Death of the Fax
20th January 2015

In most industries the fax is a distant memory, revolutionary when it came into work places across the world in the 1980s but a dinosaur in the digital age.

However the world-wide fax market is surprisingly still selling six million machines a year, the window and door industry being one of its biggest customers.

Until recently a fax machine was the only feasible way for companies to collect a quote, send through pricing and then finally send order confirmation. However with the digital revolution in full swing, why are we still lagging behind?
Digital specialists The Consultancy, who have worked in the window and door industry for over ten years, have aided many well-known suppliers in making the transition to digital and are urging others to do the same.

Richie Thornton, Director of The Consultancy, said: “There are so many benefits to both the customer and the company itself that we cannot recommend the switch to online highly enough.

“An online ordering system can save thousands of hours every year in processing orders, completing quicker sales and avoiding costly mistakes by mis-read orders or incomplete customer details.

“We also specialise in creating systems that allow homeowners the luxury of designing a product to their exact specification and requesting a quote which will be sent by email instantly.

“This online system saves faxing backwards and forwards and the one to two days which would be spent amending and processing the order – that’s if there’s no mistakes and no technical problems.”

Research suggests that companies that have made the switch to digital have seen a dramatic increase in leads and sales, thanks to instant live pricing.

Richie continued: “When a customer knows what they want, they want an instant price online allowing them to make a quick decision about the product. Our ordering systems can even place the door on an image of their own homes.
“Leaving the full order to process over 1-2 days can lead to the customer losing interest and puts the order lower in their priorities.”

Figures reveal that 87% of devices sold this year will be smartphones or tablets. The Consultancy is encouraging the industry to move with their customers and create mobile-responsive systems.

Richie added: “We are now a digital generation, where products and prices are wanted instantly.

“Moving into the digital age isn’t just a benefit for customers, there’s a massive benefit for the company, the days of orders on the back of fag packet are or should be long gone.

“On top of an obvious save of paper, using online systems will save thousands of hours of staff time, querying faxes, filling out order forms and going through specifications with customers.

“With an online ordering system from The Consultancy, this is all done online without staff having to intervene. This doesn’t just leave a happy customer, it leaves a happy, more efficient company.

“We buy holidays, Christmas presents and everything else online now. For our industry to move forward and keep up with the fast-paced market, the digital age must be embraced to effectively sell and order all window and door products online.”

www.theconsultancy.co.uk