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IT & SOFTWARE
Good news, you’re eligible
for an upgrade
GGP Magazine talks to Rhonda Ridge, MD of Ab Initio, about why installers should take
a good look at their business management systems to see if they could be running their
“the latest advances in mobile technology
mean that your system should also be
capable of working away from the oce”
www.ggpmag.com January 2020
GGP: State of the art technology has
become part of our everyday lives, yet
when it comes to the IT infrastructure
of a business, installation companies
will often be at the mercy of old
equipment and systems that are doing
more harm than good. Yet they can
be resistant to change – why do you
think this is?
Rhonda Ridge (RR): It obviously
takes a lot of time and effort in
researching a business management
system, and then there is the cost
of having it installed and a learning
curve to get used to how it all
works. Once a team has become
comfortable with various functions,
and are in the groove so to speak,
it’s human nature that people will
be reluctant to switch systems and
start all over again, even if they are
told that it will make their working
practices easier and more efficient.
Investing in a new, easy to use
and intuitive system however, one
that can fully integrate all processes
from point of sale through to
servicing, can be a relatively painless
experience, and ultimately, one that
business more eciently and cost eectively.
could totally transform the way an
installation company operates.
GGP: For installers that are struggling
with old and clunky systems, wouldn’t
it be easier for them to simply update
their software or upgrade their
hardware?
RR: All hardware will become
obsolete over time, and systems
can become effected as a result, but
simply swapping out older machines
for faster and more powerful
computers is really just a sticking
plaster solution – typically, it will
just reveal other flaws, especially if
you don’t update the software, which
might not even be compatible with
the new equipment.
Also, it’s worth noting that
software, like hardware, will
eventually become obsolete, albeit
at a slower rate, which could mean
that users will not have even realised
just how clunky their IT tools have
become until it is too late. A good
CRM system, it has to be said,
should always have the ability to
evolve.
GGP: Just how important is it to have
one integrated system, rather than a
combination of programmes?
RR: It’s really a question of reliability
and efficiency. The more separate,
non-integrated programmes you
are running, the greater likelihood
there is that they will conflict and
cause issues. It may well be the
case that the person responsible
for looking after it all has figured
out ways of keeping it all ticking
over, and that everyone knows the
quirky fixes to ensure things keep
running on a day-to-day basis, but
this is far from an ideal situation.
Aside from the continuing stress and
inefficiency – and let’s not forget
that time is money – when systems
do not communicate ‘as one’ users
can find themselves duplicating
tasks, re-entering data over and over
again, and the potential for making
mistakes becomes greater.
If this is the case with your
installation business, you should
really be considering an upgrade to a
system that will allow a single input
of data that can run through every
department in the company, updated
in real time, seamlessly. It might
sound fanciful, especially if you’re
struggling with an old, outdated
CRM, but it is absolutely possible.
The future is now!
GGP: For installers who want
to upgrade, what should they be
looking for with their new business
management system, and how can
the latest technology help them move
forward?
RR: Firstly, you should know if it’s
time to change your management
system, if it has got to a point that
it is becoming detrimental to the
health of your company.
If it’s resulting in serious errors,
ongoing reliability issues and even
poor sales, then it is time to stop and
take a look at how a new, modern
system – one that is developed
specifically for window and door
installers – can actually drive sales,
improve accuracy, eliminate old
fashioned pen and paper orders,
speed up payments and create a
fantastic impression with your
customers.
As well as fully integrating the
entire sales process, as I mentioned
earlier, by seamlessly collating and
storing all information from point of
sale, survey, installation and service,
your business can become more
streamlined and, as a result, more
profitable.
Importantly, the latest advances in
mobile technology mean that your
system should also be capable of
working away from the office, and in
people’s homes.
This means that canvassers, sales
people, surveyors and fitters should
all be in direct contact, at all times,
with the office, through their own
tablets, using specially designed,
easy to use and intuitive apps.
And if your system doesn’t do any
of this, then you really should be
thinking about switching to one that
does…
/www.ggpmag.com
