Having the right software can make a big difference to your business. The wrong software can leave you feeling frustrated, confused, and struggling to keep on top of everything. In contrast the right software can help improve your efficiency, helping you grow your business and win more orders. Software is a big investment, so it is important to get it right. A bit like the tools that you use to manufacture or install your windows, software is something that you will use every day, meaning that the right software can make a big difference to the profitability of your business. You don’t want to purchase tools that you keep having to replace or a van that keeps breaking down. Likewise, you want to ensure that your software is built to last and will work for your business.
What are the biggest problems that you want the software to help with?
Before looking at software, think about what you struggle with currently and what is taking up most of your time that the right software may be able to help you with. Are you spending a lot of time writing the same emails or searching paperwork to find the information you need about a job? These are both things that the right software can help you with. Once you have a list of a few things that you want help with, speak to the software company to find out how their software can help you overcome these issues.
Arrange a demo of the software
It is important to see what you are buying before signing up. Salespeople will often tell you that their software can do everything you need, but without seeing the software it is hard to know whether it will suit your business needs. It is therefore important to see the software, what it can do and how it works. The demo should be a free no obligation demonstration, where you can ask questions and ask to be shown how different things work in practice. Make sure you have your questions and list of issues with you, so you can go through them and ask the demonstrator how these issues can be overcome by using their software.
Do you need to quote bespoke items?
If you need to quote for bespoke or arched windows and doors, you want to choose a software that is designed to quote for bespoke items. EndtoEnd IT’s integrate allows you to quickly and easily quote for bespoke and arched items, without costing you any extra.
What training will you receive?
Check what training you will receive when you purchase the software. Is this included in the cost of the software or is it an added extra? What about on-going support and training? It is important to ensure that someone will be available to help you if you have a problem or question on how to do something. Make sure that they have a dedicated support team in place to help fix issues and ask about on-going training. At EndtoEnd IT we provide monthly webinars, in addition to our dedicated support team, to ensure our customers are informed of new developments and are making the most of the software.
Think about the short-term and long-term plans for your business
Don’t just think about what you need now. It is important to choose software that can adapt and grow alongside your business, allowing you to add extra features to support future development within your business. You may only initially require software for quoting, but having the option to expand the software to cover your manufacturing or installation teams as you grow your business means you don’t have to purchase multiple software or look to switch software when your business expands. Using multiple software packages that don’t link together can also result in the potential for human error when transferring data between different software packages.
Choosing window and door software: discover how EndtoEnd IT’s integrate can help!
integrate was created by IT and window experts to help improve the productivity and efficiency of your window and door business, helping you to increase your profitability. It is designed to help overcome some of the common problems for window and door businesses, including automating processes, generating reports, and locating all the information you need about a job in one place. Our integrate software has multiple modules and features allowing you to only pay for what you will use, while also allowing you to add on additional modules and features as your business grows and as require them. In the last few years, more and more companies are choosing to use integrate as their software of choice. In fact, the number of companies using integrate has grown roughly 15 times compared to the number who were using it 5 years ago, demonstrating the popularity of integrate. Many of our customers who have been with us for multiple years have also chosen to add on extra modules and features as their business grows. To find out how we can help you grow your business, and to arrange a free no obligation demonstration of integrate, contact us today on 01422 762 098.