By Matthew Spieler
LAS VEGAS—Technology is not just all around us, it is being used in every facet of life by consumers of all ages, including helping them to find and purchase flooring.
Knowing this, at
RFMS’ Annual Education Day & Expo, held the day before Surfaces, officials stressed to attendees how vitally important it is to “get involved with technology because your customer is.”
Terry Wheat, president of the software supplier, explained, “Customers expect retailers and service companies to use technology to quickly source products, create estimates and offer alternative flooring options in a matter of minutes, not days. Technology adds professionalism to the buying experience.”
Interestingly, with the economic downturn that has affected many dealers in the last 18 months, he said most of the 175 people who came from across the U.S. and Canada to attend the all-day event “were eager to learn about how technology can increase their efficiency and reduce costs.”
Wheat noted that classes in advanced accounting and inventory control were standing room only as “dealers looked for ways to tighten their controls over accounts receivable, inventory and installation” using RFMS’ Scheduler and Bar Coded Inventory systems. In addition, sessions on estimating/bidding using the company’s Measure software and price catalog management/purchasing using its B2B E-Commerce software solution were well attended, he reported.
To help get more dealers involved with using software technology, participants were given personal demonstrations of new RFMS products, such as MeasureConnect, which allows users to share documents, drawings and other information with anyone in the network—even the homeowner—and Showroom Manager, which allows the smaller dealer to jump into the technological world while allowing them to integrate with their existing QuickBooks program.
“We have always strived to offer our dealers the latest in technology and training that is relevant and effective,” Wheat concluded.
For more information on RFMS, call 800.701.7367.
