Written for Moraware

How much software is too much for a countertop fabrication business?

When Apple first released the iPhone way back in the ancient times, they bragged there was “an app for everything.” While that marketing effort might have been new, the idea stuck around and expanded to everything from streaming entertainment and making random noises on your phone to business accounting, immense enterprise processes, and yes, even countertop fabrication.

Today, there’s a piece of software for literally everything. Even the most minute business process can be managed through a dedicated app or program. Modern businesses run with a multitude of processes all working together. It might seem like a dream to have an all-in-one software solution that can manage everything, but creating a customized software stack is typically the most effective way to streamline your shop’s processes and ensure future growth. Here’s why using multiple dedicated software solutions is better for your countertop fabrication business.

The dream of an “all-in-one” software solution

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could do it all with a single piece of software? That’s the dream many businesses have when searching for an all-in-one software solution. After all, what could be easier than one program running literally everything about your business!?

Remember the old saying, “a jack of all trades is a master of none.” All-in-one solutions are pretty good at everything, but they’re not amazing at anything. Because they’re so massive and general, some businesses might find them falling short in certain areas — especially if their business requires very industry-specific processes (sound familiar, countertop fabricators?).

Another pretty major downside of all-in-one systems is that they run everything. What happens if (when) it crashes…? Sticking with the old sayings, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” There’s the potential to lose more productivity if you have technical difficulties. Your entire shop would have to shut down until the issue gets fixed.

With the lack of process expertise and the danger of using a single platform to run your entire operation, most business opt for a more customized software stack they know can streamline even the most miniscule business processes.

Why it’s better for countertop fabricators to use a software stack

Most countertop fabricators use multiple software solutions to manage their shop. In fact, businesses under 50 employees use around 40 applications on average! And the numbers only go up from there.

While it does take some effort to manage and learn the various systems, the ability to streamline highly specific processes maximizes shop efficiency and saves you more time and energy in the long run. Here are just a few of the benefits of using a software stack to manage your countertop fabrication business instead of they mythical “all-in-one” solution.

Each shop runs their business differently

You don’t do things the same way as the shop down the street, so why would you use the same software solution? When you use a software stack, you can pick and choose the specific pieces of software you need for your unique processes.

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to managing your business, and that sentiment applies to software, too!

Increase overall shop efficiency

If all-in-one systems are jacks of all trades, that would make multiple systems masters, right? When you use several software solutions, they’re likely all highly specific to the processes they’re meant to solve. There’s a reason most of the “best in class” software solutions focus on a single aspect of business.

Instead of a big general program that can kinda streamline your processes, you’ll get a smaller system that’s completely dedicated to the specific process. They usually work a lot more efficiently than the all-in-one systems — for their dedicated process, at least. Put several “masters” working together and your shop will run like a well-oiled machine. It’s just like hiring for your business. You want people who are masters of their specific craft, not just okay at lots of things.

Ensures future scalability

Multiple systems are far more scalable compared to all-in-one solutions. If you expand your operation and need some additional features, you can add or remove software as needed without affecting your overall operations. You’re not stuck with one giant program and the features it may (or may not) have.

The opposite is also true. If you need to cut back for budgetary or strategic reasons, you can remove pieces of software from your stack as needed without impacting other parts of your business. Using a software stack provides much more flexibility to your operation.

Fewer bottlenecks and issues

Remember when your all-in-one system failed and you had to shut the shop down for a day or two to fix it? That won’t happen when you use many software systems. If one system goes down, you can still run other parts of the shop while you search for a resolution. You’re not putting all your eggs in one basket!

Even when your software is running at maximum capacity, a stack of several software platforms can operate more efficiently because they’re specifically designed for their designated processes. They can help you streamline specific parts of your operation much better than a “one-size-fits-all” solution — which we’ve already determined doesn’t work as well for your unique business needs.

Open APIs create a central hub

Many systems, many logins, many vendors. Sounds like a headache, doesn’t it? That’s what most anti-stack naysayers argue. However, that’s not really the case.

Many software platforms, including Moraware solutions, use open API to seamlessly integrate with other software. What that means for you is that you can link all your various software solutions together into a central database. They all use the same data pool, so you don’t have to manually reenter information or deal with inefficient redundancies.

Instead of downloading an all-in-one solution, you can build your own by integrating several dedicated pieces of software together and enjoy the best of both worlds to bring the most efficiency to your countertop fabrication business!

The final word – Is it better to use multiple or all-in-one systems for countertop manufacturers?

Weighing the pros and cons, most countertop fabricators choose to use multiple software solutions to manage their shop. While it does take some effort to manage and learn the various systems, the ability to streamline highly specific processes maximizes shop efficiency and saves you more time and energy in the long run.

If you’d like to see how specialized “best in class” software can boost your shop’s efficiency, contact us to schedule a demo of our software solutions, CounterGo or Systemize. With specialized systems designed for countertop fabricators and a whole host of integrations, you can get the power of dedicated software with the efficiency of an all-in-one solution.