Fence Workers Association

TIMING

We all know the saying… “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Unfortunately, that road might very well be trying to set up and customize a piece of software. Trust me, after supporting CFS for over 40 years, we have learned this lesson very well. Many legacy or generic estimating solutions require a lot of set up. Again, we’re speaking from experience here. We have seen clients purchase software, only to become overwhelmed with setup and end up with a tool that they won’t implement for months. First, when evaluating a piece of software familiarize yourself with the amount of time it will take to set it up and how much work you’ll be expected to do before you can use the software. Second, don’t try to set up a complex piece of software during your busy season. Although some highly motivated people have succeeded, most get frustrated and end up setting the software aside until things calm down at the office.

EDUCATED DECISION

It happens to the best of us, we see something that we think is going to make our lives better and we just have to have it. I would advise you to stop and consider everything that we’ve mentioned above. Don’t become paralyzed by doubts, but don’t run full sprint down a road without looking to see where it ends. There are many, many software options on the market and more coming every year. Do your research. Software can make our lives easier and optimize our time, but only if we actually use it. Before you type in your credit card information, make sure that you’ve found the right software at the right time and you’re fully aware of what it does and what it will take to implement it. Once you have considered everything you can confidently select the software that is right for you.