Looking for (ERP) software for your installation company? If so, you must have noticed how many options you have. Every vendor claims to have the very best package.
But how do you know which of your 100+ options fits your installation company best?
SoftwareMatching.io is happy to help you in your search. That's because we are a completely independent and objective comparison platform for ERP software.
Use the insights from this article, find a suitable package, and learn more about ERP software for the installation industry.
Click here to go directly to our list of suitable systems.
Content of this article:
ERP software is extremely suitable for installation companies because of its many interconnected functionalities.
This type of software is therefore an all-in-one solution for companies within the installation industry.
Other good news for installers: ERP systems are suitable for all types of installers. It does not matter if you are a plumber, machine repairer, electrician, or white goods repairer. ERP systems are suitable for all of these diverse ones.
Do you choose ERP software? Then you will enjoy the following benefits:
Want real-time insight into the materials left in stock? ERP software provides this. You see exactly which parts are still there. Each part has a unique number within your software. This allows you to see all the most important information per product in minutes.
This prevents you from seeing at the last moment that certain materials are out of stock. Very annoying of course to arrive at a customer with the wrong (or without!) materials.
Looking for a tool to keep track of your service contacts? An ERP system is the right tool for this. But why is this type of software so suitable for this?
An ERP system is so suitable because you can see in your system how long a contract is still running and how often you need to do maintenance.
This improved insight, into your contracts, helps you proactively manage the relationship with your customers.
Do you want to use your installers as effectively as possible? Service planning supports you in this.
Through service planning, an ERP system helps you deploy the right technical person for the right project. It also helps you calculate the most efficient routes for the installers.
Every machine, whether it's a forklift, boiler or other machine, is in your ERP system. This makes it easy to see the most important information per machine quickly.
In your ERP system, you can also see live data. This provides insight into how often a particular machine is used and when maintenance is needed.
Of course there are alternatives to ERP software. Despite this, we always advise installation companies to purchase an ERP system. This type of software is simply best suited for the functions you need as an installer.
But what are alternatives to an ERP system? You'll discover the most important ones below!
Excel is a very inexpensive tool. This is of course an advantage compared to more expensive ERP software. The downside, however, is that Excel is not suitable for larger companies and more complex business processes. In addition, the risk of human error is high.
Below an example, that shows you how your information might look like in Excel.
We well understand that many people prefer to work with paper. After all, this is less complicated than a software package. Especially when you have little knowledge of IT, the learning curve is often steep.
Still, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. There is a very high chance that you will lose sheets of paper, containing nevertheless very important data. Also, sharing paper with several people is very difficult.
We also often see installers using many different software packages interchangeably. For your project management you use system X. For your financial processes you use system Y and for your data you use Excel.
Not an ideal way of working in our opinion!
When using ERP software, almost all your processes are done in a single system.
ERP software is very comprehensive. For example, a standard package often contains dozens of ERP modules.
But what are the features that installers should place extra emphasis on? Below you will discover which three functions we consider most important:
Your (new) ERP system MUST be accessible to your installers via mobile devices. At least that's what we think!
Installers spend 90% of their time on the road. So it is essential that they have access to the ERP system via their mobile or tablet.
Picking up the laptop every time and asking your customer for the Wi-Fi code doesn't seem like a good idea to us.
With mobile integration, your installers have all the important data right at their fingertips. Whether it's customer information, service history, or inventory status, everything is available with a few taps on the screen.
This makes for faster service, fewer errors, and a more professional appearance to the customer.
Since installers are now on the road a lot, planning and scheduling is very important.
Good scheduling and rostering functionalities help you get the right installers at the right time and place.
This ensures increased customer satisfaction. For the fitters, this also improves their job happiness.
Calculation of the best route is another great functionality within ERP software. You prevent double bookings with this. You also ensure that you get to appointments faster and make fewer detours.
Inventory management and materials tracking are indispensable in ERP software for installation companies.
Imagine this: you have an installer on his way to a customer for an emergency repair. Thanks to real-time inventory tracking, you can immediately see that the needed part is still in stock and ready to go. No unnecessary trips back to the warehouse or last-minute purchases. A win-win for both your customers and the installer.
With these tools, you always know exactly what you have in stock and where it is. This eliminates frustration for installers and allows them to do their jobs quickly and efficiently. No more misplacing and no more delays. It also helps you buy smart, so you're never left with too much or too little stock. The result? Satisfied customers and a streamlined process, from warehouse to customer installation.
So inventory management and tracking ensure that you are always in control. Your processes run smoother and your customers are happy. An installer who always goes out prepared is worth gold to your business.
In our opinion, these are the best ERP packages for installers:
* How do we know that these parties fit installation companies? We reviewed our comparison tool and specified all the requirements of companies operating within this industry.
Below you will get more information about the four ERP systems mentioned above.
This ERP package, from Nalios Flanders and the Netherlands, comes out as the winner in our test.
Below you can see that Odoo Enterprise supports almost all things important to installers.
Are there no downsides? Yes, a small one: this system falls short when it comes to modules for inventory management (see the exclamation marks).
ABC E Business is the implementation partner for this system. This partner targets small to medium-sized organizations.
Find out below how Microsoft Business Central scores on the most important criteria. Some things are missing (see the red X) and some things can be built in via add-ons (see the red !).
Torza has developed its own ERP system.
As you can see in the image below, this system scores high on the criteria important to installation companies.
For example, Torza's ERP package provides for all forms of maintenance. Also, this system has extensive inventory management features. This ensures that you always have products in stock for your installers. Very annoying, of course when a technician is at a customer's door without the right materials.
And? Are you, like us, convinced that ERP software is the software for your installation company?
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