How To Harness Your Data To Transform Your Business

Rhonda Ridge of Ab Initio’s installer management system AdminBase, discusses the far-reaching benefits of centralised data and sensible automation for installation businesses.

Almost any business decision is easier to make when you have more information to hand. Experience matters, but there is no replacement for cold hard facts. For example, the manager of an installation business might have an idea that one marketing campaign generated more leads than another. But on closer inspection of the statistics, the campaign with fewer leads might have generated higher value projects. Similarly, most of us could make an educated guess about which members of the team are working at capacity and which are not, but only by tracking projects live can you accurately monitor where time is being spent. As the home improvement market continues to be fragile, this level of detail to make informed decisions is becoming a basic requirement for survival. 

Maximising productivity is always desirable, but as the market slows, it becomes essential. To do this and make the best decisions for your business, you need to analyse data accurately. Using one central system is the best way to bring data from all the different departments within a business together. 

A fully integrated solution

The AdminBase installer management system was created to deliver an integrated solution specifically for installation businesses. Considering the nuances of running a home improvement company, including how you sell, deal with customers, and work through an installation project, the system manages data in a common-sense way that is useful to each department. 

The system has various features to support the distinct aspects of an installation business, but its integration is where it really makes a difference. One of the key features in the system, for example, is a Checklist whereby each project is broken down into tasks that can be checked off as they are completed by different departments. But to make it even easier to use, when a task is fulfilled through AdminBase, such as a survey being booked or fitting being completed, these items are automatically ticked off on the Checklist. This fast and live way of updating and sharing information eliminates unnecessary processes, including entering the same information twice in different databases or departments. 

The devil is in the detail

This level of automated support continues, too, because as users update the Checklist, other elements of the system, such as the Taskboard feature and the award-winning Customer Portal, are also automatically informed. Taskboard is a digital job board that tracks work across the lifetime of a project and highlights bottlenecks where people may be overworked, and any areas deemed to have capacity still, improving visibility and accountability. As the overall Checklist feature is updated with completed tasks, the Taskboard element of the system is automatically updated. This allows anyone within the business to see a bird’s eye view of a project quickly or to check on the details of an installation with complete confidence that the information is accurate.

The Customer Portal, meanwhile, eliminates unnecessary processes by giving homeowners access to their accounts online 24/7. The portal is also automatically updated as the Checklist is fulfilled. This again saves double work, with one person updating one system with progress on the installation and another translating this into accessible information for the homeowner. It also ensures that when a homeowner logs in for an update, they are receiving live and up-to-date information.   

A basic requirement

Installation businesses are having to work harder to increase productivity and profitability. Centralising data is a fantastic way to support this and offers a fantastic return on investment. Not only does it eliminate unnecessary processes across the business, but it also gives business owners and managers access to live and accurate information to enable them to make informed decisions about the business. The use of integrated data for improved customer service, better productivity and enhanced profitability is what makes management systems like AdminBase no longer a nice to have but a basic requirement. 

AdminBase’s Services

Contact our team to find out more about AdminBase’s services. Transform your business and effectively manage it without any hassle. Use our online contact form, or give us a call to ask any questions. Alternatively, you can request a free demo to test out our services.

Categories: Uncategorised