Searching the right craftsmen’s software?

Which craftsmen’s software is the right one?

Digitisation in the skilled handicraft sector – sensible or spirit?

Digitalisation does not stop at any industry. However, there are industries that take a little longer to penetrate by means of software. In my eyes, the skilled handicrafts sector is one of these industries. This has been seen very well in the last 20 years, for example, with job applications. In software companies, it was no problem to apply in digital form about 15 years ago. At that time, many crafts enterprises did not have an email account, let alone a website.

Yet craftspeople can benefit just as much from crafts software as other businesses. Many customers take digital interfaces for communication for granted. And communication between craftsmen is also often done digitally: contacts are exchanged, appointments are made online and documents, such as building plans, are stored in digital form. In addition, companies can organise their workers, orders, clients and much more, which is part of the organisation of a craftsman’s business, using software for craftsmen.

And here comes the “but”: software only makes sense if the use cases and processes in the company are sufficiently analysed in advance. If necessary, these must be optimised so that the software can provide optimal support. I see often enough in my daily business how companies believe that inefficient processes can be improved by software. But this is the fallacy. Because without advice, you are unlikely to find the right software for tradespeople.

So which software should it be?

As already written in the previous section, there is no such thing as THE right software. The right software is the one that suits the crafts business. And you can only find it if you get competent advice.

Nevertheless, a few key points can be listed when choosing software for craftsmen. These aspects apply in principle to companies looking for software.

• What tasks arise in your craft business and should be supported by the software? Make sure that the software at least meets these requirements.
• Cloud solution versus locally installed software: Both solutions have advantages and disadvantages. Basically: The less you want to take care of the software in your business (installation, updates, etc.), the more a cloud solution comes into question.
• The scalability of a software is important when your company grows. Especially cloud-based solutions are easy to scale.
• Price is important, but should always be considered as a whole. Open source solutions are a good example. These cost nothing. At least that is what the layman believes. Often, this software is complex to configure. This means that you spend time setting it up yourself or you need outside support, which is not free either. Always calculate the full costs, preferably per user and month. Many low-cost solutions then suddenly look completely different.
• If you already have legacy systems in use, think about the migration costs. Especially in the case of “home-grown” solutions, the data formats do not correspond to a standard and you may be faced with high costs if you want to transfer the old data to the new system.

These aspects are only the tip of the iceberg. Look for a consultant who knows the ropes and can find out what you really need by asking the right questions. I cannot emphasise it often enough that a good software solution for craftsmen stands or falls with this.

Questions and answers about software for craftspeople

Here are two more questions that often come up when you want to buy software.

Cloud-based – yes or no?

Cloud-based solutions, have the advantage that you don’t have to worry about data storage and you don’t have to maintain the software yourself. However, good data protection is important. Here, too, you should look for a qualified advisor.

Which partner is the right one?

The best partner is one who has demonstrable experience and has already equipped many craft enterprises with software. Check with their references to see how satisfied they are with the partner.