Leveraging technology in the outdoor design process

by jason_cramp | January 17, 2017 2:30 pm

By Noah Nehlich

[1]

Finding the right tech solutions to improve the outdoor design process—without adding to the workload—helps designers create spectacular customer experiences. In some cases, incorporating cutting-edge technology can often create new challenges, but at the same time solve others. From software intended to streamline the design process to social media apps marketed as the efficient way for businesses to connect with clients, there are now many tech-based options available for designers, builders, and contractors.

For many designers, however, 3D designs and social media-based customer service are often just the start of what clients really want. As technology has become increasingly prevalent, researchers have found what consumers expect from businesses has shifted. Now, consumers often want the technology-based “seamless” experiences revealed in Google’s 2015 trend report: “people expect to get the answers and services they want, customized precisely for them, in the exact moment they want and need it.[2]”

By leveraging technology to improve the design process, designers can create those seamless customer experiences and gain a competitive edge.

Potential for growth

[3]

Many designers and companies, however, are not yet leveraging technology to achieve the best possible results.

According to a recent McKinsey Global Institute study, many companies in many industries are not fully embracing technology. Compared to those that are more adept at leveraging technology, the research shows businesses that lag behind on incorporating innovative software and technology see markedly reduced growth and market share.

Companies that do implement digital strategies are seeing more than just increased profits; they are also “gaining the ability to reshape industries to their own advantage[4].”

Although the professional services sector has largely embraced technology, the rate of adoption is low in the construction industry. Even within the professional services, however, the best results are achieved when companies not only start using software, but also develop strategies that “integrate digital tools into an ever-widening variety of business processes[5].”

The growth realized by those companies that embrace technology in day-to-day business is often dramatic. As the McKinsey report makes clear, the companies that take the lead in shaping the industry and their own market are those who take advantage of innovative tech solutions—not only to improve their own processes, but also to create the seamless experience customers want.

Client expectations

[6]

Along with the surge in digitization comes a notably increased consumer tolerance—and appetite—for integrated technology that serves to benefit consumers’ lives. For example, with nearly 60 per cent of Canadians using Facebook, and with more than three quarters of Americans using social media, relying on these networks to keep in touch has become commonplace[7].

Beyond social media, consumers also have embraced what is now known as the “Internet of Things:” connected devices, always accessible, that can be controlled from a smartphone app or website. Already, there are nearly five billion connected devices in use.

For many consumers, embracing integrated technology and connected devices also means embracing the suggestion, shared in Google’s 2015 trend report, that companies should be able to predict and address problems before the consumer reaches out for help: a “well connected… customer service team should know the problem (exists) even before[8]” the customer decides to make a call for service.

The extent to which clients expect companies to immediately fulfil their expectations for personalized solutions is shown in a new trend analysts have identified as “liquid expectations.[9]”

This refers to clients who, accustomed to new customer service norms and the digitization of seemingly everything, increasingly compare their experience with a company not just to the competition, but to all other companies, regardless of industry.

Therefore, while designers and companies might not be able to offer the instantaneous problem-solving capabilities of a deep-pocketed multinational company’s 24-7 customer service department, they can instead devise strategies to leverage technology to their benefit. By identifying ways to improve design and business processes, designers can use these digital trends to create great customer experiences and deliver client-pleasing results.

Strategic storytelling

[10]

Claude Hopkins, one of the most influential marketers who shaped the field of advertising in the 20^th century, provides designers with a roadmap for using improved design processes to create customer experiences that boost sales.

When Hopkins analyzed the ad campaign that brought Schlitz beer from fifth to first place, he identified what made his strategy so successful. By telling consumers a story about how the brewing company used the latest innovations in science and technology, he showed them exactly how the company created the best product for them.

What made that story work was not that it was unique; Schlitz followed the same business processes as many other breweries. Instead, Hopkins simply retold the same story all beer companies were selling at the time—their beer was pure—and transformed it. He focused consumers not just on the results, but also on the value of the technology behind Schlitz’s business processes. Hopkins did not merely say, “Schlitz beer was pure,” he offered consumers a detailed look at each careful step the company took to ensure the beer really was pure.

Deliverable results

From 3D design software to Internet marketing apps, quote estimating software to social media management apps, there are digital solutions developed and marketed to meet a seemingly endless list of needs.

Of course, some of these “solutions” are the equivalent of Rube Goldberg machines. Instead of streamlining the design process, these solutions approach straightforward tasks in a needlessly complicated manner which do not solve client problems, nor improve a design process.

Truly leveraging technology in ways that improve design and business procedures, while also creating incredible customer experiences, means finding the right software and processes.

There are three primary areas where designers can leverage technology to achieve the best possible results: during the design process, when communicating with clients, and when collaborating with complex teams.

Improve the design process

[11]

Early computer-aided design (CAD) software often required a significant amount of training, and the high cost meant it was not always a viable option for many designers and companies.

Today, 3D design software is significantly faster and more powerful than when CAD programs first entered the market. Now, professional software developed specifically for the pool and landscape industry can include not only 3D design capabilities, but also printable construction plans, instant video-creation tools, and integrated media options which make sharing online 
and with clients a simple process.

What is even more beneficial is the right software not only ensure design projects easier, it also helps prevent simple mistakes or misunderstandings from turning into serious problems. A complex CAD program, for example, might require a lot of training before the technology is mastered—especially if it is not the right program a designer needs.

To achieve the best results, design software can be used to ensure the client understands how a finished project will look, before any costly change requests are made. It can be used to show a client how a small tile sample will look when installed, thus preventing expensive and time-consuming tear outs during the build when the client is not happy with the results.

Communicate with clients

Beyond helping designers create client-winning projects, today’s design software can also be used to connect with clients and prospects in their market.

However, social media apps and options marketed as the efficient new way for businesses to connect with clients can become yet another drain on a designer’s time. As Google’s trend report noted, many consumers expect immediate, responsive customer service that can be challenging for small businesses or busy designers to provide.

Further, those “liquid expectations” (identified by analysts that mean consumer expectations cross industry lines) might lead a customer to feel ignored or slighted when their chosen designer or builder does not reply as quickly as a large retailer with an always available customer service team.

Choosing the right social media apps will help a designer stay in contact with clients and prospects, while also keeping them abreast of any potential customer service issues, whereby catching and addressing any complaints before they become major problems.

Leveraging those processes successfully might mean being upfront with clients in advance, such as arranging a reasonable turnaround time on e-mail replies. As Hopkins’ Schlitz beer advertising campaign suggests, sharing the behind-the-scenes story can boost sales simply by helping clients understand the reasons for certain processes that might otherwise seem opaque.

When communicating with clients, sharing these details can help minimize ‘pain points’ during their decision-making process. Clients who are uncertain about what they really want to achieve, or how they want their finished outdoor living space to look and function, can find it reassuring when designers offer plans for the client to consult.

One way to offer such reassurance is to use one-click media-sharing options which allow designers/builders to share proposals and changes seamlessly. Easy video creation tools, which professional design software now often includes, allow designers to narrate a walk-through of a design, providing clients with a visually beautiful presentation, as well as a detailed explanation of how the concept will achieve their backyard living goals.

Collaborate with teams

[12]

Clients are sometimes surprised by the size of the team involved on a project—even for a seemingly simple pool installation. More complex custom projects often require highly specialized teams.

Collaborating with a large team, even when everyone selected for the project is a proven expert, always carries some amount of risk. Further, simple mistakes can lead to serious—and expensive—problems.

This remains true even for large, well-funded projects. In 1999, for example, when the Mars orbiter was lost, the reason for the catastrophic failure was, in fact, quite simple: scientists from different laboratories used different measurements. One team used the metric system, while the other used imperial units[13].

Many other seemingly minor miscalculations have led to expensive project delays. For example, in 2003, when engineers in Germany and Switzerland worked together to build the Laufenberg bridge, 
linking the two countries across the Rhine, the engineers in Germany used a different, albeit equally valid, measurement of ‘sea level’ than the engineers 
in Switzerland.

During construction, a height difference of 540 mm (21.3 in.) was discovered, which resulted in the need 
for major reconstruction. Worsening the problem, miscommunication between the two teams meant the known difference in the sea level measurement had been doubled instead of eliminated during construction[14].

While even the most innovative custom pool is unlikely to reach the complexity of the Mars orbiter, and most bridges under construction do not need to connect two countries, many pool designers and builders face a similar problem as these engineers encountered: how to make sure everyone involved on 
a project is following the best process to achieve the same goals.

When designing and building a complex custom pool project, implementing technology that provides clear labelled plans, eases communication with accurate 3D views which clarifies the details of the 2D plans, and uses standard measurements, can help keep everyone on the same page. Further, the finished project will achieve the final results promised to clients.

Integrated technology

Creating a customer-pleasing experience by leveraging technology requires more than just visually arresting designs, a social media presence, and a collaborative team.

Leveraging technology most effectively means strategizing to make sure the software, apps, or processes being used do not create worse problems than they were originally intended to solve. The chosen software should not disrupt other areas of 
the business either.

For example, introducing design software that creates beautiful project presentations can fail to create leverage if the same software creates problems elsewhere. For instance, design software that only permits onscreen use without offering printable options, or 3D design software that does not also create usable and accurate 2D plans, might be sufficient to sell a client on a design, but it will introduce an unnecessary level of complexity when the designer must then use a second design program to create build-ready plans that can also be used for permit approvals.

Refining the design process with innovative technology to create great customer experiences can increase sales if it is fully integrated. Whether offering clients a lighting system that will become part of the network of five billion connected devices on the Internet, or establishing a company policy for providing customer service on social media, strategizing to use technology is an important piece of the customer-experience puzzle.

Phenomenal customer experiences

[15]

The customer experience is now one that many sales strategists describe as a journey. How to bring a client onboard, how to interact with a client throughout the onboarding process, and how to keep a client satisfied along the journey, are questions that companies must now ask.

However, a 2014 study conducted by Accenture found less than two-thirds of marketing executives thought they were “doing a good job in delivering relevant customer experiences[16],” while not quite half felt they were “in charge of the customer experience.[17]”

One reason for this is some consumers today have expectations that can come as a surprise to designers. The traditional sales funnel—neatly leading the potential client on an orderly path from general awareness of a product or service through consideration to making the purchase decision—might serve as a useful planning exercise, but it is not always an accurate representation of how clients make buying decisions.

From “Liquid Expectations” to predictive customer service, clients often enter into the decision to hire a designer or builder with research on what to expect already in hand. Whether those expectations are based on home-renovation reality shows or on the generous return policies of major retailers, many clients expect the designers and builders they hire to be familiar with the most innovative technology available on the market, and to offer highly integrated technology-based options.

Leveraging technology in the design process is one strategy that makes it easier for clients to make a purchasing decision. Further, it helps designers take the lead in their industry and market, creating phenomenal customer experiences that lead to impressive growth. Innovative design methods, responsive customer service, and collaborative tools help designers to improve the design process and impress their clients.

[18]Noah Nehlich is the founder of Structure Studios. As the creator of Pool Studio Pool Design Software, he is into everything 3D. With more than 16 years’ experience building the design software pool and landscape designers commonly use today, Nehlich’s goal is to improve lives through 3D experiences. He can be reached via e-mail at noah@structurestudios.com.

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/leveraging-technology-in-the-outdoor-design-process/

---