Commercial Integrator December 2021 - 26

Soſt ware
CRM, accounting, inventory management,
project management, scheduling
and timekeeping/payroll available. In all,
14% of integration companies report they
use some type of multifunction soſt ware
system for running the business, yet 37%
of dealers say they would prefer such a
solution. That means 23% of dealers want
a turnkey solution but have either yet to
fi nd it or just haven't pulled the trigger on
adopting it yet.
As noted, the median number of
soſt ware solutions used by an integrator is
six. About 2% of integrators employ more
than 21 pieces of soſt ware. When it comes
to selecting soſt ware, cost is the No. 1
priority, followed by speed, support and
compatibility. Dealers are also concerned
with the secureness of the data and mobile
device accessibility.
One of the biggest trends in the soſt -
ware world in recent years has been the
migration from desktop-based solutions to
cloud-based. By having the brains and the
data sit in the cloud, dealers have lower
upfront adoption fees and instead pay
monthly for the soſt ware seats. Over half
of dealers (52%) say they prefer a cloudbased
solution compared to locally based
desktop platforms (31% preference). About
11% of dealers have no opinions and 6%
of dealers operate their companies using
their own custom-built soſt ware. Indeed,
nearly one in three dealers (31%) reports
that they have attempted to create their
own soſt ware solution at one time or
another.
Accessibility to the soſt ware is vital.
Dealers report that 19% of all their soſt ware
usage takes place on a mobile phone, 39%
occurs in the offi ce, 26% via a laptop in the
fi eld, and 16% via a tablet in the fi eld.
Referrals from other integrators is the
primary method dealers use to choose the
Solutions360: Soſt ware Gives You Visibility
to Your Business
As a business owner, you need reliable visibility into how
your organization is doing.
› What are your margins?
› Are your staff fully utilized?
› What new business is coming in?
› Do we have capacity to take on work?
› Is our backlog growing or shrinking?
› Do we have enough cash to support our growth?
› The list is not a short one...
So how do you gain better visibility? First, look at your processes; having workfl ow
driven processes that align with how staff work is the fi rst step. Removing stagnant
silos of information is the second. One giant leap forward is to centralize your business
information into a single unifi ed ERP system.
A purpose-built system will have formal processes built in, allowing you to eff ectively
measure performance and see how work is aff ecting margins in real-time. You will be
able to plan with a high degree of confi dence because the system is driving the information
and building a more complete picture.
Utilizing a solution like Q360, you will squeeze out the lag time of waiting on critical
information coming from across the organization. You will be presented with real-time,
complete, and in-context information that you can make sound business decisions on.
With Q360 you know where you are and where your business is going. And when
inputs change that aff ect your business you will be in the perfect position to pivot and
plan accordingly.
Our goal is to become our customers' most valued business partner, and we look
forward to proving how we can become yours. - John Graham, Executive Vice
President, Solutions360
26
Commercial Integrator DECEMBER 2021
Number of Soſt ware Purchases
2016-2021
8 to 10
2%
5 to 7
18%
3 to 4
42%
The typical integrator has bought four
new pieces of soſt ware over the past
fi ve years.
Number of Soſt ware Solutions
Abandoned
6 to 8
2%
4 to 5
14%
3
22%
2
26%
The typical integration company has
abandoned three pieces of soſt ware
over the life of the company.
Soſt ware Expenditures 2016-2021
$50,000+9%
$20,001
to $50,000
11%
$10,001 to
$20,000
15%
$5,001 to
$10,000
20%
Dealers have spent a median of $6,300,
or $1,260 per year, on soſt ware over the
past fi ve years.
commercialintegrator.com
$1,001 to
$3,000
15%
$3,001 to
$5,000
14%
Less than $500
8%
$501 to
$1,000
8%
9+
2%
Zero
18%
1
16%
Zero
8%
1 to 2
28%
21+ 2%

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Commercial Integrator December 2021

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