BUSINESS
STAY IN TOUCH: EASY
TO SELL, SIMPLE TO
QUOTE, ORDER ONLINE
» THE BUSINESS MICROS
Group is promising a software
revolution for the PVC-U
window and door industry as
it starts the roll out of its new
TOUCH software platform to
coincide with the easing of the
lockdown. With solutions for
both fabricators and installers,
the new TOUCH platform
provides the industry’s first truly
joined up solution from remote
selling right the way through to
manufacturing and delivery.
Managing Director Graeme
Bailey says: “Unlike other
stand-alone software tools on
the market, TOUCH products
combine both data and design.
They use the real time data which
Business Micros holds from every
systems house, hardware and glass
supplier in the UK and match that
with a stunning interface and fully
rendered, realistic product images
from The Consultancy. That’s
what makes TOUCH a truly
joined up, end to end solution
which streamlines the whole
selling process at every stage.”
FOR FABRICATORS
For fabricators, the TOUCH
solution is a branded Portal and
it sits directly on their existing
websites. Fully compatible with
Business Micros’ Evolution
manufacturing software, it
provides a user-friendly online
quoting and ordering tool which
trade customers can use to
generate instant quotes and then
mark up and send directly on to
their retail buyers. When those
trade customers place an order, it
goes straight into the fabricator’s
Evolution set up, saving huge
amounts of time on order
processing and double entry.
Packaged with TOUCH Portal
is TOUCH Business which
allows fabricators to manage
the customers who have access
to Portal, view their quotes and
orders in real time, and provide
updates and marketing support
materials to help them convert
quotes into sales.
FOR INSTALLERS
For installers, the compatible
TOUCH solution is Vendor,
a new lead generation tool
perfect for remote selling. It is a
visualisation and product design
tool which uses exactly the same
data as Portal either from their
fabricator or direct from Business
Micros. Added to an installer’s
website, it allows them to create
their own online window and
door configurators, complete with
functions for homeowners to
submit enquiries direct. Installers
can download the plug-in software
direct from the TOUCH website
(www.bm-touch.co.uk) and
create their own online door and
window configurators, complete
with functions for homeowners to
submit enquiries direct.
Graeme added: “Inevitably,
I think there will be fewer face
to face sales opportunities and
perhaps even an initial reluctance
to visit showrooms, so we’re
effectively giving installers a
head start and a simple, new lead
generation tool which will enable
them to capture more warm leads
direct from consumers - just at
the point when they will need
them most. TOUCH Vendor
software will go online in July and
installers can download it and
enjoy a free trial to help them get
back on their feet.”
TOUCH Vendor will include
many of the features of the
Infinity Capture software which
Business Micros demonstrated
at the FIT Show last year. It
will allow installers to access
the relevant datasets direct from
Business Micros for all of the
doors and windows they sell and
add their own specific designs,
colours, hardware and pricing.
Homeowners will be able to
use the configurators to create
their own windows and doors,
submit an enquiry and even see
interactive visualisations of their
creations on images of their own
home.
The new interface for TOUCH
Vendor has been created by the
team at The Consultancy, which
is now part of the Business
Micros Group, using all of their
retail sales experience. They have
made it easy to customise, so
that installers can add their own
colours and logo to integrate it
with the rest of their website, and
very easy to use by consumers.
FOR THE INDUSTRY
Graeme concludes: “We’re
launching Portal and Vendor
just when the industry needs
them most. Portal will help
fabricators to be more efficient
while they are trying to recover
from the lockdown and Vendor
will help installers generate the
leads they need to get their order
pipeline going again. We will be
announcing further integration
between the systems over the
coming months and helping
fabricators and installers to use
Portal and Vendor to work even
more closely in partnership with
one another.”
Fabricators and installers can
see demonstrations of the
new TOUCH products on the
website at: www.bm-touch.co.uk
CLEARVIEW-UK.COM » JUL 2020 » 75