In a thought-provoking blog on the company’s website, Blue Rock Systems’ Marketing Co-Ordinator Charlotte Orchard reflects on the need to step back and take a broader perspective.
As providers of business software for the merchant industry we sometimes get caught up in the technology and features and miss the bigger picture. So, let’s take it back to basics for a minute.
You want to make and improve profits — mainly to better the quality of life for your staff, your family and yourself. But you don’t want to work yourself into the ground to get there. So how can you achieve your goals?
By evolving.
Make life easier
Over the last 30+ years, the industry that we supply has made many fundamental changes — yes in the pursuit of customer service and profit, but also to make life “easier”. Physical price books were replaced with software, orders stopped being written down on paper, and the slog of re-keying data was massively reduced.
Invoices and statements were emailed instead of posted, and not printed to keep in physical files. All of this was in the late 1980s — today we take it for granted that any system should do this.
Appetite for automation
Jump forward three decades and the appetite for making life easy hasn’t diminished — if anything, it’s increased. This, combined with the belief in technology by innovative merchants, means that they are continually evolving their systems to replace the mundane tasks with automation.
“Business leaders don’t want to wade through reports and analysis to tell them whether things are going well or not — the system should give them the headline news on their dashboards or smartphones.”
If the system can do it or be made to do it (and it’s effectively free or low cost) then “get it done and make our lives easier”.
Merchants embracing evolution
OK, let’s be clear — few business leaders and managers rarely have their feet up on the table watching the pounds roll in. But they no longer want to have to chase every debt, they’d rather the system do most of that for them.
They don’t want to wade through reports and analysis to tell them whether things are going well or not — the system should give them the headline news on their dashboards or smartphones. The thought of rekeying anything into the system is abhorrent — even the documents sent to them by their suppliers are imported.
And their customers? Well, they can download their own copy invoices, proof of deliveries, etc from an online portal.
By removing or automating the repetitive tasks, they have time to think, be creative, improve customer service, tackle challenges — such as fuel prices, carbon footprint regulations and spiralling materials costs — safe in the knowledge that the “machine” ticks away in the corner (or more commonly in the cloud…) looking after the rest of the business.
Click here for more information on Blue Rock Systems’ business software solutions for merchants.
A version of this article appeared in the January edition of PBM. Click here to read the full issue.
C&C Supplies places iQ order
Blue Rock Systems says it is delighted to announce it has been awarded a 35-user contract to install iQ at C&C Supplies Collinson. The H&B Group member is a family-owned and run independent builders’ merchant based in Garstang, near Preston in Lancashire.
The company can trace its roots back to 1850, where it initially traded as brick makers, wheelwrights, decorators and sign writers, and has evolved over the years to supply everything one would need to build a house from scratch — from concrete for foundations to ridge tiles, and everything in between.
Its order for a 35-user iQ system replaces its current system and is reportedly part of a “full modernisation project” across all aspects of its business.
C&C has a reputation for excellent customer service (witness its numerous positive Google and Facebook reviews…) and it is hoped the introduction of iQ will only enhance this, with its team able to become more productive “by automating and streamlining its existing processes” with iQ sending notifications to its customers based on rules that they set.
Paul Mallett, General Manager at C&C Supplies, said: “As a company we have been looking to upgrade our computer software for a few years to enable the business to move forward. We looked at a few systems and chose to go ahead with iQ by Blue Rock.
“At initial meetings we felt Blue Rock was the company we trusted to invest in futureproofing our business, and after talking to fellow H&B members our views were reinforced. Our business is quite unique and Blue Rock offers a system that can adapt and evolve as we go forward.”
Blue Rock Sales Manager Simon Barber added: “We were introduced to the team at C&C’s by another H&B member who has been a Blue Rock customer for a few years. As soon as I sat down with their friendly team I knew we had the perfect match, both with our iQ software but also in the culture of our businesses.
“I look forward to seeing the results of this modernisation project for C&C and would like to take this chance to welcome them to the Blue Rock family.”
Click the link for further details on iQ business management software.
