Software & IT

STREAMLINING WHERE IT MATTERS

Rhonda Ridge of AdminBase, the installer management system from Ab Initio, highlights how an increasing number of installation companies are looking to streamline their business by switching up their software, and implores anyone who hasn’t yet acted, to follow suit before it’s too late.

Industry has been exposed to unrelenting uncertainty for a long time now thanks to a multitude of social, economic, environmental, and political factors. Businesses have found it hard and are overdue some serious support from Government. At the time of writing the new PM has just been appointed and the right noises have been made about easing the pressure on household energy bills, but businesses are yet to receive the same assurances. Whether the support comes or not, one thing is for sure, maximising efficiencies has never been more important. Organisations are investing in automation to streamline their operations in these more challenging times, and computerisation is not just for the manufacturing realm. Installation businesses should be looking at a similar approach to save time and money, while improving customer service and productivity. We have already seen evidence that this realisation has taken hold with an increase in the number of home improvement companies looking to streamline their business with management software. And this looks set to continue into the foreseeable future.

BRINGING A BUSINESS TOGETHER

AdminBase is an allencompassing system that helps to bring an entire operation together because information from every department is kept in one central system that anyone can access anytime. It allows installation businesses to keep abreast of the whole business, to see what is working well and what isn’t, and how to maximise resources. The automated system allows communication to flow far more easily around the organisation as well as externally with customers though the system’s Customer Portal.

The AdminBase Customer Portal lets homeowners access their account 24/7 to confirm appointments, pay invoices, and report any snagging issues when the job is complete. All information on each project is kept in one place and is easily accessible by anyone in the business that needs it. This saves time because there are less pieces of paper to sift through and misplace and reduces the chance of human error with automatic reminders and notifications.

AUTOMATE TO ACCUMULATE

The automation starts from the very beginning of the sales process too thanks to the PricepointTM Sales feature at the front end of the AdminBase system. It ensures a smooth online user experience from the first point of contact and is simple and intuitive to use with endless product types featured and professional high-definition images used. It creates customised quotations, and if a homeowner opts for a product combination that isn’t possible due to manufacturing restrictions, the system will highlight it before the order is placed, thanks to its clever built-in Manufacturing IntelligenceTM. Ultimately,

Rhonda Ridge

PricepointTM is an efficient way to improve sales conversions via a high-quality frontend user interface.

The efficiencies possible through AdminBase don’t end with the client relationship either. For example, the recent addition of a barcoding facility to the system allows for faster tracking of products into and out of the factory or warehouse. Meanwhile, the My AdminBase diary feature, and fully integrated reporting systems, collectively keep track of where time could be better spent, how marketing spend could be better distributed, and which actions within the business need to be prioritised. The term ‘unprecedented times’ has been used a lot over the last couple of years, but understandably so with the continuum of challenges that industry and consumers are facing. That is why it is so important to streamline operations. To make life easier for homeowner customers through improved customer service, and to support employees through improved communication and reduced admin. We have seen such a boost in enquiries for this new way of working that I can honestly say, any installation company who doesn’t have this level of efficiency at its foundation will soon start to struggle, if they’re not already.