Game changing project management

As we embark on another interesting year, Ab Initio’s Rhonda Ridge, creator of AdminBase, explains how the right project management software can help installation businesses stay on track, be more efficient, and improve customer satisfaction.

I don’t want to talk the market down because there’s enough of that going on elsewhere, but there is no denying that we’re kicking off the new year in difficult circumstances.

With mortgage rates set to remain high for at least two more years, and the cost-of-living crisis predicted to continue, 2023 is going to be another challenging year. But not an impossible one.

The window and door industry has proven itself to be resilient plenty of times before, and this time around there are even more great products, reasons to buy, and tools to help improve efficiencies at our disposal. We just have to take advantage of them. One such tool helping businesses navigate the ever-changing market conditions, is project management software.

Project management is essential at any time but having a clear overview of how projects are managed throughout the entire business in tough market conditions, is a game changer. It’s even harder to juggle people, resources, and projects when you’re having to keep such a close eye on the bottom line, so having a tool that keeps everything organised in an accurate, predictable, and profitable way is indispensable.

Implementing good project management principles is one of the most useful ways to help companies stay competitive through the good times and the bad.

AdminBase has recently added a project management tool called Task Board to its already comprehensive installer management system to help home improvement businesses better plan and monitor projects through to completion.

This latest feature splits each installation into columns in terms of actions that need to be completed throughout the project. From the point of issuing a quote, to the final invoicing stage, the board lists tasks and allocates resources to each action point.

Gain a competitive edge

The ability to track projects in this way delivers tremendous competitive advantage because as we all know, things change daily on a job. Materials are delayed, people are absent, and schedules are altered. If departments are working autonomously, this can cause significant delays.

Simply communicating these changes can take time and effort, let alone the subsequent reshuffling of resources necessary to get the job done. Task Board will automatically highlight when things are running behind, or if resources aren’t available to complete a task on time. Having software that shows live updates to everyone in the business ensures no time is wasted in updating work schedules and keeping projects on track.

The AdminBase Task Board is also invaluable in ensuring that teams don’t get overbooked with work, while other teams don’t have enough to do. Bottle necks are easily identified and therefore rectified quickly before they become a problem.

This improves accountability and encourages teamwork because everyone can see how their allocated actions will impact on the project as a whole. Having worked in an installation business myself I know that different parts of a home improvement company can operate completely separately, each with their own way of working, which don’t always marry up with other departments.

In fact, this mismatch in working methods is often the root cause of bigger issues within an organisation as information gets lost and actions get delayed. Task Board eliminates this disparate way of working and brings a business together.

When homeowner spending dissipates, competition for any remaining disposable income increases and there is less room to put a foot wrong. Every part of an installation business needs to be working together to achieve excellent service in the most efficient way possible.

Using the new Task Board facility in the context of the all-encompassing AdminBase system, installation businesses are given a precise picture of the entire operation 24/7. This offers companies a unique level of understanding that could make all the difference in 2023 and beyond.