Predicting the future of your restoration company has never been easy. “Business as usual” certainly has been unusual this decade. Consider the high speed of change, political uncertainty, health challenges, safety protocols, and an ever-changing market. Just think of how the last decade of technology has shifted our interaction with employment, communication, education, and online shopping.
Have you put your company in a position to adapt and capitalize on these changes? For the past few years, most restoration professionals have worked within the constraints of the COVID-19 situation by inventing new processes and policies “on the fly.” As the pandemic stabilizes, you have to take purposeful actions to stay nimble, flexible, and alert for additional shifts in the industry.
Lingering Supply Chain And Labor Problems
Two wheels on your metaphorical car are supplies and people– both are in short supply. Lead times on many materials are still affected by supply chain disruption. Commodity costs like lumber and sheetrock continue to rise. Some specific technological equipment is still affected by chip shortages in the manufacturing process; thankfully most have eased since last year. However, signs of inflation keep pressure on you to make capital investments sooner, not later.
Most metro areas are still struggling to fill vacant positions for frontline workers. Many companies have had to limit growth due to available staff. To locate great people you need to take deliberate action. As a leader, you need to make locating staff a priority and incorporate weekly recruiting activities to keep your pipeline full.
Opportunities Via Automation And Digitization
Your continuing challenge is to identify opportunities to get more done by managing the data you have and can easily access. For example, tap into crowd-sourced data to improve your estimating process.
Many activities, from project management to job site tracking, can be reworked to maximize results. When the physical world becomes digitized, like with Matterport or DocuSketch, many functions can be automated: measurement, drawing, and estimating. This will allow estimators to produce faster and more accurate estimates.
Search out new systems to automate repetitive, manual processes to lower operating costs and improve accuracy. Interconnected tools (phones, tablets, laptops) using 5G technology can provide immediate job site communications to the office and insurance companies. Every minute saved in sharing info at the site of water damage can represent less damage and faster drying time. And if the job tracking information is more accurate, invoices might get paid quicker.
Take note that all of this technology will increase the cyber risks in your business. Manage your data, maintain standards, and protect your business from the many controllable data breaches.
Moving Forward In Uncertain Times
Face the operational challenges today with the best tools and team you can find. This technology revolution is really imminent. Like you, iRestore focuses on solutions and continues to embrace change. Do your homework, create a nimble company, and look for partners to leverage this technology.
Explore iRestore Restoration Project Management Software
As you assess the current situation and make plans for the future, you are gathering data and exploring ideas to manage growth. iRestore offers project management exclusively for the restoration industry. iRestore has tools to improve operations and add efficiencies with a minimum learning curve for your staff.
