Karen Gastle

Busy interior designers know exactly how important it is to create a workflow process. A set workflow helps you prioritize tasks and complete them in a logical order. Of course, designing an effective, efficient workflow can be a challenge all on its own, and it becomes much more complicated when you have different processes for different aspects of your business, such as ordering, invoicing, or accounting.

Download our free guide about how business management software can help design  firms stay organized.

 

Savvy interior designers also know that they can usually improve their workflows and that interior design business software is an excellent tool to help them streamline their work and stay organized.

Integrate Programs

If you are using several different programs to manage different aspects of your business, you know how time consuming and frustrating it can be to transfer data from one file to the next, from one program to another. If you use one program to generate your invoices and another to keep the books, you likely spend a lot of time simply copying information!

 

Interior design business software provides a holistic solution for your interior design firm. Now you can tackle accounting, create estimates, and build invoicesall in one place—which means your information is also in one place. Once you’ve entered it, there is no need to do it again! Another bonus is that you need to purchase just one piece of software—which can save you money.

Visualize Your Workflows

Perhaps you know your workflow inside out; you have memorized each and every step. If you have ever attempted to explain the process, however, you know that it is often easier when you have a diagram in front of you to illustrate each step.

 

Analyzing your workflow is much simpler when you can visualize it—and interior design business software will allow you to do just that. Seeing your workflow mapped out can help you identify repetitive steps and revise your process so work is carried out in an efficient and effective manner. Visuals also allow you to compare different processes you have in place. There is no easier way to streamline your procedures.

Integrate Functions

Much as interior design business software allows you to input all of your information into one program, instead of using multiple pieces of software, it also allows users to integrate their functions.

 

Your estimating, invoicing, ordering, and accounting can all be handled by interior design business software, which means you can flow from task to task with ease and precision.

 

Software that is built specifically for interior designers can generate invoices from estimates, track time and costs on projects, and generate reports. It can also help track supplies and ordering.

 

Integrating functions not only saves time, but it also allows you more precision when you need to do things like compare vendor packing lists to purchase orders, and compare both to vendor invoices. That means that you can spend less time double-checking, but also ensure that you are being more accurate than ever.

A Travelling Tool

Some interior design business software suites come equipped with mobile capabilities, which means that you can have all of your important information and documents at your fingertips, even when you are on the move!

 

Instead of needing to integrate notes taken on the job site or ensure that you have “packed up” all of your documents before you head out to an important meeting, these business solutions allow you to access estimates, invoices, reports, and other important information from anywhere.

 

You can also update information via the cloud, which ensures everyone is always working with the most recent version of the document and up-to-the-minute information. That means no more concern about someone working with an outdated version of a file, which can save you time (and a few headaches too).

 

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Karen Gastle

As an account manager, Karen has experience working with design firms of all sizes to integrate DesignDocs to streamline business processes, increase administrative efficiencies, and deliver higher profits.
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