“It’s time to let go…”
Do you know the quote?
It’s from Finding Nemo and it’s the part when the nervous dad, Marlin, listens to Dory, lets go of control and takes a leap to do things differently. If you haven’t seen it, then your next movie night is sorted. If you have, you’ll no doubt remember it as a relatable moment.
It’s the classic case of being in a comfort zone of sorts, and sticking with what you’ve got, even if you suspect (or know) there’s a better option. You’ll see this in your growing window and door business, with the software you’re using to manage customer enquiries, appointments, quotes and production details.
You know it’s become inefficient and is slowing you down, or you’ve outgrown it, but you’re persevering because you’re not sure of the best way forward. And you certainly don’t want to make a mistake.
Risk. Opportunity cost. Tipping point.
Read on to find out why integrate is being used by so many in the window and door industry.
Multiple systems mean multiple barriers
If you could start from scratch, what would you change about your business processes?
Lots will say they’d streamline their software. EndtoEnd has been there too, and we’ve helped many businesses battling to integrate a separate CRM, a complex spreadsheet, a shared email account or a shared cloud filing system… ‘Just don’t upload and save an old version, whatever you do!’
Then, as you quote and invoice, you might be using different accounting software or another spreadsheet. And all the while, you’re using Sketchup or another CAD programme to design and monitor production.
Hindsight is helpful if you do something with it. We improve and make things better all the time in business, but our software systems are one area you’re less keen to touch. It can be easy to make do as, after all, it just about works. But, if you’re anything like we can remember, it functions because you’re tidying up all the loose ends in the evening after dinner and kids’ bathtime. You can easily normalise too much plate spinning.
Multiple systems mean multiple barriers, which ultimately means multiple inefficiencies. And as you get busier and busier those little irritations suddenly become major. We’ve been there, and we can help.
Four problems you might be facing
At EndtoEnd, we were prompted to find a new software option for our business, as what we had was no longer fit for purpose.
And it is common for many of our customers to have at least one of these issues:
- Repeating work – with multiple systems from enquiry through to production, information will often have to be inputted multiple times.
- No overview of information – to find information about values, quotes, order values, timescales, designs and payments, you need to look in multiple places.
- Difficult to update – when you update one system, another one can stop listening to it. For example, a small change to a spreadsheet can need a lot of work to make sure the update works.
- Knowledge across your business – you end up with owners or managers of specific systems, meaning it’s hard to delegate when you would otherwise want to. It’s easier for that one person to just do it.
Just for fun. How many did you score out of 4?
We get it, we know the frustrations, and we understand your reservations. But if you knew there was a solution, maybe now would be the time for change.
No more spreadsheet spaghetti
You can be honest. We’ve all created a spreadsheet with macros and functioning visual basic detail we’re proud of! But as businesses grow, so does the spreadsheet, with layer upon layer of new information being added. Before you know it, you’re trying to untangle intricate workarounds each time you need to make a change, and this once spreadsheet of dreams turns into the stuff of nightmares.
For us, the journey of digitalising information began back in 2004 with our in-house spreadsheet. We created a spreadsheet called RAMPS which allowed us to create a window diagram, price it live and create a quote for the customers with a schedule that could be given to the survey team and installers. We had a tablet PC and printers and had to produce everything on A3 in triplicate!
As much as we were impressed with our Excel skills, we knew it was not the way to build a business. We needed to integrate the backroom processes of window design, pricing and installation, within one bespoke software solution.
EndtoEnd: Speaking from experience
Systems like Xero for accounts, Monday or Trello for work with customers, or Tommy Trinder for quotes are great standalone systems. But none of them let you draw a window and print the production details for your factory.
The difficulty is big software companies are never going to design a bespoke system for your window and door business. You’re always going to find gaps between what you need to happen and what the system is designed for.
Enter, integrate.
We were in your position and it’s what drove us to develop integrate. To serve the window and door industry in a genuinely helpful way it had to be bespoke, as it’s no easy task for one system to move from producing clear quotes, supporting window design and sending all details to the factory, before overseeing the installation process and invoicing.
From inside the industry, we developed a system to meet this need.
Updating your window and door software: Why the delay?
Now you’ve seen there is a solution, and you want things to be better, but you’re still hesitant. It’s fear or perceived risk, and it’s completely understandable.
You’ve worked hard to get everything in order. So, what if the change in system doesn’t work or creates more work?
You can only ask this question if you’ve experienced the challenges of a disjointed system. In effect, you’ve become aware of the risks and want to know if your current spinning of plates is the best way to mitigate them. This is where we have absolute confidence in our onboarding processes as we help you smoothly transition to EndtoEnd’s integrate system.
We’d encourage you to read some more of our articles as you think about taking the step:
Read our recent case studies showing our work with Storm Windows and Ventrolla Windows.
Find out about EndtoEnd’s onboarding, without the headache.
Come to your decision about the benefits of the integrate single-system software.