Construction Estimating Software MUST Be Easy to Use or It Is Worthless
Usability has to be top of mind when shopping for estimating software, because, quite simply, if it’s not easy to use for your least tech-savvy salesperson who suffers from fat finger syndrome, it’s not going to help him or her sell more jobs because they will not use it.
Implementation time for a new piece of software is a good indicator of its ease of use. Remember, all time spent actually implementing the system and getting your staff trained on it presents an opportunity cost. The longer it takes to integrate the system into your business, the greater the adoption risk that exists. Software that takes months to implement, and promises “Success Coaches”, “Business Coaches”, “Dedicated Support Teams”, “Implementation Specialists”, and any other form of “support team” ready to help you implement the software, even at no cost, probably means it’s a whole lot of trouble to get it done. If you need an outside IT team to step in and assist with technical specs just to get the software up and running, it’s probably not the easiest software to use.
You can also get a great idea of usability from the level of support the system offers. Oftentimes, if you have to pay for support, it’s probably because the software is complicated and the company who created it has to charge for the hours spent helping users, or otherwise risk losing money.
If you can easily get in touch with customer support for the software via phone, email, or online chat — and it’s free — you can rest assured that the company feels quite certain its product is so usable, their support will hardly be needed.
For all salespeople, usability is critical to adoption of new technology. If it’s not easier to use than their trusted spreadsheets or pen and paper, it’s likely they’ll lack interest in learning it. Ease of use means making their life easier, not adding another hurdle to the sales process.
When shopping for estimating software, arm yourself with the following questions to help you avoid getting sucked into a software system that’s too complicated and cumbersome for your business.
- How long do they say it takes to implement this software in my business?
- How much time will it take to train employees on this new software?
- Is technical support free or does it come with a price tag?
- Can I easily get a hold of support via phone, email, and online chat?
- Do I need additional IT support to make it work, now or in the future?
(NOTE: These questions are especially effective if considered when attending a demo, speaking to a product expert, or signing up for a free trial during your pursuit of estimating software.)
