Every business, interior design firms included, are made up of various core systems: Marketing, Sales, and Administration included. For these systems to be effective, the processes within them must be efficient. In this post we want to focus on administration and highlight 3 ways you can improve efficiency for your design firm using DesignDocs.
1. Viewing Workflow
The first step towards increasing efficiency is to review your workflow from start to finish. Are there any obsolete processes blocking a smooth transition from one process to another? Is information being lost as you and your team move from one software (e.g. project management) to another (e.g. accounting)? How much are these clogs slowing down your process or creating costly mistakes? With DesignDocs’ all-in-one accounting and project management software it’s easy to review your workflow from beginning to end.
2. Tracking Time and Items
Tracking factors that fluctuate daily is essential for accurate reporting. If the process for doing this is too complex or inconvenient, it’s easy to miss. Many designers will use one system for tracking orders, such as a spreadsheet, an app for tracking time and yet another software for invoicing. Precious time can be wasted by bouncing between programs to enter data and this method leaves lots of room for mistakes. With so many moving parts in a design business that require accurate tracking to run efficiently, it’s no wonder many firms turn to DesignDocs. DesignDocs' time-tracking feature lets designers easily track billing hours and the item cost reporting feature will automatically flag any price adjustments. Whether you’re billing by the hour/item or with a flat rate, your team can have an accurate understanding of the internal costs making it easier to evaluate business goals.
3. Expediting Finances
Delays in ordering, invoicing and collecting payments can be a source of frustration for designers (not to mention a source of headaches). DesignDocs can significantly reduce this stress by having all processes handled within one program. Instead of scrambling to collect payments, DesignDocs’ credit card processing feature makes it easy to collect payments online. The plethora of financial reports available also means designers can speedily access valuable financial information, so that they can make proactive business decisions.
In essence, DesignDocs helps to remove the “messy middle” and streamline the administrative demands on an interior design team, increasing your firm’s efficiency.
