Among the many modern struggles of today’s business economy, Inflation is causing the most uncertainty, felt everyday by distributors across the board. Inflation has reached a never-before-seen, 40 year high; straining distribution businesses with bottlenecked supply chains, long project delays, high expenses, lower profit margins, and frustrated customers and employees

In an era where projects are delayed, finances are tight, and relationships are heavily strained, there is a substantial need for efficiency — more than ever before. Tech tools are developed to eliminate error, lessen labor time, save costs and therefore boost profits. 

Technology streamlines business functions like project management; payment platforms and enterprise resource planning softwares (ERP’s) can store data efficiently and cut down how long it takes to complete everyday tasks. Texting tools like Prokeep, text-enable a branch’s main phone line, centralizing communication and allowing customers to order parts and receive updates in seconds.

How Prokeep helps

There is no doubt that texting has become a crucial part of business. Distribution branches everywhere already have customers asking to text in orders and some have started texting sales members’ personal phones (siloing customer data and opening an inconsistent line of communication).

Time savings

Prokeep is a texting software built specifically for distributors. Through a centralized platform on their counter computers or mobile app, distributors are able to receive and answer text message orders from customers within seconds, and with Prokeep they no longer need to give out their personal phone numbers. Prokeep users from Johnstone report that 43% save at least 30 minutes per day using Prokeep (a total of 9 hours per month, per user), while 16% save up to an hour. Prokeep also allows employees to communicate with each other and allows counter reps to service multiple customers at once, saving even more time and increasing cash flow. 

The preferred channel

With greater efficiency comes happier customers; according to our recent texting study of Prokeep users, 96% of respondents have had a customer that prefers the service to phone calls.

Get more work done

Less orders holding up main phone lines and unread emails means counter associates will have more time to spend on other tasks, allowing more work to get done quicker. Our study found that with more free time 72% of Johnstone users reported that they were able to serve even more contractors and tackle administrative tasks often put on the backburner. 

increased accountability, less he-said-she-said

The ability to text with customers clears up congested phone lines and eliminates possible delays in email, while also boosting accountability by keeping record of every conversation that took place. This decreases miscommunications and leaves less room for error. 

Eliminate communication siloes

In addition to better connecting customers with their distribution branch, Prokeep also connects employees; opening a channel for instant communication; breaking down silos and allowing projects and updates to be discussed quicker and with ease. 

Prokeep offers several features to better serve distributors: 

• Branch Texting: Text-enable your branch’s main phone line, allowing customers to text the same number they’ve been calling to place orders.

• Mobile App: answer messages and send photos to customers at any time and any place, through a downloadable Prokeep app. 

• Internal Messaging: Communicate with team members and other branches, keeping all conversations in a centralized place. 

• Announcements: Send out broadcast messages alerting customers or targeted lists of deals, promotions and updates.

• Web Connect: Allow your customers to place orders or submit questions from any page on your company website directly to a counter associate.  

• Messaging API: Connect your other systems so they can share data and trigger automated messages sent out through Prokeep. 

For distributors utilizing an Eclipse (a distribution ERP designed for distributors) ERP, or Apex Lockers (a unit onsite for contact-less pickup), Prokeep currently offers direct integrations. These integrations enable automatic alerts to be sent out when orders are ready for pickup or when inventory or order status have updated. 

While our modern economy will likely remain turbulent for the foreseeable future, using technologies like Prokeep is key to optimizing efficiency and ensuring an organizations’ longevity. Though the troubling times may seem overwhelming, with the right strategies and the right tools, there is no challenge distributors cannot overcome.

Want to find out more? We’ve put together a full report on Inflation, its causes, and how it affects the construction industry. Click here to download it now!