A fundamental step in preparing your solar energy business for growth is ensuring your processes are clear, connected, and streamlined. Unfortunately, many software tools available in the market today are not able to perform such functions. Are disconnected, office-based platforms leaving you and your team with more questions than answers regarding your solar installations?
Solar Operations Challenges
Disconnected Tools Result in Inconsistent Data
Too often, businesses struggle because their solar software stack is disconnected. This means that important data and documents are inconsistent, outdated, and altogether unreliable. If you do have consistency between your tools, is it because of automated processes or because a member of your team is spending valuable time maintaining data in two, three, or more tools?
Related: How Ipsun Solar Overcame Disconnected Systems with Scoop.
Software is Designed for Office Use, Not In-Field
Most business management software tools have been optimized for office teams and their specific workflows, rather than designed specifically for field services. Do you and your team feel limited by the design, access controls, templates, and pricing plans of your current software stack? Are you able to access or update important client and installation data while on-site? Do your tools work on mobile devices that may not have a reliable network connection while in the field?
Project Status is Unclear or Outdated
Whether you have a disconnected software stack or are relying on team members to make manual updates, it is not uncommon for solar teams to experience delays while waiting for information to travel between sales, installation, service, and office teams. Are there any fail safes in place to ensure data is collected and passed along? Do team members receive automated alerts as projects transition to new phases?
Missed Steps Create Project Delays
For any solar installation project, there are many moving parts. From Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), Homeowner Association (HOA), and other required permits to crucial data and document collection, missed steps can result in lengthy project delays and repeat site visits. Do your current platforms ensure all steps are completed, either through mandatory fields or checklist processes? Are you wasting time going back and forth with subcontractors and install partners, explaining your best practices and ensuring compliance?
These are just a few of the software and operational challenges faced by solar teams. While some may appear minor or isolated, the overall effect of these inefficiencies can be costly. So, how does software specifically designed for the solar industry reduce costs and repeat visits?
Well, that’s where Scoop comes in.
Using Solar Software to Streamline Operations
Software that has been specifically designed for the renewables industry improves agility and efficiency for growing solar companies. Scoop Solar is the leading solar project management software that consolidates data, documents, and workflows, improves efficiency across your internal and external teams, and streamlines your day-to-day solar operations. Scoop schedules and dispatches technicians, tracks project progress, and allows field workers to access their jobs through a mobile app for better time management.
Real-Time Project Tracking
In order to stop wasting time on manual solar project tracking, you need a real-time, connected, and automated system – one that ties together project information across your organization. This type of system allows you to quickly view high-level updates as well as double-click and see additional and specific project details.
Scoop’s Project Tracker Live™ feature makes it easy to access reliable project status and schedules across the entire project pipeline, from sales and site survey, to design, proposal, and installation. Unlike generic office-based project management tools that rely on you to feed in data from multiple sources, Scoop’s Project Tracker Live is directly linked to the underlying phases and work activities of your projects – meaning it is always up-to-date, automatically and effortlessly.
Automated Project Handoffs
As project phases change, so might the responsibility of team lead. To avoid confusion and delays among your team, your solar software should be able to alert key stakeholders such as your project manager, subcontractors, or finance team to indicate a change in project status.
Within the Scoop platform, your team can create Automated Alerts™ to do just that. Automatically assign tasks to specific users when a project phase has started or finished. With automated email notifications and assigned due dates, you can ensure transparency and eliminate repeat truck visits.
Unlocked Collaboration with Unlimited Users
Any growing company will understand the burden of user-based software subscriptions. As your teams grow, so do the costs and at some point, it may make sense to limit the number of users. Unfortunately, this can completely disrupt your workflows and collaboration across your organization.
Scoop’s intelligent access controls and unlimited storage and user accounts mean that you can have collaboration across your entire organization – from sales to installation and service, and across project admins, coordinators, field crews, and frontline staff – while still controlling which teams have access to what data.
Connected Solar Operations
As previously mentioned, disconnected systems often mean that important data is inconsistent, outdated, and therefore unreliable. However, this does not mean that you must eliminate your other tools in place of a mythical “all-in-one” system. In fact, several tools that specialize in their unique functions can be an advantage to your team – as long as they are connected.
Scoop ensures this connection and collaboration between tools with GLOO™ – a turnkey integration service. GLOO provides your company with consistent and streamlined information as well as two-way integrations that feed data, documents, and workflows back and forth between software tools.
As solar and renewable companies prepare for growth, it is important to understand the benefits as well as the limitations of existing software tools. Implementing new solar software can be challenging, but with the right software partner, your solar company can reduce costs, eliminate repeat visits, and streamline your operations. Book time with us today to receive a custom demo of what Scoop can do for you.