‘Instant returns’ on your software investment
Moving to a subscription model for your window design processing needs will open-up more opportunities for efficiency and profitability, according to Greg Beachim, sales manager at First Degree Systems.
Installing new design processing software is often seen as unwieldy and off-putting, potentially stalling production and interrupting supply.
But this simply isn’t the case, argues Greg Beachim, sales manager at First Degree Systems, who says fabricators can be up and running very quickly on a basic subscription model. This can then be expanded as the company’s requirements grow.
“We’ve got over 30 years’ industry experience, and we work with some of the largest entities within the UK,” Greg says. “As companies expand and move forward, they often want to start with a quick fix, and then look at other options as they grow that business.
“An installation of a basic Window Designer package can be as quick as a couple of weeks, and that can give you a baseline installation for manual cutting. As companies grow, we will discuss their needs in greater detail, and we will produce a scope of works that can then vary from that simplistic, two-week delivery point to two, four, six, eight, 12 months, depending on the needs of the business.”
Flexible
Greg explains that once the fabricator is up and running with Window Designer, the two companies can work together to manage their developing needs, all aided by a flexible subscription model, which allows fabricators to add on packages as and when they need them.
“As fabricators grow, they will often want to bring on board new software functions, which they weren’t prepared to pay for from day one because it was too big a leap forward for them,” Greg says.
“Some of these customers are coming into a world that they’ve never dealt with before. These are fabricators, they’re not software experts. And we have to build those businesses so they can see the functionality that that suite of software can bring, and the efficiencies it can deliver.”
The Window Designer subscription package has been designed so that a fabricator can choose different tiers of functionality, without worrying about paying for unused functions. So, they may start out on a basic package that allows them to process window and door designs, included complex shapes and requirements.
Once that is in place, that fabricator may choose to upgrade their subscription package to include other cost and time-saving modules, such as Profile Optimiser and Stock Assistant, which help to reduce waste, optimise pricing, and manage stock levels that keeps more cash in the business.
“As fabricators face mounting cost pressures, managing waste and stock levels is vital for the long-term health of that business,” Greg says. “The Window Designer suite of software is designed exactly for that purpose.”
Up and running
While subscribing to the more comprehensive packages with deliver greater savings, Greg argues that even a basic set up will improve the bottom line.
“Even for an entry level business, a return on investment is almost immediate,” Greg says. “If you compare it to the standard software product fabricators receive from a profile house, for example, that usually takes a lot of training and a lot of expertise because it is often CAD-orientated.
“The Window Designer product training, on the other hand, can be completed in as little as half an hour, and fabricators can be up and running in no time. And, as long as that’s been pre-configured for the user, it’s very easy to train on.
“And then it a question of using the pre-configured settings to create windows, doors, bi-folds, and then pushing that to manufacture with a simple point and click.
“As a result, the actual return on investment can be almost instantaneous on the initial delivery.”
