When it comes to floor covering software, the buzzword is user friendly. Anything a dealer or distributor can use to make his business run more smoothly and efficiently in an easy-to-understand format can greatly impact profitability. The following covers just some of the latest offerings available.
CDMS
The most exciting new features for 2010 include B2B, CCA Revelation Gateway Interface and Builder Referral Commission. CDMS B2B now includes price and product updates for all flooring products from carpet, area rugs, tile, hardwood, laminates and supplies, noted Cathy Welsh, operations manager. “CDMS version 10 includes an area in our product catalog to store any and all information that suppliers can send through this transaction, including composition, collection, associated SKUs, UPC code, SKU code, manufacturer SKU code and buying group.
“The newest version of B2B 832 also includes a website URL for a picture of the product from the supplier website,” she added. “Not all suppliers are currently sending this information, but CDMS has the fields ready once these suppliers catch up to speed.”
B2B includes electronic invoices. “CDMS will notify the client of any price or quantity changes from the quantity or prices purchased,” she said. “These invoices update the inventory, customer work orders and purchasing/receiving history. Several of our customers have stated the electronic invoicing has saved them in the range of $45,000 to $55,000 a year in payroll. This feature has allowed them to expand and grow without adding personnel to support additional stores.”
For more information, call 888.848.2367.
Kashmoo
Kashmoo released a new product called FlooringSoft and created a new website, flooringsoft.com, describing the new features and functions. Because Kashmoo FlooringSoft is a web-based product there is no server required and nothing to install, noted Tim Magnuson, CEO. “Users just sign in using a secure login-ID and password, and can access their business data from wherever they are—in the office, at home, on the road—even at a trade-show. They can also access it from their handheld devices such as an iPhone or iPad.”
For more information, call 512.563.1500.
QFloors
At QFloors the most exciting new product for 2010 is QFloors Mobile, which gives users the ability to operate QFloors business management software via a smartphone (i.e., BlackBerry, iPhone, Android and the like). “Say you slip away from the store to go to your daughter’s soccer game,” said Chad Ogden, president and CEO. “While you’re there, a customer calls to finalize her order. With QFloors Mobile, you can confirm pricing, check inventory, schedule installation and more.
Ogden believes QFloors is one of the first flooring software providers to offer a smartphone application. “By using remote connection software such as Remote Desktop or GoToMy PC, you can access your office desktop and not only see what’s going on back at the store, but also perform most basic features and functions. For on-the-run flooring professionals, the benefits of instant access and information are huge.” For more information, call 801.563.0140, ext. 101.
RFMS
The company has just entered the BETA testing phase of the release of InterAct by RFMS. “InterAct is a complete flooring business management package that integrates with QuickBooks and is a perfect solution for small to medium-sized dealers who don’t wish to change their accounting system,” said Steven Wheat, project manager, InterAct by RFMS.
“InterAct allows the dealer to realize all the benefits from using the time-tested software tools by RFMS such as scheduling, B2B Product Catalog and Measure, the leading take- off/estimating system. No other system integrates so seamlessly with QuickBooks. InterAct has also implemented a user focus group for software design and development. To our knowledge, no other software developer has ever taken the input of users to this level of development.”
RollMaster
President and CEO Dev O’Reilly said the company has added several new “Cloud” technologies to its portfolio. They include the RollMaster Property Management WebPortal, Installation/Appointment/Service/Measuring Scheduler and Commercial Estimating software (RMCE). The property management web portal is an all-in-one solution that gives flooring dealers real-time connectivity with their property management companies. “The RollMaster Web Portal can exchange information with all functional areas in the solution such as products, work order, sales, marketing and financials to help improve overall busi- ness performance,” O’Reilly said.
The web-based RMCE scheduler offers the following features and benefits:
- schedule jobs over multiple days with just a couple of clicks;
- schedule jobs to particular installers or simply pick a day to book and the installer to be determined;
- scheduling queue for management to see what has not been scheduled, and
- automatic email confirmations sent to sales reps, customers and installers.
For more information, call 850.277.0730, ext. 2032.
-Louis Iannaco