May 2022

Cover Story
A SIMPLER WAY TO RUN
YOUR BUSINESS
Rhonda Ridge, Managing Director of Ab Initio, creators of the AdminBase installer
management system, gives Total Installer readers an overview of some key features and
benefits of a CRM system designed specifically for installation businesses.
The very term Customer Relationship
Management (CRM) system can leave
some people feeling cold. They hate the
thought of inputting data because it’s perceived
to be difficult or time consuming, and they
struggle to see how putting all that effort in, will
pay off.
However, not all management systems are
the same. Some are specifically tailored to an
industry by people who have done the same job
as you’re doing now. Some have been tried
and tested by your peers and have
been tweaked to account for their
feedback.
One sign of a management
system that’s doing what it
should, is longevity. Software
doesn’t last if it’s not useful, so if a
system has been widely used for decades,
it’s likely to be worth a look.
Ab Initio launched AdminBase, an installer
management system, over 20 years ago and it is
still going strong today.
As Rhonda Ridge, creator of AdminBase, prepares to
demonstrate the system to visitors at the FIT Show
on stand D31, she talks us through some of the
features and benefits that make this the system of
choice for so many installation businesses.
Customer Portal
“One of the items we’ll be highlighting to FIT
Show visitors is our award-winning Customer
Portal,” said Rhonda. “We know that the retail
market is quickly moving towards managing
purchases online. Most of us now prefer to have
the capability to log in and check on the status of
Left: Rhonda Ridge, Managing Director of Ab Initio, creators of AdminBase; Above: AdminBase’s
customisable home screen presents key data that can be read at a glance
our order, rather than pick up the
phone, navigate our way through
multiple options and wait on hold
until a member of staff is free to talk to us.
“That’s why we have given this facility to our
subscribers. Homeowners can log in, confirm
appointments, check on the progress of their
survey and installation, and just as importantly,
report any snagging issues after the project
has been completed. It’s a great sales tool too
because customers can benefit from even better
service levels.”
Full Internal AdminBase reporting engine
“Installation businesses that come to see us at
the show will also be able to see for themselves
how easy it is to review their KPIs within the
system, without having to spend time exporting
data to Excel to create separate reports.
“The dashboard style screen presents key
information in easy-to-read charts, showing
how many customers are awaiting quotes or
appointments.
Every sales lead is allocated a checklist and the
system applies a traffic light system so users
can quickly see the progress of each item on the
list. All charts can be created within AdminBase,
with no need to export the data to Excel. This
information can also be displayed back in the
office and refreshed every few minutes so that
all members of the team can see the very latest
picture at any point in the day.”
Customisable home screen
“Sticking with the theme of making life as easy
as possible, the AdminBase Home screen also
presents key data that can be read at a glance.
“We appreciate that no system is a one size
fits all solution, so installation companies can
customise this screen to give them an overview
of the aspects of the business that are relevant
to them.
Continued on page 28
26 T I MAY 2022 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST