Digitalization in the installation sector: here’s how to get started

Due to increasing demand and busyness in the installation sector, efficient working has become an absolute must. This contributes to the substantial rise of digitalization in the installation sector. This digitalization affects company systems, how your installation company collaborates on projects, and the working methods you apply with your clients. Understandably, not everyone is immediately ready for a significant transformation. This week, we are happy to provide you with tips that you can start implementing right away.

Digitalization is not a new problem

Before we continue with some tips to get started immediately, it is good to know that digitization is not a new ‘problem’ you are dealing with. Digitalization has been rapidly changing our economy and society for several years now. But this is nothing other than what we experienced in the mid-18th century. The world shifted from manual production to mass production with machines. The same goes for shipping, where everything was previously loaded individually and is now transported in containers. Digitalization, like industrialization and container transport, means choosing specific standards. Then you start working with these standards. Initially, this may limit you, but ultimately, the effect is that you work much smarter and more efficiently. Over time, this limitation will also fade away.

You don’t have to do everything at once

At Bluace, we notice that when it comes to digitalization, people often think of, for example, a new ERP software for installation companies and significant investments. You can make the biggest differences with that, but logically, not every installation company is ready for it. We often hear that a company is not prepared or able to make a significant investment, but still wants to continue with digitalization. They feel that the current system still cannot meet any standards. Know that there is no standard way to get started with digitalization. Even if one of these statements applies to your installation company at the moment, it doesn’t mean there are no steps to take to start working on digitalization. Everyone does it at their own pace, and you don’t have to apply all aspects of digitalization at once. Moreover, there is no right or wrong.

Start with digitalization as soon as your processes are in order

When we talk about the first steps you can take regardless of your situation, it mainly concerns your current processes. Ensure these are tidy and clear up any clutter as much as possible. With digitalization, when your workflows are messy and unclear, it takes much longer to automate them. You then have to apply change management in two areas, which always has a delaying and adverse effect. Therefore, our advice is first to get your processes in order. Only then should you start working on automation within the digitalization process, making everything much simpler and faster.

Turn the work processes of your installation company upside down

We deal with marketing, sales, operations, and finance when discussing work processes. In most cases, these business processes are followed in this order. Not promoting the right product or service in marketing creates more mess in the subsequent business processes. Therefore, the advice is to start at the bottom of the ladder: with sales. Ask yourself a few questions: What does my installation company sell? And why do we sell that? Where are the margins? What can we give away? And what are the consequences of that? What creates the most work in our entire chain? Map the answers to these questions and decide how your installation company will proceed in all processes. Furthermore, we see in practice that the most profit can be gained from transparent prices, prices that your organization and your system can handle, and transparent invoices. The reason for this is simple: less communication is needed, and any communication that does occur is understandable for everyone and can be explained by everyone. We want to refer you to our previous blog if you would like some tips.