The Secret’s in the Software

Security dealers and integrators are well aware of advances in software when it comes to VMS, access control management systems and video analytics – but what about software to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their very businesses?

From an industry-wide perspective, it is often perceived that security is traditionally slow to adoption. Whether it is a security director at a growing corporation or an owner of a growing security integration firm, they are generally not the first-adopter types.

“The perception that security has been slow to adopt new technology generally is true – but, to be fair, it is because of a reason you might not expect,” explains Craig Fulton, Chief Product Officer for ConnectWise, maker of software for both project management and sales efficiency. “Often the reason is because security is a system that businesses tend to not think about once it is installed and working. The mindset tends to be, ‘If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.’ Companies get used to how a system works and don’t want to risk change unless they experience a security issue.”

The old “this is the way we have always done it” mentality can be found when it comes to business management software. Tracy Larson, president of WeSuite, which has developed a sales management software  geared to commercial security integrators, says there are definitely some horror stories out there of people who still use pen and paper to track their sales. “We’ve seen a few of those, but what we see the most are companies that simply use an Excel spreadsheet to track everything,” she says. “We joke that Excel is our biggest competitor.”

The good news for security dealers and integrators is that the first-adoption phase when it comes to business management software has likely passed. “Most security companies want to adopt new technologies to allow them to run and operate as efficiently as possible,” explains Michael Marks, co-founder of Perennial Software, maker of the popular Sedona Office and Alarm Biller software platforms. “But the investment to adopt new and advanced technology can be a burden on small to mid-size companies – that is why new technology is adopted first by the larger security companies. As the costs decrease and the need for the technology increases due to competitive pressures, the small to mid-size companies eventually adopt the same technologies.”

Types of Business Software 

In searching booths at ISC West, several categories of business management software targeted at the security service provider community came to the forefront. Some focus on more than one of these aspects of business management, but often each software is laser focused on a particular aspect: Billing-focused platforms; bid and proposal creation; project management; sales tracking and support; financial management; project/product specification; and customer relationship management (CRM).

Many of these software options – like many of the options security dealers/integrators are offering to their clients – are cloud-based. “With cloud offerings such as AlarmBiller, small- to mid-size companies can adopt innovative and easy-to-use applications at a fraction of the price of enterprise-wide applications,” Marks says.

Sales Management

The software market for the security services industry is dominated by the need to automate and maximize the efficiency of the sales process – whether billing, customer management and tracking, product specification, or simply giving salespeople the tools to close a deal. “When it comes to estimating and proposal creation, there is never two of the exact same sale,” explains Katie Curtin, WeSuite’s marketing manager.

BidMagic – a software that helps security, IT and AV integrators quickly create proposals in the field – was founded by former AV integrator Richard Riehl. The software is connected to literally thousands of security and AV products, and makes them searchable, so the integrator or salesperson can easily find the exact product – along with cost and distributor availability – for inclusion on a bid. “Our initial goal was to create a tool for salespeople so they could do a $100,000 VIP proposal for a customer in about 10 minutes,” Riehl says. “For our industry, the proposal is the point of sale – yours will be compared to all the others they receive, and how your proposal looks is a huge part of the presentation. You only have 20 minutes in a boardroom with these people, and you must have a slam-bang proposal so you can earn their confidence.”    

MONI authorized dealers have gone paperless with its eContract mobile application that eliminates cumbersome hard-copy customer contracts. The system displays and demonstrates various home security and home automation products on an iPad or Android tablet, then transitions to eContract to complete the sale, simplifying the process for salespeople.

DMP recently released a similar sales app for its dealers as part of its new residential product line, Secura. The line includes many of the familiar smart home and residential security products (see more at www.securityinfowatch.com/12327196), including a sales app that allows a field salesperson to customize and sell a system in real time, which according to company SVP Joe Hurst, is the key to attracting a new generation of sales professionals to our industry. “If we are going to grow as an industry, we need to create career paths in our businesses,” he says, adding that the mobile sales proposal building tool is a way of attracting Millennials – accustomed to using apps and mobile devices – who want to launch a career into the security sales industry. 

Customer Management

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is a key for dealers/integrators who need a dashboard to manage every aspect of their interactions with customers. Of course, this need is not exclusive to our industry – which is why this space is dominated by familiar worldwide product names like Salesforce.com and Microsoft Dynamics (read more at www.securityinfowatch.com/12197132).

Still, forward-thinking companies with huge dealer networks in the security industry have taken note and come up with their own dealer-exclusive solutions. One such software is Alarm.com’s SecurityTrax, which enables its dealers to track leads, schedule technicians and manage customer billing and support. Integrations with more than 30 different software solutions eliminates redundant data entry and automates account activation processes such as generating credit reports and eContracts, purchasing equipment and sharing customer information with central stations.

Specifically for alarm customer management, DICE Corp.’s CRM Communications Gateway enables the service industry to easily automate regular reminders for service appointments, update payment information or request bill payment.

If a dealer finds itself in the position of needing a new CRM, its residential product partner is certainly a good place to start.

Making it All-Encompassing

Of course, the ultimate goal of a dealer/integrator moving all sales, financial and customer management into a single software solution is to create a more efficient, nimble business. “By implementing an all-encompassing application to run and manage all aspects of the business, a company will be able to manage, operate and more efficiently service their customers,” Marks says. “This will create efficiencies that reduce costs and increase profits and cash-flow – with the ultimate goal of generating a higher valuation for the business.”

“Running your business without the right software platform is like sending your techs out to a job site without a truck,” Riehl says. “It is just an essential tool to doing business.”

Paul Rothman is Editor in Chief of Security Dealer & Integrator (SD&I) magazine. Access the current issue, archives and subscription links at www.secdealer.com.