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Industry Insight Tips & Advice Ultimate Guide

The Ultimate Guide to Customer Support: How Support Impacts the Health of Construction Operations

So, your company is thinking of upgrading to a new, streamlined construction software program and ditching that old, generic software. But, one of your biggest qualms is that the new software may be hard to use, or confusing, or maybe integrating into your day-to-day business activities will be impossible. Maybe you’re worried about something going wrong with the software down the road.

What would you do then?

You’re right for taking this transition seriously, as it’s a big change for your company. However, with the right customer support, you won’t have to face these challenges alone. Customer support and account management in construction software are one of the most important features to look for before choosing a product. This guide will explain why.

The Importance of Customer Support in Construction Software

The construction industry thrives on building structures and renovating spaces. Time spent ironing out the wrinkles in a software program or transitioning to new technology can slow that down. For those reasons and more, construction software support is incredibly important.

1. It Helps During the Launch Phase

Transitioning from simple, stand-alone, and feature-limited software to a fully-functional software program may seem overwhelming for your construction company. Teaching employees that are used to old-school spreadsheets and programs designed over 40 years ago won’t be easy to do on your own, despite knowing the value it will bring in the end.

Customer support is at its most important during this stage of the game. The best construction software companies will offer one-on-one and group training to prepare key employees for the role, allowing them to lead the way for other employees. This training can last from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the company.

For example, Premier Construction Software’s initial training program lasts six weeks. During that time, employees learn how to run a fictional business using the software program. By the end of the six-week period, the business goes live and is fully functional with trained employees who know how the software works. Whichever construction software you choose should come with a similar level of start-up support.

2. Issues Happen Along the Way

Even the most well-oiled software might experience a snag every now and then. Most often, it’s a user error and the user doesn’t even realize it. Sometimes, there’s a hardware issue that needs to be identified. It’s rarely an issue with the software or an update, but it can be a possibility.

The problem is your company can’t come to a screeching halt because the software decided to take a nap. Your team needs that software back up and running as soon as possible in order to focus their efforts on other important functions.

For those situations, there is no replacement for expert customer support teams. These professionals should have the knowledge and ability to get your company’s data entry, drawing organization, storage, and accounts payable or receivable back up and running.

But what does solving this business emergency look like? Will your representative have to spend hours on hold, or wait for a response to an email? That’s the case in some situations. Other construction software programs assign an Account Manager to each client, giving them a point of contact to reach out to in any situation. They’ll get the ball rolling and ensure that the customer is receiving the attention they require.

3. It Avoids Growing Pains

Like most companies, the goal is most likely to grow and take on more, bigger, or more valuable projects. But, with that expansion comes growing pains (especially with some software companies). Creating new users, tracking changes, and ensuring everyone see the documents and data they need can be a challenge during this phase of growth.

Streamlined and automated construction software equipped with top-of-the-line customer support can minimize the impact of these growing pains. Customer support can help with managing new and old user accounts in and out of your organization, integrating expansions or updates, and tracking changes or adjusting workflows to ensure everyone is accountable and involved.

It can’t be overstated how important an expert customer support service team is to a construction company at this phase. Rather than users chasing their tails and making more work for themselves, a customer support representative can help the user identify the correct feature to use, how to track an error, or which update they need. The user can then learn how to avoid this mistake in the future, making the time spent working with the support professional well worth it.

Make Sure Your Construction Software Includes Customer Support

If you’re shopping for new construction management software, don’t overlook customer support. This is one of the most critical aspects of ensuring a construction software program integrates with your business and helps take it to new heights.

The success of a construction business is a reflection of the choices of employees, customers, stakeholders, and their organizations. These decisions can play a critical role in determining the success of your organization.

Not to worry, Premier has your back. From the very beginning, we will ensure you feel fully supported and successful. End the wait today and get your business back in financial control.

Schedule a demo today

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Author Biography:

Tom Scalisi has over 15 years of experience working in the trades. Since moving to full-time freelance writing, he has developed a passion for helping construction companies grow. He enjoys teaching contractors how technology can streamline their businesses and educating them about their rights during payment disputes. 

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Industry Insight Tips & Advice Ultimate Guide

Construction Software: Why Startup Businesses Should Invest

As a startup, one of the most important investments you will make is selecting the right type of software for your construction business. Instead of purchasing multiple systems that only offer partial solutions, it pays to invest in an all-in-one platform that will grow with your company. In this article, we’ll look at what kind of software construction companies need, which software is best for construction companies, and why you should invest in construction software. 

Continue reading “Construction Software: Why Startup Businesses Should Invest”
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Industry Insight Tips & Advice Trends & Technology Ultimate Guide

Demand VS Supply in the Construction Industry

The current state of the construction industry is one of challenge. Contractors are in incredibly high demand for renovations, new home builds, and other projects. They’re poised for serious growth, except for one thing: There aren’t any affordable materials.

 

Demand VS Supply: What happened?

The pandemic caused a wild amount of demand for contractors and a shortage of materials. In the past, whenever either condition existed, it has pushed the price of building up. In today’s construction industry, it’s pricing both contractors and prospective project owners past their affordability breaking point.

Contractors are in High Demand

Contractors are in such demand because people want change. With so many folks leaving large cities for greener spaces, or so many working from home and needing a new environment to look at, contractors can’t answer the phone fast enough. These customers want to build new homes, renovate fixer-uppers they purchased in the country, or simply spruce things up a bit. And most of them want to hire a contractor to do it for them (keep “most” in mind).

Building Materials are in Short Supply

But, with materials manufacturing taking a massive hit during the pandemic, there just aren’t enough affordable materials around. With government imparted shutdowns, social distancing requirements, and a general lack of staffing across all industries, the amount of lumber hitting the shelves isn’t what it used to be. And, for the contractors that are able to find materials, they’re extremely expensive.

Workforce Shortages

For materials that aren’t necessarily in short supply, such as stone in the domestic mountain used for building products, or materials waiting at sea to be unloaded, the issue is a workforce shortage. With so many people choosing to remain out of work, material production can’t ramp up. And, there’s a lack of qualified truck drivers to move the materials that are produced. 

DIYers Played a Part

Consider this interesting point: DIYers caused some of these headaches as well. With so many people staying home instead of taking expensive vacations, many decided to tackle renovations and fixer-upper projects on their own. They headed down to the local home center or lumber yard and strapped studs and joists to the roof of the family sedan. This one group may have been responsible for the apparent disappearance of pressure-treated lumber in 2020, as new deck builds are a favorite of DIYers.

Governmental Impacts

Let’s not discount the effect that the government has had on the situation. The Biden administration imparted an 18% tax increase on softwood lumber coming into the US from Canada. Also, tariffs on concrete shipments from Japan are making a challenging scenario even worse. 

Issues for the Construction Industry

This chain of uncanny events is doing one thing: Making construction of any sort more and more expensive. Materials that were once affordable and readily available are typically neither anymore. 

 

  • When it comes to wood, the cost of 1,000 board feet of lumber nearly quadrupled over the course of the pandemic. It’s since dropped, but it’s far above pre-pandemic pricing.
  • The availability of concrete hasn’t changed much, but the demand and suppliers’ ability to move it to the job site has: There are fewer qualified drivers yet more places to deliver it to, causing a rise in price.
  • The cost of steel has been steadily increasing, forcing the price of fabrication and commercial construction to increase accordingly. Some estimates have the increase of steel mill prices as high as 141%. 

 

How To Overcome (or Avoid) These Issues Moving Forward

For many contractors, the time or ability to avoid the supply chain issues caused by the pandemic has passed. However, there are some ways they can avoid the impact these issues can have on their bottom line. 

Job Forecasting

One way to plan for current expenses is to use effective job forecasting methods. By utilizing data compiled from past projects, contractors are able to predict how much a project will cost. While spikes in materials costs do minimize this methods’ effectiveness, the longer the heightened costs occur, the more accurate forecasting will be.

This method requires more than just reviewing old invoices. Utilizing software designed specifically for contractors allows for in-depth analysis of spending, materials costs, labor, and other costs associated with certain projects. The more data collected, the more accurate the report.

Establishing Credit with Multiple Materials Suppliers

A more effective way to mitigate the impact of skyrocketing materials pricing in establishing lines of credit with several suppliers. Many contractors prefer to work with a select few suppliers, but this limits their ability to shop prices and material availability. What the supplier has is what the contractor gets.

While it’s true that many suppliers work off the same supply chain, everyone has a trick or two up their sleeve. Consider a contractor who ordered materials but the job fell through. Potentially, those materials are sitting in one particular yard, which means only one supplier will have access. If a contractor who needs those materials doesn’t regularly deal with that supplier, they may never locate those materials. 

That’s a specific instance, but one that isn’t uncommon. Access to materials often depends on who a contractor knows, which can make establishing accounts with several companies critical. For contractors that worry too many accounts will make accounts payable a nightmare, a solid construction software solution can automate and streamline payments.

Contract Clauses

While no contractor wants to adjust the terms of their contract or back out on a deal, it’s sometimes necessary. Including clauses in a contract that put the onus on the customer might be the best way to protect their bottom line.

For instance, such a clause might state that once a material increases over a certain percentage (which must be established in the contract), the customer will be expected to pay the additional costs. The customer then has the opportunity to sign or pass on the contract. If they sign, the contractor has some reassurance that price increases won’t derail their project or their company’s profit margin.

Hard Times Call for Smarter Measures

Things are tough right now. Though contractors might not be able to take full advantage of the demand for their services, with a few smart moves, they can still grow. The cost of materials may never reach pre-pandemic prices again, but contractors that analyze their established data, diversify their supply chain, and create safer contracts have a better chance of making it through the worst of it. When materials do begin to drop again, they’ll be in the position to fake full advantage and grow. 

Premier construction software is a cloud-based accounting and project management construction software

Check out Premier Construction Software to see if it fits your company’s strategies and goals.  Our construction management and accounting software provide teams with the tools they need to take advantage of these technologies. Schedule a demo by contacting us today.

We’re more than just construction financial software. We’re built to help your business.

Author Biography:

Tom Scalisi has over 15 years of experience working in the trades. Since moving to full-time freelance writing, he has developed a passion for helping construction companies grow. He enjoys teaching contractors how technology can streamline their businesses and educating them about their rights during payment disputes.