The Essential Tool for Restoration Managers to Reclaim Control and Streamline Operations

Restoration projects seek to bring order to chaos. Restoration managers know that, unlike other types of construction, there’s a methodical, step-by-step process that’s been thought about and planned out over an extended time. The disorder caused by a fire, flood, storm, or other disaster only adds to the difficulty of restoration. Managers of these jobs need to coordinate every part of the project while putting out figurative fires throughout. 

A seasoned restoration manager understands what needs to be done and how to make everything work together to bring a structure back to its original condition. Yet, just like a project manager supervising and organizing any other construction work, it’s important to have the right tools to control and streamline operations. This is where restoration management software can help.

How Restoration Software Can Help Project Managers Take Control

The basic elements of any construction work are – on the surface – very similar to a restoration. Restoration project managers need to plan the whole schedule for the project from start to finish, which includes communicating with customers, writing estimates, going over plans, organizing subcontractors, and meeting deadlines. Yet restorers who’ve worked elsewhere in the construction industry understand that a restoration job is often a whole different animal. That’s why off-the-shelf construction software doesn’t meet the needs of so many restoration professionals.

With software that helps streamline restorations, managers can better:

• Track resources: Oftentimes, a restoration manager has many projects on the go, for which vital resources like air scrubbers, dehumidifiers, PPE (personal protective equipment), and other gear are required. Restoration software helps track essential resources to ensure that the necessary equipment is there, where and when it’s needed, so budget overruns, missed deadlines, and substandard workmanship are less likely to occur.
• Plan strategies: Project management is all about planning, and it’s no different from disaster restoration. Managers need to always think on their feet while also planning, so robust scheduling tools and tracking apps for managing resources help make jobs run more smoothly. 
• Modernize: No industry stands still when it comes to technology, and it’s not any different from the disaster restoration sector. Project management becomes so much easier with a restoration software platform that can automate much of the mundane administrative work while assisting with various other important tasks.
• Handle complications: Even with the best planning available, there are bound to be hiccups for any restoration manager, so anticipating and planning for any setbacks is par for the course. Software tools that enable real-time communication help ensure any issues are dealt with as soon as they’ve been recognized.
• Control quality: Poor craftsmanship can be the death knell of any contractor who works on a project involving restoration. Managers need to catch major issues before they’re noticed by a customer or assessor, so it’s important to have software that allows them to keep up-to-date with current industry standards, along with local regulations and other requirements.
• Collaborate: During a restoration, managers must work with others, including insurance assessors, subcontractors, and suppliers. Collaboration is an essential part of any disaster restoration, and managers are central to this, so having a means to easily share a project’s schedules, documentation, deadlines, assessments, and other aspects with stakeholders ensures that projects go more smoothly.

Software solutions help restoration managers address an array of pain points. While not be unique to the disaster restoration sector, these pain points may are different than those experienced elsewhere in the construction industry.

A Software Solution for Core Restoration Pain Points 

Restoration managers face distinctive pain points that software made specifically for restorers helps handle. Understanding these pain points, however, requires an appreciation of the intricacies within the industry. For this reason, it’s best when considering restoration software to choose a platform made by someone who knows the industry. For restoration managers, software that can speed workflow, contribute to more accurate estimates, and aid collaboration.

Restoration managers are tasked with documenting damage, keeping one step ahead of the competition, minimizing operational costs, ensuring customers are satisfied, helping in the processing of insurance claims, all while managing schedules and deadlines. All these things often lead to undue stress for all those involved in a restoration. Managers of disaster restoration projects should look to cutting-edge tools that can make their operations run more efficiently.

Documentation 

Without proper documentation, an insurance company can’t assess the damage required to repair a structure to its original state. For an accurate assessment, properly documenting this damage is essential. Restoration software that supports the seamless sharing and storage of photos and videos of the damaged area is crucial to justify costs to the customer and insurer. Any inconsistency can lead to a dispute that can become an unpaid invoice or even litigation.

But this goes beyond photographing images or making videos of damaged properties. Real-time tracking of data can also support damage documentation. For example, the science behind moisture mapping depends on accurate data. Moisture mapping apps have become indispensable for dealing with any water damage restoration. Managers can benefit from the ease in which such software apps can be used to determine the correct course of action, streamlining workflow and improving customer satisfaction by providing better service. 

Competition

No other construction industry sector has a greater number of smaller players than that which deals with disaster restoration. Managers are constantly pressured to seek out new business in this crowded field. This is why innovation in marketing is so important in the industry. For example, restoration companies benefit from technology that allows them to communicate via multiple channels to build better relationships, leading to referrals.

Restoration software also supports specialized restoration techniques that depend on access to real-time data and remote monitoring, which helps restorers differentiate themselves from their competition. Data can also be used in reports that analyze the typical jobs a company takes, allowing contractors to evaluate what projects tend to bring in the most profit. Whatever the focus of a restoration, managers can benefit from such dedicated software for restorers.

Operating Costs

The specialized training, materials, and equipment restorers use are costly but necessary expenses. To maintain profitability, restoration managers need to provide superior services to their customers. Cloud-based restoration software helps restorers consolidate expenses by making dedicated restoration apps and tools available on a single platform. To streamline workflow in any restoration, managers should identify all points at which technology can help.

Integrating field documentation, invoicing, inventory management, and other aspects of the restoration industry into one simple-to-use system increases efficiency. This technology can help manage operational costs by streamlining the time it takes to send out estimates and invoices while simplifying field documentation and inventory management. A single software platform with an open API additionally makes it easier to add other apps that help restoration managers keep costs down.

Customer Satisfaction

Like anyone overseeing a project, restoration managers need to ensure their customers are satisfied with their work. It’s stressful for people right after a disaster. Regardless of the type of disaster restoration, managers need to come across as compassionate while also communicating to customers what to expect from a restoration project. This is the case for earthquakes, fires, floods, hailstorms, hurricanes, mudslides, tornados, or other disasters requiring structural restoration.

A negative review online can cut profits and even ruin a business, so it’s important to provide high customer service for any restoration. Managers can benefit from customer relationship management software, which any restoration platform worth its salt will include. To deliver faster and better service, restoration managers can utilize communication tools to provide updates, log communications between stakeholders, keep everyone in the loop, and even thank customers after a job is done.

Processing Insurance Claims 

One key difference between the average restoration project and other construction work involves regular interactions with insurers. Claims must be approached carefully, as insurance companies require detailed quotes and extensive documentation before a project can proceed. Getting a claim approved is time-consuming, with considerable back and forth between the contractor and insurer, which often also involves negotiations and follow-ups with the assessor.

As an omission or error can lead to a denied or lowballed claim on a restoration, managers benefit from apps that ease communications with adjusters. This helps ensure claims get paid as quickly as possible. The best restoration software will automate documentation of damage and project estimates, along with sending out invoices to reduce administrative staff’s time dealing with insurance companies. Plus, the communication tools on a restoration platform help contractors develop stronger relationships with insurance adjusters and their companies, increasing collaboration and making the whole claims process more efficient.

Time Management

Every construction project needs to deal with time management, and it’s no different with restoration. Managers restoring a building must respond even more quickly, especially after water-related disasters requiring greater urgency to ensure further damage doesn’t occur. Restoration companies often have several projects on the go simultaneously, so anything that helps manage time allows them to concentrate on their core service: restoring structures to their original state.

The best restoration platforms simplify scheduling, allowing restorers to offer speedier service and quicker turnarounds. Restoration software also automates administrative tasks, like sending invoices or processing claims. Using advanced restoration software to manage a contractor’s time lessens the need for overtime and scheduling conflicts. Not only does this free up time and make a restoration manager’s life less stressful, but it also streamlines workflow. It improves customer satisfaction so that a company can focus on strategies that promote growth.

Albi: Software for Restoration Managers Made by Restorers 

Albi is a software platform made by restorers for restorers. Because of our intimate knowledge of what it takes to succeed in the sector, we know the challenges and how to keep restoration managers from getting stuck in the pain zone. We have crafted Albi as a platform for restoration managers that empowers them to work efficiently, fostering communication while collecting valuable data to form new growth strategies. Albi makes a restoration manager’s job easier by speeding up processes, promoting smooth collaborations, and providing greater accuracy for all stakeholders involved in a project. To learn more about how Albi can help make your job as a restoration manager easier, contact us today to book a free demo.