Are you tired of juggling multiple software tools designed for other industries?
There are a lot of service management and accounting platforms marketed towards the door industry. The one thing they all have in common is that they are not designed for the door industry. If you are a plumber, electrician, or HVAC service company, these systems work well, but if you are a door company, dealing with special orders and unique customer/vendor service requirements, these systems cause frustration all the way from the field to the back-office, and ultimately impact customer satisfaction.
How does misfit software create frustration and cost you money?
In the dynamic door install and service world, having the right tools can make all the difference. However, selecting field service or accounting software that doesn’t align with your specific needs can lead to a myriad of problems, from operational inefficiencies to frustrated employees and dissatisfied customers. The repercussions can be far-reaching, and often require door companies to devote significantly more labor than necessary to operations.
One of the primary issues with multiple or misfit systems is the misalignment of workflows. Businesses operate differently, with unique processes and requirements. An HVAC company has a totally different service workflow than a door company, and a far simplified process when it comes to ordering parts or managing new install projects. A plumbing or electrical contractor has an even more simplified process than an HVAC company. When it comes to business software, this is great news for software companies, because developers can create standard workflows that easily fit a lot of generic service companies regardless of industry. Let’s explore the numbers. Currently in the United States, there are:
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137,063 HVAC service companies
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127,343 Plumbing service companies
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71,204 Electrical service companies
That’s 335K companies with an average user base of 10 users. Depending on the cost of the software, those generic service industries represent between $600 million to over $1 billion dollars A MONTH to software companies with names like ServiceThis, ServiceThat, or FieldThis, FieldThat, or WorkThis, WorkThat. Why is that important to you? Because there are only about 8,500-11,000 door install and service companies in the United States. You mean nothing to them. They are not going to change their software to fit your business, and if they agree to, it will cost you dearly! The goal of the generic service software company is to sell you a subscription, pass you to their support group (often in another country), and move on to the next sale. Let’s be real. . .spending significant time with a small number of door dealers is not cost efficient if they can spend that same amount of time recruiting thousands of generic service companies.
How can we help?
While the problems associated with using misfit software may seem daunting, there is a way to avoid this trap. Take the time to thoroughly assess your business needs, involve key stakeholders in the decision-making process, and invest in software that is designed for your industry. Our average client comes to us after using 2-3 different systems with lots of manual and paper processes. They are almost always frustrated with the lack of support from their current “partner,” and even more frustrated because that partner does not understand, or care about their business. It doesn’t have to be that way. . .
Advanced Systems Group is the only business software company dedicated exclusively to the door industry, and has been for nearly 3 decades. The Insite4Doors platform is the only system designed specifically for companies that sell, service, and distribute doors, docks, gates and related door industry products. Insite4Doors is a complete business system for the door industry built on Acumatica, the world’s fastest growing and most advanced ERP. We can really help you improve your door business.