Johan Steenwyk – pioneer of CAD - More orders than capacity

More orders than capacity

The company grew and at times Steenwyk employed 14 people that manufactured shoes for his company and for external clients. But his lack of skilled staff for the production of custom-made shoes was still there. The Pedorthic Association of Canada has managed in the last 20 years to establish "certified pedorthists" as a profession with a combination of university education and professional practice in a company. This profession is recognized by the state and also by insurance companies. "Pedorthists in Canada know a lot around the foot", Steenwyk confirms. But the production of custom-made shoes is not part of the education.

This means for him that processes like working on the lasts or the design of upper cuts depended on him in the end. "When I fell behind, the operation stopped". Also twenty years after the introduction of the CAD-technology, what he postulated already in 1994 is still valid: " You have to know how to make a last by hand, before you can make the last with this system." This work process could not be delegated. In addition he had to deal with organizational matters as the owner of a company and employer of 14 people. This way he did not have much time for his specialized work. This twofold burden was too much for him one day.