When I started this project the product, I was to sell was a windows version. I spent several weeks trying to learn and understand the logic behind this software. The idea was very good, but the implementation was terribly complicated. In the initial phase, I interviewed all the customers who were trying to implement the software. It turned out that the system was not very functional and was a distraction, even though it had really advanced functions. I managed to convince the whole team that we needed to build the software from scratch. So, we created new screens, I came up with a new name, namely “Instalator365″. The application I was offering was a digital office dedicated to installers in the construction industry. So, the name sat well because the numbers 3 6 5 are easy to remember saying it is similar to Office365. There have been quite a few issues to resolve over the months, but that’s normal during development. I had a lot of conversations with potential customers, travelling to them, making phone calls.
One of my successes was to come up with a module for CRM. Customer relationship management is the managing of relationships with future and current customers. It is a process based on the tasks that are needed when interacting with a contractor. The CRM in Instalator365 was developed from the experiences of installation companies. The implementation of Instalator365 in the sales department of a construction company replaced paid CRMs and greatly simplified the data management process. A single customer database for different types of employees allows easy management of the construction company. The contractor module is exactly what installation companies need.
I was also responsible for the marketing concept. It actually took me a while to figure out that I wasn’t selling a time and task management software. The turning point was only when I realized that most of these people had tried or were trying to use many different applications such as disks, calendars, task lists, CRMs and others. In fact, I found that clients listened better when I told them that my application was several applications in one. The key was that the apps were in a simplified form, and additional features.
