Contracting companies in the 21st century are faced with an ever more complex and competitive environment. In order to thrive in the cut-throat world of an increasingly global and connected business environment, every business (but especially small and medium-sized enterprises) needs to harness the competitive advantage of technology – and this increasingly means relying on the edge that business-appropriate software provides.
However, software very rarely provides a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to a business’s unique requirements. This is why custom business software is so important. Custom software does away with unnecessary bells and whistles and is designed to optimize the functioning of a business no matter how niche its market penetration or individual its needs. In short, custom software for roofing companies specifically should increase efficiency, decreases costs and streamline processes.
Modern business has a lot of moving parts. Supply chain management, human resources, ensuring customer satisfaction. optimizing product or service offerings, administration, and accounting – and utilizing effective analytics to ensure that each and every process is continually refined to deliver exceptional results. To tie all these aspects together without the aid of a modern software solution will severely impact the efficiency of the business and have a negative impact on its bottom line.
The fact that there is very rarely a software suite that will exactly fit the unique requirements of a business does not stop management from entertaining the thought that off the shelf software would be able to get the job done. It is an age-old dilemma – ‘Build vs Buy’. On the one hand, off the shelf solutions can be cheaper than a bespoke solution – but the question remains: do those sorts of solutions truly represent a superior return on investment?
The question can be of pivotal strategic importance when it comes to questions around scalability and flexibility. This is especially true when new software has to be integrated with legacy systems. That will almost inevitably require extra development – and the costs of shoehorning a new software system into one that has outlived its usefulness but has functionality and still hosts data that is essential to the functioning of the enterprise can be staggering.
There is also the fact that off the shelf software is available to competitors. If a large number of organizations are using the same software, the software does not convey a competitive advantage.
If your roofing company is still handling massive amounts of paperwork and relying on manual processes then it may be time to look at a custom software package in order to maintain a competitive advantage. Custom software optimizes workflow and saves time and money. It can interface with the tools that are unique to your business such as those used by remote sales teams and other stakeholders. Maintaining competitiveness is increasingly about collecting, collating and analyzing data – and acting on the results of that analysis. Custom software allows a business to do this more effectively than any standard software that is available to mainstream business.
When all is said and done, custom contracting software makes sense. It can be engineered to be future proof (to a greater or lesser extent) and optimizes workflow, customer relations, product and service offerings and data analysis. It helps a company become more agile – and that is at the foundation of success in the modern business world.
