Streamlining for Maximum Efficiency

Streamlining to maximise productivity and profitability has never been more important. Rhonda Ridge of Ab Initio’s AdminBase discusses what it means to streamline an installation business and explains how to go about it.  

When we think about streamlining a business, we often deliberate about what we can automate to reduce time spent on a task and improve efficiencies. But it’s not quite that simple. You need to understand what the problems are before you can implement the right solution. Bill Gates once said: “The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.” You can’t simply shoehorn automation into a business without first recognising how it operates. For installation businesses, a good CRM system can streamline fantastically, but it needs to be a system that has been designed with home improvement companies in mind.

Understanding the Pain Points

An installer management system that has been created wholly for installation companies will have done the background work for you in terms of understanding where the pain points in your business are. But once implemented, as well as magnifying the efficiencies, it will also help to easily identify less efficient areas of the operation, allowing you to address any potential issues before they become a problem. 

Ab Initio created AdminBase with a wealth of experience in installation businesses, which is why the system is now an all-encompassing offering that helps to bring an entire operation together. It does so by holding all information from every department in one central system that anyone can access at any time. It allows installation businesses to keep abreast of the whole operation, to see what is working well and what isn’t, and to learn how to maximise resources. The automated system allows communication to flow far more easily around the organisation as well as externally with customers.

The automation starts from the very beginning of the sales process, thanks to the PricepointTM Sales feature. 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. AdminBase will also track all leads until they reach completion, whatever the outcome, so that nothing gets missed.

Give Customers What They Want

Once a prospect is converted into a customer, the AdminBase Customer Portal gives homeowners access to their own online account, just as they would have when shopping with the big online retailers. Homeowners can log in 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, vastly improving the customer’s experience throughout the entire project. 

AdminBase also allows installation businesses to run reports at any time for a quick overview of how the company is doing. The reporting function in AdminBase streamlines access to information. If the data is in AdminBase, you can run a report on it without the need to export the data to another programme. The reports can be viewed in virtually any layout, and while most of our customers find the reports we create and customise for their businesses to be all they need, should they need anything extra, all reports are customisable too.  

As the market continues its more difficult phase, maximising efficiencies by streamlining every aspect of an installation company has never been more important. And the companies that don’t have this strong foundation in their business will soon start to fall behind those that do. Streamlining processes company-wide allows you to take a step back, easily access the information you need, and make informed decisions that are best for your business.  

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