CE Pro December 2021 - 36

SOFTWARE
ProjX360: How Many
Pieces of Software Are
You Using?
If you've trained or onboarded with
ProjX360, it's the first question we ask
you: " Tell me what happens when a call comes in and how
you get to that invoice at the end. "
Nine different pieces of software. That's the average
we saw, with an internal survey. So how many " tools " are
you implementing to make your own unique version of a
'circle to success' prior to meeting with ProjX360?
There are so many specialized tools out there to help
you. None of them should define your process, but most
can help you, if implemented correctly. The fine line is
determining when too many mashed together become
paralyzing. Many of us don't realize just how many steps
we've created until we walk through where the call gets
entered, how we convey that to the sales team, where
we track the opportunity and how we sell the solution to
the client; how do they hand it off to the field staff, what
does the field staff use to work through the workorder,
to communicate internally with, how is it scheduled, how
is the time tracked, what is turned in each day, how is
that used to invoice and how do we know what's left in
inventory? Exhausting and yet all critical to success; for
the bottom line, for review, and repeatability.
May this be your impetus to evaluating what helps and
what doesn't.Iif you'd like to see if one piece of software
can encompass most of these questions above, then give
ProjX360 a look. -Doug Greenwald, CEO, ProjX360
Software Interface Usage
Digging into the Data
According to the study, 97.6% of all integration companies
use at least one type of software to run their business. (That
means 2.4% of integrators are still really old-school operators
utilizing nothing but paper and pencil for everything from
estimates to invoices.) The most common is spreadsheet software
like Microsoft Excel, which is used by 76% of integration
firms. Accounting/billing software (68%), Design/CAD software
(53%) and internal communications software like Slack (48%)
are the next most-used types of software.
As noted, integrators say they sometimes stop using certain
pieces of software after a while. The primary reasons for that
cessation are simply because the software has too many bugs
or just doesn't work, the cost is too high or it is incompatibile
with other pieces of software. Sometimes however, it's not
that easy to simply stop using a certain piece software.
One integrator expressed extreme frustration with the ongoing
access fees he continues to pay for a piece of software
that he abandoned years ago, but he still needs to be able
to access the data in that old software program for his past
clients or projects. Nearly one in 10 integrators (9%) report
paying more than $10,000 per year on software.
A decade ago, the idea that a single piece of software could
run your business was a pipe dream. Today, 14% of integration
companies report they use some type of multifunction software
system for running the business.
As noted, the median number of software solutions used by
an integrator is six. About 2% of integrators employ more than
21 pieces of software. When it comes to selecting software,
cost is the No. 1 priority, followed by speed, support and
compatibility.
New Software Purchase Frequency
Every 9+ years
4%
Tablet
16%
Handheld/
mobile device
19%
PC or laptop
in office
39%
Laptop in
the field
26%
Integrators want to be able to access
their software solutions in multiple ways
both from the office and in the field.
36 | CE Pro December 2021
Every 6 to
8 years
6%
Every 3 to
5 years
30%
Multiple times
per year
8%
Once
per year
25%
Every 2 years
26%
The average integrator buys a new piece
of software once every 20 months.
Software Effect on Profits
31% to
50%
boost
7%
51%+ boost
4%
No effect
6%
21% to
30% boost
13%
16% to 20%
boost
15%
1% to 5%
boost
14%
6% to 10%
boost
20%
11% to 15%
boost
22%
The median increase in profit from
using various pieces of business
management software is 13.4%.
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CE Pro December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CE Pro December 2021
