacturers and dealers across the customer journey—from initial building design through quoting, project management and downstream workflows.

Those unable to attend METALCON can learn more at SenseiDigital.com and watch the full conversation through MetalCoffeeShop's METALCON coverage.

About Sensei Digital
Sensei Digital develops technology for metal-building, carport, shed and outdoor-building businesses. Its solutions combine interactive 3D configuration with manufacturer-specific pricing and building logic, along with tools that help dealers and manufacturers manage leads, quotes and sales workflows. Sensei works with building businesses across the United States to help connect the customer's online design experience with the teams responsible for turning that design into a completed sale.