When it comes to successfully managing a busy interior design firm, the software you use will undoubtedly become your best friend or your foe. And while there are many different options available, choosing an industry-specific program always pays off. That's because an interior design firm's operations are project-centric and have unique challenges.
Producing custom goods, managing various pricing methods, deposit collection, payment organization, and order tracking are just a few of the needs that your business management software must handle. Finding a solution that considers your firm’s unique workflow will simplify both your office manager role and the responsibilities of your team.
Wondering what your day could look like if your firm were to leverage the power of DesignDocs? Here's a quick overview of a day in the life of an office manager utilizing DesignDocs.
EASILY VISUALIZE PROJECT PROCESS FLOWS SO YOU KNOW HOW TO IMPROVE THEM
You work in a creative industry; therefore, the ability to visualize your workflows can help tremendously in managing your office. One benefit of using software like DesignDocs in your design firm is that it allows you to picture your projects’ progress and efficiency. From clients and vendors to item management, time tracking, and finance, visibility of all moving parts is right there for you to see within one single program.
As a manager utilizing DesignDocs, your job is easier because you have more clarity of where things stand, and it takes less effort to stay on top of your back office. Take, for instance, managing project budgets; you can ensure that all projects consistently align with agreed-upon budgets because you no longer have to move between various programs to attain this information. DesignDocs makes this a painless task.
With a clear workflow, you can see and investigate your firm's operations to cut costs and increase efficiency. Maybe you notice you've been needlessly repeating tasks, or perhaps you realize that moving a particular step to the beginning of the design process will speed things along. With DesignDocs by your side, these process improvements are more apparent.
STREAMLINE OFFICE PROCEDURES TO SAVE YOUR FIRM MONEY
As outlined above, using a business management software solution built specifically for the design industry can help you improve your internal workflows. Let's take a closer look at some examples, starting with the process of sourcing and procurement.
Ordering décor is a large part of the job. An office manager using a sophisticated project management and accounting tool can quickly complete purchase orders, monitor and track individual items with ease, and keep all relevant information organized on a project-level basis. With DesignDocs, you can ascertain that all approved project items have raised purchase orders by generating simplified order tracking reports.
Additionally, you can say goodbye to manual time tracking, which requires tediously creating separate invoices. DesignDocs' tracked time automatically transfers over to the client invoicing screen for you to add to an existing invoice easily. These features, and many more, reduce the time you need to spend on monotonous tasks, ultimately saving your firm money in the long run.
CREATE PROFESSIONALLY PRESENTED DOCUMENTS THAT GIVE YOUR CLIENTS CONFIDENCE
It's always a gut-wrenching-moment when you realize too late that the document you sent to a client excluded important information or incorrectly valued an item. As busy professionals, we're all susceptible to human error. Therefore, one of the wisest things you can do is invest in an integrated system that works to protect your firm and minimize the opportunity for error.
Being an all-in-one system, DesignDocs does most of the behind-the-scenes admin and data entry for you, cutting down on the opportunity for error. For example, you can update vendor or client details on one screen, and the system will automatically update all other instances of this information to maintain consistency.
These features impact the amount of time you and your staff spend on business-as-usual tasks. They reduce the workforce required to get the job done while increasing the accuracy and reliability of the data you're presenting internally and externally. It's the simple system workflows like this that give you confidence in what you present to your clients.
EASILY COLLECT & MONITOR PAYMENTS THAT ENSURE YOUR FIRM'S POSITIVE CASH-FLOW
Where in the world would we be without online payments? No more waiting for checks in the mail, driving to the bank, or manually recording the related accounting transactions. Collecting credit card payments online lets you wipe out a significant piece of administration internally while upgrading your client service. DesignDocs enables your clients to pay you online, which means you and your staff spend less time administering the collection of client invoices.
Your day as an office manager just got much easier, as DesignDocs allows you to quickly generate PDF or email invoices with a clickable link to making online payments. It's also easy to pass the associated ePayment fees directly to the payer. Since DesignDocs generates invoices from within, you can rest assured that the values presented on these invoices are 100% accurate and consistent with what is in the system.
Furthermore, DesignDocs will automatically post the invoice receipt once your client's payment is confirmed. The system automatically records it as paid to the allocated bank account. The entire payment process is complete, and you, as the office manager, hardly lifted a finger. Now that's simple.
EFFORTLESSLY STAY ON TOP OF THINGS AS YOU MANAGE ALL YOUR FIRM'S FINANCIAL WORK IN ONE SYSTEM
To confirm that your firm's financial data is accurate and up to date is a significant weight to bear for any office manager. One small invoice oversight here or reconciliation mishap there, and you can easily find yourself scrambling to see just where things went wrong.
Having an all-in-one project management and accounting system means no further integration or additional accounting programs are needed. With DesignDocs by your side, you can generate monthly, quarterly, or yearly reports with ease instead of working across multiple programs.
You can stay on top of the business' financial side through a suite of precise, efficient project-level and business reports. Both are necessary to ensure you maintain your profits throughout the life of a project and throughout your fiscal year.
Office managers utilizing DesignDocs are free from the chaos of invoice management. Your work-life is straightforward as the system seamlessly integrates the necessary accounting work alongside the day-to-day project management work.
Request a free demo today and see the benefits immediately: organization and peace of mind.
