Fence Workers Association

Time - it’s the one commodity that no one seems to have enough of.

Or sometimes, the commodity that we feel like could be put to better use. Cue ‘software’, a tool that is supposed to provide us with more time and optimize the time we spend using it.   

With so many software services coming into the fence industry, how can we be sure that we’re choosing the right software for our needs at the right time? Let’s review a few of the key features that make software worth purchasing and the challenges of implementing new software.

AUTOMATION

There are, and will be, software solutions on the market that offer great automations, such as producing a material breakdown, job sketch, shop drawings, and all associated documents simultaneously (Fence. Cloud) or helping to track and monitor a customer’s relationship with the tea while simultaneously handling job progress, scheduling, and reminders based on tasks (Job Nimbus). 

ORGANIZATION

Organization is key for efficiency. Choose software that helps you visualize your process and seamlessly keep track of important documents and images. One issue that we’ve encountered with clients is when generic software can’t differentiate between files that need to be associated with a particular estimate, and files that need to be readily available to all employees for every job.  An image that we took 2 years ago doesn’t mean much to us today until we see it in the context of an estimate or job. Taking that idea one-step further, a truly intelligent piece of software will allow you take an estimate specific file and add it to company-wide resources; or designate a company-wide file to an estimate and mark it as being provided to the customer. Being organized not only helps you wow customers and save time, but also protects you from liability. 

DEVICE LIMITATIONS

After selling a Windows only estimating program (CFS) for four decades, we can tell you from experience that forcing a Mac person to use a Windows operating system is an uphill battle. This holds true across multiple devices. Check to see if the program you want to use is only available on one type of operating system. If it is not the operating system that your team is used to using be prepared for extra implementation time. Not only does your team have to learn anew piece of software, but they also

have to overcome that uneasy feeling of working with an interface that doesn’t feel natural to them. As more and more software solutions become universally available or cloud-based, this issue should fade away.

DUPLICATION

How many pieces of software are you running? One? Two? Three? Some of our clients are using 4 or 5 pieces of software just to manage their day-to-day operations. And if these solutions are not talking to one another, someone is expected to duplicate information from one important system to another. At this point, things can begin to fall through the cracks.

Implementing a large piece of software can be overwhelming, but consider the trade-offs between learning a new piece of software that handles 2 or 3 different tasks, versus keeping track of information between two or three different programs. If you have a program that does an incredible job and simply can’t be replaced then see if an integration is possible. Integrations that reduce data duplication reduce mistakes and save your team valuable time.

By: Julie Schulze