If you’ve ever considered using portable storage software, now is the time. As an owner or operator in the portable storage industry, you want to focus on storage, not software. But automating your everyday business processes requires technological savvy. That’s why there is software built to do it for you! Automation is defined as, “the technique of making an apparatus, a process, or a system operate automatically” (Webster). In the storage industry, there are several processes to automate. Billing, operations, communications, maintenance, and delivery — to name a few.
Cathy Putnam of Stella Software LLC recently wrote a post about the importance of portable storage software. Stella Software LLC offers a complete portable storage management software. Their web-based interface takes care of the nitty gritty, while you take care of your customers. Below is an adapted version of her post:
3 Reasons to Consider Using Portable Storage Software in 2022
1. Portable storage software adds efficiency
Automating a business can be daunting and change is not easy. But the change is worth it. Think about all the time you can save if you don’t have to manage several different processes and systems. It’s so frustrating when a delivery is incorrect. Do you search for containers and need to drive to different locations to see what’s there? Automation can help! Plus, you can stop spending so much time on administrative tasks. Leave the invoices, inventory, scheduling, payments, and past due balances to the software.
Automate your sales, operations, and billing with portable storage software. You can save hours of time each week. What are your pain points? With automation, you will reduce human error and be able to focus on what is important. For example, you will have time for lead follow-up, confirmation calls, sales strategy, and growth.
You’ll be able to follow up with your leads and maximize your investment by filling the pipeline. Have time to make confirmation calls and tighten your communication with customers. Plan and grow with your outside sales. Improve relationships with contractors, partners, and realtors. And introduce new promotions or offerings.
2. You’ll get to know your inventory
Do you have portable storage in many locations? It can be daunting, and you may not know which containers are where. Are you spending time driving, counting, checking on your inventory? This all adds up to wasted time and money. We’ve all been there!
When you automate, all that changes. You’ll be able to access available containers by size or status through the software. Portable storage software gives you data to forecast the need for more containers. And you’ll have access to historical data on a container. How great will it be to know when maintenance is due? Drivers can access details such as door direction, container placement, where to bring a full container for storage, etc. It’s simplification at the core.
3. Enhance your customer service
Some feel that software de-humanizes the customer experience. But software enhances your position as the “expert” to the customer. Software also helps to mitigate human error by recording important key details. Stay organized! You can easily view a Google Map of a business or house through the software to make recommendations to the customer about container placement. Additionally, you will have a list of necessary items (locks, blankets, straps, dolly, shelving, etc.) to make things easy for them. Software allows you to focus on the customer’s needs. Don’t get overwhelmed by the details. Let the software calculate the quote, navigate Google Maps, send reminders, and schedule the deliveries.
Top features to look for in portable storage software:
CRM FEATURE: Manage and track sales with follow-up reminders. This feature is built in and can log calls, emails, notes and confirm scheduling. This tool allows you to feel confident that your valuable leads are being covered.
VISUAL DASHBOARD: Managers can see daily and monthly data on revenue and stats. And current inventory details are at their fingertips. For example, they can see unit occupancy, revenue per box, # of boxes booked today, etc.
QUOTING AND BOOKING ORDERS: Portable storage software provides your staff with the ease of quoting and/or booking a customer. It leads you through all necessary information, including box placement & door direction with notes. Once you save a quote or book and order, it sends it to the customer.
CALENDAR INTEGRATION: Once you book an order, your manager schedules the known deliveries and hits, “send to calendar”. All pertinent information will be pre-scripted in the calendar. For instance, details include customer information, door direction, box size, box#, and location details.
REAL-TIME INVENTORY MANAGEMENT: You upload the portable storage containers’ ID numbers through the software. You can assign a box to an existing customer as “rented”, for example. As a customer’s box moves to a new address, the you track the box location to that new address. Once it is scheduled for a final pick up, the order is completed, and the box status will change to “empty”. You can view real time data of your inventory in the dashboard and see a detailed view by box size. You can also use the maps feature to see a Google Maps view of all your units.
SEAMLESS BILLING AND REPORTING: Portable storage software can bill your clients, perform refunds, void a transaction, re-charge a transaction, and do split card billing. It can also create reports and alerts for your managers.
Sometimes it feels that everything is getting automated. But when the benefits outweigh the rest, it’s easy to see why. With portable storage software, you’ll see an increase in productivity and revenue. And a decrease in wasted time and overhead. Sounds like a win-win for the portable storage industry and our customers!
Cathy Putnam is the president of Stella Software, which is a new management software tool developed for portable storage operators. Cathy specializes in media sales, marketing, and customer relations. She has a keen understanding of the unique and ever-changing needs of the storage industry.
Boxwell provides storage solutions for all kinds of businesses. We achieve this by staying true to our product and really listening to our customers, our partners and each other.
At Boxwell, we pride ourselves on providing customers with the highest-quality storage containers on the market. We set out to reinvent storage and prove that a great product can be created through innovation and perseverance. As a team, we strive to evolve with our ever-growing industry.