All too often, integrators are so busy working in their business that they barely seem to have time to work on their business. However, at a time when margin erosion is real, labor costs are rising and it’s very easy to find yourself upside down on a project, it’s imperative for integrators to leverage new and existing software tools to keep themselves organized and their projects profitable.
At the CEDIA Expo 2025 in Denver, a panel of experts touched on how to find and adopt the right business management software for proposal creation, drawings and documentation, service management, lead and project pipeline management, invoicing and payments, inventory management and more.
Why is software vital to an integration business? According to the 2024 CE Pro Software Deep Dive study, an integration company uses on average between four and five different software solutions to run their business, ranging from accounting software like QuickBooks to niche solutions like vehicle tracking. That same study shows that using a single end-to-end business management solution that encompasses proposals, scheduling, inventory management, project management and other functions can result in a whopping 13% improvement to the bottom line.
Randy Stearns, CEO of D-Tools, the makers of the industry’s leading software solution, notes that it is vital for integration companies to first identify why they need a new piece of software.
“Software conversions and implementations are challenging and time-consuming, and a distraction from the day-to-day. So, it is important there is a really good compelling reason to do it. There are to be some identifiable painpoints or strategic objectives that cannot be met without making some sort of change,” says Stearns.
Chris Smith, principal at TheCoTeam, a leading industry consulting firm, says industry-specific software is the ideal solution for integrators versus customized options.
“I’ve run businesses on Salesforce. I’ve deployed Salesforce at three different businesses. There is a six-figure human who manages that every year. Now what is the cost of that… on top of the software?” he asks rhetorically. “So, when you look at industry-specific solutions… if your options are build it or buy it… the answer is ‘buy it.’”