Installer Insight
Production Software Technology Celebrates 35 Years of Innovation
» PRODUCTION SOFTWARE Technology( PST) is marking over three decades of innovation in software solutions for the glazing, construction and home improvement industries.
Founded in 1990, PST began as a supplier of BOCAD-3D to structural steel manufacturers across the UK, Australia and South Africa. A pivotal moment came when a client asked for software capable of handling more complex façade designs. What began with glass façades soon expanded into conservatories and bespoke structures, ultimately leading to PST’ s own flagship platform, Virtual Shopfloor( VS), tailored to manufacturers’ needs.
PST’ s history is closely tied to the dedication of its people. As one of the company’ s founding members, Neil Travers, has been part of its journey from day one. He reflects,“ It’ s incredible to see how far we’ ve come, from a small team solving very specific challenges to now working with leading names in the industry. What hasn’ t changed is our focus on listening to our customers and building solutions that make the functionality of their businesses easier.” Alongside him, Director Fabricio has been with PST since 2001 and has played a key role in driving some of the company’ s biggest innovations, including the development of the VisiRoom app, which brought augmented reality into the hands of customers.
Today, PST serves a global client base which includes some of the most recognisable names in the industry, as well as many independent businesses who rely on its software day-to-day. This reach is matched by a commitment to continuous innovation: PST’ s software is constantly developed and refined to meet the evolving industry needs. Just as important is the company’ s culture of support, with a responsive and knowledgeable team that customers consistently value as highly as the software itself.
To mark the anniversary, PST is offering a special promotion throughout November 2025, anyone who starts a trial of vsHome during the month will receive a full month’ s credit applied to their account once their first subscription payment is made.
www. pstonline. co. uk
SHIFTING TRENDS AND TOUGHER TRADING REVEALED AT GLAZING SUMMIT
» SPEAKING TO A PACKED AUDIence of business leaders and industry professionals at the Coventry Building Society Arena, Andrew Scott, Managing Director of Purplex Marketing and Insight Data, shared exclusive data and analysis drawn from Insight Data’ s market intelligence platform Salestracker, which now tracks around 50,000 companies and 80,000 industry contacts across the glazing supply chain.
According to Insight Data’ s latest findings, there are currently 13,479 companies active across the sector. The number of PVC fabricators has fallen sharply from around 4,000 two decades ago to about 1,100 today while aluminium continues to rise as the material of choice.
For this year’ s Glazing Summit, Insight Data also conducted an industry survey to over 2,000 installers to understand how they feel about current market conditions. A key finding revealed that while order values look positive on the surface, with 33 per cent reporting an increase in the last year, a third of installers( 31 per cent) admitted they are fighting harder to win new business as competition within the industry has grown year-on-year.
Andrew also warned that the sector’ s growing reliance on Google Ads is unsustainable with around £ 100 million now being spent annually within the glazing sector on digital advertising.“ During COVID, many installers who had never used Google Ads before turned to it as their traditional sales routes closed,” he explained.“ That demand doubled the cost per click and now only Google is winning.
“ The industry must focus on creating genuine desire and reputation, while suppliers must support installers in learning how to market themselves rather than just feeding them leads. That is the only sustainable way forward.”
He also pointed to diversification as a key strategy for resilience. Installers, he said, should explore related sectors such as renewables and energy-efficient home technologies while trade suppliers could pursue commercial and retail opportunities.“ Those who adapt, evolve and invest in true marketing will thrive,” Andrew added.“ The future still offers opportunity but only for those willing to change.”
www. insightdata. co. uk
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