“I’m done with papers” – the digital transformation in the skilled crafts sector

Are you a craft professional, but spend far too much time in the office? Are you annoyed by mountains of paper? Do you want to focus on your craft again instead of “paperwork”? Then digitize your business with cloud-based software.

The days of mountains of paper, overflowing filing cabinets, and reams of paperwork are over. Craftsmen should fully concentrate on their core competence – their craft – and reduce the time and effort spent on office activities and working capital management to a minimum.

The skilled trades have managed for centuries without computers. Why should digitization suddenly be so important? Again and again, we read from Craftcloud that businesses are facing extinction without digitization.

But we think that’s nonsense.

It is much more important how good the workflows and processes are in the company. Whether everyone knows what needs to be done, when and where the resources are located, and how well coordinated the collaboration is. If these prerequisites are met, digitization can turn on the turbo.

The crucial question is therefore what potential digitization has for the skilled trades and how technologies can have added value for the business, employees, and customers.

Can digitization do without the software?

No! Digitization requires software, but with software alone, the business is far from digitized. The software merely provides functions, such as creating an offer or recalculating an order.

Digitization is about the processes in the company. More specifically, digitization is a journey of continuously renegotiating which tasks are handled by humans and which by computers.

For example, how can you use apps and cloud technologies to capture the information needed for subsequent steps from anyone, anytime, anywhere? With this line of thinking, it’s clear that technologies are needed to make information available anywhere, anytime, and not just when someone is sitting in front of a computer in the office.

The point is to involve all employees. Now, one could say that the information has been collected up to now – without digitization. But not fast enough. Amazon, Facebook, and others communicate with their customers at a breathtaking pace. When an order is placed, an e-mail is sent with each new step, and the first delivery services allow real-time tracking of the delivery vehicle. We are used to this speed and it is now expected by self-confident consumers.

Good software supports the craft business to communicate with the customer at high reaction speed. Or to find equipment, machines, or vehicles and check the current status of these. Cloud software knows exactly when which maintenance dates are due and in which condition your devices, machines, and tools are. You save an enormous amount of time and can concentrate on the essentials – your business. If the measurement or the inspection was created digitally at the customer’s site, you can continue to work seamlessly in the office or home office thanks to cloud technology.

With the use of digital cloud software, you can access documents on the construction site or upload photos for projects and their documentation. In this way, the cloud supports the effort and minimizes bureaucracy and coordination effort – and thus simplifying your everyday operations. Many businesses are reluctant to switch to modern craftsman cloud software. That’s why we are fully focused on making the switch to this software as quick and easy as possible.

Do you still have questions? Get in touch with us, we will be happy to advise you!