Following a challenging 12 months for the industry, many installers will be anticipating similar conditions for 2026. Rhonda Ridge, managing director of Ab Initio says that with the right CRM system in place however, businesses can still move forward and grow.

High quality product and service will always form part of the vital ingredients to navigate tougher economic times, but in order to fully capitalise on sales opportunities, businesses must also make sure they are equipped with software that can fully optimise operational efficiencies – including for sales and marketing.

Rhonda Ridge, managing director of Ab Initio explains why: “CRM systems such as AdminBase should be viewed as so much more than just another software programme,” she says. “There is no doubt that the industry continues to be suppressed by low consumer confidence but there is still a positive way forward for those that have intelligent tools in place that can analyse the supply chain, help to trim unwanted fat and maximise profit margins.”

A key benefit for AdminBase installer customers is that feedback is continuously monitored, considered and then implemented to make constant improvements. These consistent tweaks help to push the system forwards and further extend the range of advantages for users, including options for simple yet highly effective marketing via the integrated Campaigns feature.

“The Campaigns feature with AdminBase is the perfect example of how the system has evolved way beyond the realms of just another piece of software,” continues Rhonda. “For some businesses, particularly those relying on third party software – including tools like Mailchimp – marketing can be unnecessarily time consuming and ‘clunky’.

“That’s because, typically, users will need to import leads and data from another system first. They’re relying on all that data being transferred without any errors but they’re also going to have to manage both systems simultaneously.

“As Campaigns is integrated within AdminBase, that process is eliminated,” adds Rhonda. “Users can simply select the leads and customer data they require that is already in the system and then they can quickly and easily create an email, SMS, letter or phone marketing campaign.

“Once this has been implemented, any following actions – for example by tele-canvassers – can also be recorded within AdminBase, with those notes and potential leads clearly visible to the rest of the sales teams.”

Rhonda adds that Campaigns is not just a highly efficient way for installer to action their marketing, it’s also far easier to manage as well, especially for those who have ever struggled to accurately track who has clicked on emails, or resend or update data with third party systems.

She also highlights that it is another perfect example of how Ab Initio works with customers to enhance features and continually introduce improvements.

“We developed Campaigns over the course of 12 months as a direct response to the feedback we had received from our customers,” she says. “Many of them had a wealth of existing data on their systems and they wanted a more efficient and effective way of utilising it, so we listened and worked hard to deliver a feature that was able to do just that.”

Priced at £300 per month for unlimited emails, the Campaign feature has been developed to work seamlessly with the latest web-based version of AdminBase, which is designed to ensure easier connectivity for users, whether they are in the office or working remotely, 24 hours a day with a tablet, laptop or PC.

“Campaigns is just one of a number of outstanding features in AdminBase,” concludes Rhonda. “It can introduce efficiencies across the board, from visualising the different tasks on your installation pipeline, to managing quotes and leads, enabling digital signatures from customers and so much more.

“That includes the ability to act as a complete sales and marketing department that does exactly what you ask when you need it most, providing valuable insight into sales patterns and delivering measurable results at time when every lead counts.”