The production of plastic windows is developing at a rapid pace. If some 10-15 years ago the number Russian manufacturers and dealers in this area numbered dozens, today there are several hundred. Of course, competition in this industry is also growing. To be successful in this market, companies have to keep up with the times, better meet the needs of customers and even go to various tricks. One of the most effective ways to increase the competitiveness of the enterprise is the automation of the window business, the features of which will be discussed in this article.
There is such an aphorism: "The computer is used to solve problems that simply would not exist without it." In some cases this may be true, but not in the sphere of production and trade. Automation of window production can significantly increase the efficiency of activities and, as a result, increase the profitability of the enterprise and its competitiveness. Many operations of varying degrees of complexity can be shifted to computer equipment with appropriate software. Such an approach will make it possible to exclude the human factor from the production process as much as possible, thereby significantly speeding it up.
Features of the implementation of specialized software
If purchase computer technology and special equipment for production - a fairly simple, albeit costly task in every sense, then things are a little different with software. Until recently, not only many individuals, but also companies, sometimes quite large, used pirated software. Even today there are still such organizations. Giving money for information products in Russia, unfortunately, is somehow not accepted. Plus, pirated software has only one - zero cost, and there are more than enough minuses:
- low stability of work;
- complete lack of technical support;
- limited functionality, etc.
Needless to say, the use of broken lines software products in commercial purposes punishable by fines, the size of which is many times higher than the apparent benefit. Fortunately, the situation has improved markedly in recent years; business leaders are beginning to realize the importance of acquiring quality software with the ability to scale and professional technical support.
Of course, you can try downloading free window cost calculation programs, but they often have very modest functionality and a complete lack of technical support. If the scale of production or sale of PVC windows is small, then such a solution may be suitable, although it will not be the most successful. If the capacity of the enterprise is high or its manager has far-reaching plans, then a high-quality program for a window manufacturer is needed, which, by definition, cannot be free.
Solution from Mi-soft
Mi-soft software products allow you to fully automate the calculations of translucent structures and other production processes. Buying IT Windows Constructor, IT Windows Production or any other of our developments, you get not only ready-made and fully working software, but also a full range of services for its implementation, maintenance and support.
As for the production of plastic windows, it is important to understand that each company is unique in its own way, so the use of absolutely identical specialized programs can lead to undesirable consequences: an increase in the amount of production waste, equipment downtime, assembly errors, and the like. Therefore, the introduction of any specialized program should be carried out with the obligatory consideration of the characteristics of the activities of a particular enterprise.
Of course, you can simply buy, say, IT Windows Constructor, which is a window builder with functionality tailored for the work of the sales department, and entrust its implementation to your own system administrator. However, a specialist who is not familiar with this program will spend too much time and effort implementing it. And it is not a fact that such an implementation will be successful, because a person is not familiar with the logic of the program, its features and capabilities. In any case, whether you entrust the implementation to our specialists or prefer to do this work on your own, you can count on our help.
The automation of the window business means not only the production of PVC windows, but also the activities of numerous dealers for their implementation. Of course, the program for a window dealer is a little simpler than for a manufacturer, but it must also have many necessary functions. Our solution enables close cooperation between the manufacturer and the dealer, which ultimately contributes to a noticeable increase in profits.
We are ready to offer a full range of window business automation services. You can try our programs free of charge and decide whether they are suitable for you or not. If you have any questions, our experts are always ready to help.
The reason for writing this note was a phone conversation with my colleague, a woodworking technician. He connected to the program of the automatic center for the manufacture wooden windows well-known European company.
We had a conversation last Wednesday. My colleague says: "Imagine, last week they installed the center, connected it and launched technical specialists manufacturer, on Monday I drove up (it takes place in Estonia) and we have already launched window and door parts for test processing. Looks like we'll finish all the work this week. I'm afraid I won't be needed here next week."
In general, the standard process of connecting equipment, although rather complicated, to a window program.
Why am I describing all of this? The same center was installed two years ago! for one window company in our northern capital. At the moment it is not fully launched, a number of functions do not work. The reason is probably that the company's management decided to save money and did not buy a postprocessor for this automatic center - it is sold separately for this installation. Guided, of course, by the conviction highly qualified own programmers and, perhaps, the desire to create something new.
It took more than a year to connect this center, during this time they ruined a certain amount of tools (I went to the wrong place), by the way, very expensive, but the center still does not work in full. The programmers and the management of the company began to assert that there is always something wrong with the installations of this manufacturer, and in general, less than a dozen of these centers were made. I specifically found out from my German colleagues: almost a hundred of these centers were produced and none of the buyers had any serious problems with them before.
Why do things like this happen to us? Who is to blame: management or the so-called. IT professionals?
It seems to me that both of them are to blame, but ultimately, the ugly management of domestic window companies.
The position of the so-called. IT professionals, in general, is quite simple and pragmatic. Firstly, for the most part they are not great specialists in window production and, given the knowledge base of IT, they are not too eager to become them. Secondly, they do not expand their knowledge of new products and solutions for the window market, but are more busy with applied tasks: ensuring the operability of hardware and software and, in rare cases, writing application programs on behalf of management. Even worse, if the creator wakes up in them and starts creating their own software for the window company. Some window companies have been creating their own software for many years, have spent millions of Euros on it (this is not a typo!), but none of them have yet had any clear result. I believe that it won't, because the creation of software is a continuous process: programming environments are constantly changing, the possibilities of hardware are growing, new tasks are appearing, etc. But, people work and work with inspiration! A sort of employment, if you like, for life.
And what about our experienced management? At best, he has withdrawn himself from these processes, and at worst, he is complicit. In the first case, the management of the window company believes that everything is fine with them and there is nothing more to wish for. The source of such complacency is the peppy reports of IT specialists that everything is just fine at the company. (I noticed that if such a specialist stirs up the soul of his boss that there are problems, then he does not work for this company for a long time)
In the second option, the head of the company sets ambitious goals for the IT department to create something great. The results are described at the beginning of the note.
From experience with most window companies, I can say that this situation, with some variations, is common everywhere. Management does not learn, even from its own obvious mistakes, no innovative development takes place. Only a stalemate can force the management of a window company to abandon the old "software", when it is impossible to implement certain functions for connecting equipment or automating any processes in the enterprise. Those. first we create a problem in the company, and then we think how to solve it. No acceptance of lead management decisions does not occur, even with a clear delay, decisions are not made.
Who will be the main one on the market: the manufacturer of the SC or the dealer?
Who will be the main one on the market: the manufacturer of the SC or the dealer?
I was forced to start writing this note (although I swore before the administration of the portal to write anything about software products of other companies, as a person interested) I was forced by the appearance of a small message about the proposal from the company "TBM" with the following content:
"SuperLink" - the first software package for dealers, which has no analogues in the market of translucent structures. In the SuperLink program, you can work with several SEC manufacturers at the same time, regardless of which settlement program they use.
Following the link, you can find the following unpretentious description of the capabilities of this unique software:
The SuperLink program allows you to:
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work with any supplier, regardless of whether he uses the program "SuperOkna" or any other program for calculating the SPC;
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have their own remote points of sale and make settlements with sub-dealers, keep track of incoming and outgoing accounts, and provide loans;
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plan delivery, measurements and installation with automated data distribution;
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work with an unlimited number of profile and fitting systems: PVC, wood and aluminum;
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calculate products of any complexity;
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calculate mosquito nets and arrange them in a double-glazed window;
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use your own accessories and works;
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create your own documents for printing;
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keep sales statistics - convenient an interface with charts will easily help you analyze sales statistics for any period;
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log user actions - all user actions in the program are recorded in a special log;
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upload a ready-made price grid in excel format from any supplier, which saves time on entering data.
This message went almost unnoticed among the flow of others about the beautiful bevel shapes of this or that profile and the presentation of these important properties to manufacturers, etc.
And all persons responsible for sales, marketing, advertising, etc. of profile and fittings suppliers, as well as all managers of window companies, should pay attention to it.
I noted that the distribution of this software could revolutionize the window market, and a revolution with very negative consequences for most of its participants.
Briefly describe the main participants in the window market, these are:
Suppliers of materials (profiles, fittings, double-glazed windows, components)
Manufacturers of translucent structures
Dealers and dealer structures
Buyers (private and legal entities)
Pricing for finished products, range of offers, quality characteristics of windows is produced mainly by window manufacturers. Of course, they must follow the trends of offers from material suppliers and follow the demands of the market, i.e. buyers. Large manufacturers of SC form their own trademarks, product line of their products, conduct advertising companies, are engaged marketing research, work with dealer structures, etc.
The presence of such large civilized players is rather a boon for all market participants, since they, in general, are not interested in rocking the boat in which they sit, i.e. such firms are more interested in the sustainable development of their business than short-term profits. The reason is that such companies invest a lot of money, management efforts and time in the business.
This model of development of the insurance market is beneficial to almost all of its participants:
Sellers of materials get a fairly stable market for their products, most dealers are reliable suppliers, consumers get a product of acceptable quality at reasonable prices. The producers themselves have a stable market with a reasonable competitive environment.
Imagine that a sufficiently large number of dealer companies are formed on the market that can simultaneously work with 3-5 PVC window manufacturers - I deliberately emphasized the word PVC, since the wooden window market exists quite autonomously in our country. It is worth noting that such firms, in general, exist, they just do not yet make "weather" on the market.
But, if such a tool in the form of this software is received, then such "multi-machine users" receive an additional impetus for development.
It is worth noting that the majority of dealer firms have built and are developing their business using solutions for the sale of any big company: this and product line, joint promotions, price policy, office decoration, sales training, window samples, finally. Of course, the prices of a large window company are somewhat higher than the prices of other market participants: it is necessary to invest in advertising, support trademark, conduct training for their sellers and dealers, control quality, etc.
And then a number of dealer companies decide to work not only with this large company, but also with smaller window companies that offer them windows, maybe from a different profile and with different fittings, but cheaper. In this case, these dealer firms, consciously or not, begin to use the advertising and marketing resources of a large company. Why refuse advertising that attracts buyers to the office? When this buyer comes to the sales office, he is offered both windows big company, and cheaper options, the main argument that I have heard: almost the same window, but cheaper. Our customer, who sees practically only the price in front of him, of course, will opt for a cheap solution.I believe that many representatives of large window companies often caught their dealers selling windows made in a nearby garage under their brand name.
This bold software solution proposes to legalize and expand this practice everywhere. What will we get as a result?
It will turn out that all our existing wonderful marketing and product solutions will not be needed by the market. Why pay more when you get a product of the same quality. Neither needed quality profile, neither reliable multifunctional fittings, nor double-glazed windows with new properties. But all sorts of cheap analogues will flood the market, they will be in demand. Some large window companies will go bankrupt, others will have to adjust their business in such a way as to produce only cheap types of products.
The market will become unstable and unpredictable, the quality of windows will drop sharply, and price pressure will increase sharply.
The surprised reader will exclaim: "Yes, it's impossible!"
It is worth upsetting him, technically it is possible, though with significant reservations.
I believe that it is hardly possible to send complete commercial and technical information on an order and positions to different window programs. Too different data structures in different software, probably, the creators of the glorious software "Superwindow" do not know about it. In addition, in a number of software products, these data structures are closed. But it is worth taking into account the unpleasant circumstance that the share of the software "Superwindows" accounts for more than 70% of the window software. Even taking into account the fact that different versions of "Superwindows" are incompatible with each other in the database - the transition to new version even law-abiding buyers is a terrible headache, all the same, the possibility of a fairly wide distribution of this software for dealers can be assessed as very good.
Here it is really worth asking a logical question: "And who will be its buyer?" Window dealers? Unlikely. These clients are somehow not used to paying for software. So that manufacturers pay for them? But they will not finance the collapse of their business themselves! The suggestion has already been made: to offer this product for free. Then why was it created?
A logical question arises: who benefits from this? KST-soft, the creator of Superokon and now the Superlink software? There is no logical connection: if Superlink is promoted, then the Supercon software market will begin to shrink sharply: well, no one in their right mind from the leaders of window companies will pay money for software that is compatible with Superlink.The financial benefit from direct sales of Superlink software looks rather illusory. Perhaps the company that owns "KST-soft" needs this to shake up the market and throw out its cheap analogue products on it? It could be like this...
In conclusion, I would like to note that our window market is now facing a development dilemma: to follow the path of Western Europe with clearly segmented product solutions, good quality windows and understandable regulatory policy, or let's call it the "Asian" development option, where the main competitive criterion will be the price of the window. It is obvious that the proposed solution of the "Superlink" software pushes us towards the second option. I would like to believe that this does not happen.
Even if the seller does not pay attention to the warning, when adding order items to the main database, the warning is displayed repeatedly and it is easy for a competent user to identify errors in window construction.
Thus, the sales department and window company dealers receive a powerful tool for quality control of window products at the stage of order acceptance.
Software “Labrador-3D. Calculation of translucent structures” is a qualitatively new product on the window business software market. It is distinguished from competitors by a number of significant technological advantages that make it possible to facilitate the work of company employees, improve the production process, bring new level control in the enterprise. Here are just the main advantages of the program for calculating windows "Labrador-3D":
Complexity.
Program "Labrador-3D. Calculation of translucent structures "- It is a comprehensive window production tool. The program for window production ensures the functioning of the entire company within the framework of one program, and is the core of the enterprise. Such software for window production automates the work of all departments - managers (constructor for window production), accounting, production, supply department, installation department, logistics department, etc. equally receive all necessary information according to the access level.
Automation can significantly reduce the number of errors associated with " human factor”, so, for example, after the execution and conclusion of the contract by the manager, all other stages of the order: the task for production, the order of double-glazed windows, accessories, the manufacturing process, the order and write-off of materials, unloading and installation are carried out under the control of the software, while the tasks of employees are reduced to the timely implementation of the actions prescribed by the program. A program based on 1c for calculating windows allows, when conducting paperless circulation, control over the movement of the order through the workshop.
Free bases of systems of profiles and accessories.
For the convenience of the client, upon his request, along with the program, complete databases of profile systems and fittings are provided free of charge. To date, the Labrador company is ready to provide all the databases of profile systems and fittings available in Russia and Europe.
A list of all profile systems and fittings already entered into the program can be viewed at the link below:
If the profile system or fittings is not in the list, send us the catalog of the processor of this system and we will introduce it into the program completely free of charge.
High performance.
The program is a configuration of the most modern and most developing platform of the 1C economic platform. This means that the development and improvement of such important parameters of the program as the speed of work, the organization of work local network companies, etc. More than 600 1C programmers work. The specialists of the company "Labrador IT" can only keep up with their developments.
Low cost.
Depending on the material from which the structures are made and on the amount of production, Labrador IT offers different versions of the software "Labrador-3D. Calculation of translucent structures». The functionality of these versions is almost equal, they differ only in the specifics of working with the material (PVC, aluminum, wood).
In addition to the 3D version, it is possible free download 2D version of the program. This version, although it is the first version of the program, contains all the functionality necessary to work window company, and may well be used for the work of small window companies that are just starting to work.
The best builder.
The 3D product and structure builder is written in Visual Studio 2008, which allows you to build products of any configuration and create structures from nicknames with rendering of profile widths proportional to their actual dimensions. The capabilities of the builder in any version of the program are the same, with the exception of the presence of "Scandinavian windows" for the wooden version, the ability to install adapters and build facades for the aluminum version.
Lack of modularity.
Any, even the cheapest version of the window program initially includes all the main features - customer relationship management, cutting optimization, inventory control, paperless production, automated system work with suppliers, etc. For a company of any level - from the smallest to largest enterprises window business from the first day of work, all functions without exception are necessary.
Unloading to machines of any complexity
In addition, the program implements other features, the enumeration of which takes several pages. A more complete picture of the program's capabilities can be obtained from the "MANUAL", which can be downloaded from the link below:
If a client, after purchasing the program, applies to Labrador for the implementation of additional features that will be useful to everyone window companies, experts will carry out this development for free.
window question
Long sales cycle.
High competition.
The main difficulties in the industry
window question
Long sales cycle. Work with a simple order lasts 5-10 days, with a complex order - weeks and months. It will not work to sell windows like products in a supermarket - it is unlikely that a client will come, buy and immediately take away with him a window that he will install himself. First, managers offer a free measurement visit to determine the scope and price of the work. And only after that they bring the client to the purchase. After the conclusion of the contract, installers are connected who install the windows. This divides the path to the sale into many stages through which it is necessary to promote the client.
A large number of participants in the sale. Without additional workers- measurers and installers - the purchase cannot take place. Without a single, understandable system, it is impossible for such a large number of employees to communicate with each other.
High competition. Previously, there were few companies on the window market - customers agreed to purchase more easily, paid less attention to service. Now the market is oversaturated, the client can choose between offers for a long time and nothing prevents him from changing the company even after the measurement. High competition provides a high cost per lead in this niche.
Dedicated solution for window business
When Window Technologies decided to change the system of work
At the first contact, the managers of the company " window technologies” offered the client a free visit of the measurer to calculate the cost of the purchase. After measuring, people were often not ready to buy. Managers forgot about them, company resources were wasted. To control the work, the director hired new leaders. Money was spent to pay employees, but problems due to lack of unified system work continued to grow.
Since the introduction of the CRM system, the company has been working with clients using notepads and Excel spreadsheets. Managers confused the data, one employee could be assigned to two orders at the same time. The time that measurers could spend on work, they spent moving around the city.
The change was prompted by an employee with knowledge of IT technologies. He suggested creating a single database that would store all the data and make it easier to control managers. At first, they tried to introduce a specialized CRM system for the window business. However, industry offers did not help lead the client to purchase, but were tailored for production. Training took a lot of time, the programs were poorly systematized, the employees could not figure out the functionality. Managers, as before, spent a lot of working time recording information. As a result, the company opted for the universal amoCRM system, which they decided to adapt to their business. To do this, Window Technologies turned to Karta Zamerov implementation experts.