The Point Of No Return

Rhonda Ridge of AdminBase, Ab Initio’s installer management system, discusses how the Tipping Point theory applies to admin and why the glazing sector should be prepared to hit its next watershed moment very soon.

The term ‘tipping point’ originated in the medical field to describe the moment at which an infectious disease cannot be stopped from spreading more widely. An obvious recent example of this is Covid. According to Malcolm Gladwell, author of the book ‘The Tipping Point’ however, in commercial sales and marketing the phrase has more positive connotations – it’s the point at which a product has achieved such an impact that it almost takes on a life of its own. It’s when the move towards change simply explodes and is embedded in a market forever. The glazing sector is on the brink of its next tipping point, with the move towards automated admin.

Push and pull driving change

More home improvement companies are realising the benefits of adopting one integrated management system for all their admin needs, but consumers are also driving the change with a demand for more online interaction with suppliers. The only way to achieve all of this, without having separate tools that risk being out of sync with each other, is through centralisation.

The AdminBase system was initially created to improve efficiencies in the way information was being stored and passed around installation businesses. But through constant development to address changing market trends, it has become so much more than this, and is now affecting real change.

To give homeowners the online access they desire for example, AdminBase offers a Customer Portal which allows them to log into their account to keep track of their order, just as they would on Amazon. They can enjoy the convenience of being able to check details, confirm appointments, pay invoices, and even report any snagging issues when the job is complete, from the comfort of their own home at a time that suits them. Meanwhile installation businesses benefit from fewer incoming calls, and easy access to all the information they need to get the job done and offer excellent service levels.

Supporting the entire business

AdminBase supports installation businesses through the entire customer journey, from the point of enquiry, through to after sales care. For example, sales teams can make the right first impression in the home with PricepointTM. This easy-to-use app works offline eliminating any embarrassing downtime and showcases a company’s complete catalogue of products in a professional presentation. Its clever Manufacturing IntelligenceTM immediately highlights if an impossible product selection has been made, saving everyone the time and hassle of discovering the error further down the line.

After the sale has been made, the robust system holds a live record for every job on the books. Each record includes all the accompanying information for that project, including documents and even pictures. Having all this detail in one place makes it much easier to chase orders with suppliers, answer queries from customers, complete jobs more efficiently, and keep track of the company’s overall performance.

A new normal

When change is afoot, there will always be companies that blaze a trail while others prefer to adopt the ‘wait and see’ strategy, but the latter is becoming harder in an era of connectivity via social media. Change is happening faster as new ideas spread more quickly, which also means slow adopters get left behind sooner.

For products to affect significant change they must be useful and impactful. This might mean they outperform their predecessor alternatives, or it might mean they offer a completely new solution to an age-old problem. The laborious way information has been managed in installation businesses to date could not go on forever. Now that there is a viable solution that offers companies a significantly better way of conducting their business, while addressing the consumer demand for online relationships, automated admin is fast becoming the new normal.

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