All industries have had to confront the uncertainty of a global pandemic and plan accordingly to get through this challenging time. Most businesses have had to review their processes and look at how they can be as efficient as possible. We've helped many glass companies get more out of the resources they have as well as give them the tools they need to be more successful. We’ll look at some of the most important factors involved in choosing the right glass software for your business.
Understanding your business and products
The glass industry is unique. Glass and materials need to be handled with more precision than other industries. Jobs need to be accurate. This makes it important that you choose software that’s specifically built for your industry and customized to your business. Smart-Toolbox is only built for glass shops and each system is carefully set up. It gives you a single system for design, sales and administration, making it a much cleaner choice than trying to force multiple programs to cooperate. When considering software options, make sure that you are looking at products designed for glass.
Advanced reporting and business insight
It can be frustrating for managers when they are caught up in micro-managing the process. While software helps with removing bottlenecks, it can also free up managers and owners to concentrate on growing the business. This becomes much easier when they have information at their fingertips, like quote and sales reports, margin analysis and more. It’s searchable and makes reporting not just easy, but exciting. For people who have always felt in the back of their minds that they might be missing a key part of the puzzle, finally knowing exactly what the margins are on each job can be incredibly enlightening. Software can let you automate the most useful reports for your business, letting you see exactly how you are performing and where you should be putting your resources.
Remote access when you need it
A huge benefit for our customers over the last few months has been the ability to access their business information remotely. This has meant the difference between some shops having to shut down entirely and being able to continue to operate without having everyone go in to the office. Remote access allows our customers to stay on top of those precious inquiries and be as productive as possible while minimizing risks. It’s good to know you have the option there when you need it but with the streamlined processes that software brings, you’ll find you won’t need to take work home with you anymore.
Making the most of sales opportunities
With fewer inquiries you must make the most of all opportunities, particularly when quoting new jobs. For many glaziers, quoting looks a little different each time. One of the core strengths of glass software like Smart-Toolbox is that it allows any team member to quote confidently and quickly while also including 3D images. It helps you make the most of those valuable leads, winning more jobs and making more money.
Quoting faster, from anywhere
Not only are you impressing your customers with high quality, visually impressive quotes, but you are also able to get the quote back to the customer much faster. Some users of Smart-Toolbox are quoting on-site using the remote access mentioned above to quote on their laptop. This means you can use your accurate pricing to get the details right no matter where you are.
Choosing the right time to get started
There will always be reasons to put off process change. Knowing that things work as they are, even if you know they could be better, means that any change feels like a risk. This is a valid concern for any business, but the risks need to be calculated against the reward that improvements can bring. A new software system might seem a lot to take on, but for most glaziers, the benefits are immediate. Being able to quote much faster, with more accuracy, while also delivering high-quality quotes pays off very quickly. Improved processes for design, invoicing, scheduling and reporting can make your life much easier.
We’ve worked with hundreds of glass businesses to help them get set up and making the most of their new tools and we’d like to show you how that could work for you. Send us an email at info@smart-builder.com or click the button.