Before founders Nick Sonnenberg and Bertram Wildenauer started developing their tradesmen software, they had countless conversations with tradesmen. They got a precise picture of everyday working life in small and medium-sized businesses in the construction and trades sector. One of the first interviews was with Roland Schmidt, a good friend of CPO Nick, who is an electrician and has been in the business since 1999. Today, he explains to us once again the challenges he faces as a project manager in a medium-sized company.
Roland Schmidt looks back on a very typical career as a craftsman. After completing an apprenticeship as an electrician and completing his military service, he started in 2000 as a installer at a 25-strong electrical company. Nine years of construction sites and customer visits follow. Then the boss offers him a position as project manager in the office. Roland is delighted. But for him, the transition from assembly to the computer is tough. "It took me about two years to get the hang of it. But today I still enjoyed it," Roland says with a smile.
Process organization for small and medium-sized Jobs and their quirks
On Roland's desk are two large screens on which various programs are running simultaneously. "I'd love to have a third one," the craftsman sighs. In Job Management, he is responsible for small and medium-sized Jobs as well as service Jobs for maintenance and repair. The project manager constantly switches back and forth between different programs: he receives the inquiry from the property management company by e-mail, he creates the offer with the tradesman software, he plans the Job in Excel, and he supplements the Job information for the tradesmen with Adobe and Google Maps. All the information for the tradesmen who travel to the customers is printed out and handed over by hand in Job folders at the beginning of the week. The installers return at the end of the week with the performance records signed by the customers. It takes a few more days for these to get back to Roland from the mailroom. Only then can the project manager compare the performance record with the planning in Excel and, ideally, write the invoice directly. This means that the entire process from the first contact to invoicing takes about four to five weeks on average.
The solution: the digital planning process from Meisterwerk
This or similar is the planning process in many handitrade businesses. They do a lot of tinkering and printing themselves. The whole process is correspondingly error-prone and time-consuming. If there is no overview, the planning cannot be carried out optimally either. A digital planning process, such as that offered by the Meisterwerk software, provides a remedy. The software was developed with a practical focus and in COLLABORATION with Tradesmen's businesses. In addition to the practical relevance to the everyday work of Tradesmen, one thing was particularly important to the founders Bertram Wildenauer and Nick Sonnenberg: user-friendliness. Accordingly, the tradesmen's software is easy to operate on a PC, tablet or smartphone in the office or on the road.
And Roland Schmidt is happy. Because with Meisterwerk, his two screens are enough for him.
Before starting to develop their software for Tradesmen, founders Nick Sonnenberg and Bertram Wildenauer conducted numerous feedback talks with different Tradesmen to get a precise idea of the daily working routines in small and medium-sized companies of the construction branch. One of the first interviews conducted was with Roland Schmidt, a good friend of CPO Nick and an experienced electrician by trade since 1999. Following his story on how he as a projectmanager is coping with the challenges facing medium sized operations.
Roland Schmidt is looking back on a very typical career as a craftsman. After his apprenticeship as an electrician and the military service in the year 2000, he started working as a technician in a 25 strong electronics company. There followed nine years of construction sites and customer visits. Then the boss offers him a position as projectmanger in the office. Roland is happy. But switching from operative execuation to handling the computer is hard for him. I needed almost 2 years till I mastered that, but today I can really say that I'm still enjoying it'' Roland adds with a smile.
Process organisation for small and mid-sized projects and their quirks
Two large screens with different programs running simultaneously are on Roland's desk. "I would love to have a third one,'' he sighs. Concerning Job Management Roland is responsible for small and mid-size service jobs relating to maintenance and upkeep. In the process, the projectmanager continually alternates between different programs. The inquiry from facility management he receives by email, he prepares the offer by using the workmen software and the Job itself he plans in Excel while all Job information for the tradespeople is supplemented by Adobe and Google maps. All Job information concerning the visits to their customers are printed out and neatly placed in job folders handed over to them at the beginning of the week. At the end of the week the installers return with their performance records signed by the clients. It still takes a few days until Matthias gets these from the incoming mail dept. and only then the projectmanager can compare the performance record with the planning in Excel and, with everything matching, immediately write the actual invoice. Thus the entire process from first contact to invoicing takes about four to five weeks on average.
The solution: the digital planning process from Meisterwerk
Many workshop operations realize their planning work in such or a similar manner. Which includes lots of fiddling around and lots of paper copies. Correspondingly, of course, the entire process is error-prone and time consuming. Perfect planning is simply not possible without an existing general outline. The digital planning process offered by the Meisterwerk software will provide very effective support. In COLLABORATION with trade companies the software was developed for practical work targets. In addition to its practical orientation in the day to day work of tradespeople there was one thing founders Bertram Wildenauer and Nick Sonnenberg found particularly important: Usability. Accordingly it is really easy to operate the Tradesmen software, either on the go or in the office: whether on the PC, the tablet computer or the smartphone.
And Roland Schmidt is pleased. Because with Meisterwerk the two sceens he has will be sufficient.