Timber merchants | News

Integrating technology: growth in business-led software

Extracted from TTJ 12/19 April 2008

The key message from software developers is that management and business-led technology is the driving force behind the market, with integration the current buzz word […] modules and additional applications covering mobile working, document linking, electronic data interchange and the interrogation of data for reporting and monitoring.

Another talking point for the market is TTWWADI — "that's the way we've always done it". This is a key issue that software developers continue to have to overcome as they bring their latest technology to market, according to Progressive's sales director Arthur Duffy.

Speaking at the recent launch of the bisTrack 2 solution, Mr Duffy said there was a growing need for software to be able to fulfill a company's day-to-day requirements and become an essential business tool to tackle market opportunities, and to help the timber trade see the intrinsic value of good software.

This includes improving data handling and stock control, and integrating a number of management operations through one system.

Another area of growth has been web shop applications […] the demand for online shops has taken off in recent times, with companies looking to provide their customers with a 24-hour shop window to buy products.

And although many companies may still find it easier to pick up the phone and deal with smaller orders in person, he said that the technology was moving on to meet the demands and win more people over, with the two-tier Web Track module of bisTrack 2 an example.

Installations

Recent installations by Arnold Laver [and] T Brewer & Co have shown the importance of business-led software to the timber market. Colin Dean, corporate systems director at Lavers, said that the implementation of bisTrack 2 had enabled the company to become 100%, stock controlled — a feat he had been told was impossible for a timber firm.

T Brewer, which is also using the bisTrack software, said that the ability to offer a web portal through Web Track was an important development. "Many of our customers are involved in high specification housing developments in Fulham and Chelsea, young companies whose staff have grown up with the internet and take for granted the ability to place orders, check prices and their account information at any time of the day or night," said director Nick Brewer. T Brewer has recorded operational benefits from using the latest business-led modules of bisTrack.

Across the board, software firms remain unequivocal that it has been a good year to-date, with both new and existing customers investing in equal measure. 

More from the TTJ here.

© 2008, kindly reproducted courtesy of TTJ.