By Matthew Spieler
Dallas—Product innovation plays a large part in the kinds of sales and profits one can make in the industry. But as members of the StarNet Commercial Flooring Cooperative learned at their annual Fall Membership Meeting here, there are a myriad of tools that can help them boost their bottom line, many not made with the flooring industry specifically in mind.
“There are some things outside the realm of what we do in floor covering,” said Robert Murdoch of M.E. Sabosik Associates and chairman of StarNet’s Technology Committee, “but many of these utilities can help in the general business sense.”

When it comes to the Technology Committee and StarNet in general, he told members during a special session, Technology 2006—Tools You Can Use Now in Your Daily Business, “great strides have been made to ensure you are all exposed to the technologies that can effectively increase your sales and ultimately help ensure your continued success.”

The seminar, combined with other breakout sessions and the Tools & Technology Tradeshow featuring nearly two dozen tabletop exhibits, gave members insight into not only some of the latest electronic gadgets but business solution strategies they can implement into their operations to help raise the bottom line.

When it comes to electronic technology, most people think of computers and the constant array of new and improved software. A number of the industry’s leading providers were on hand to demonstrate to members their latest programs and services as well as answer any questions.

Mike Myhre, president of Affordable Electronics, maker of WinSched, explained how new and more powerful options have been included in the labor scheduling software to give firms who run a large amount of crews the ability to keep track of each one from start to finish.

Others, such as Terry Wheat, president of RFMS, noted because many StarNet members also do some residential business their needs are similar to a specialty dealer, but they do have certain needs in relation to how they conduct business. That’s why RFMS provides specific tools for them.

“We’re always listening to what their needs are and then build systems from the ground up,” he explained, while showing off Measure Mobile, a drawing tool that defines room dimensions, names and material to be used in a flooring installation and makes it available on the contractor’s PDA.

Then there were relative newcomers, such as Lawrence Hicks of World Software Development, creator of the Apprime business management suite. The company has developed a commercial floor covering management system capable of supporting businesses of any size.

He said the program was developed while working with StarNet member Frank Pelosi of Metropolitan Contract Carpets. While the program has been customized for the flooring industry, he said the company can further customize it to meet an operation’s specific needs.

“Basically, the system was designed to help users do their job more efficiently,” Hicks said.

One of the “non-flooring” technologies came from Manning NavComp who was invited to showcase its Rastrac automated vehicle location system. Using GPS technology, it allows business owners to keep real-time track of their installation trucks, including such things as on/off, speed, location and length of time at an address.

According to the couple of members who utilize this service, while it may be a case of Big Brother watching, it does has immediate payback in both safety, which can reduce insurance and liability costs, and productivity.

With Rastrac, users pay a monthly subscription per vehicle and can track information they want through a dedicated Web site that uses a standard Windows interface and menus. In fact, the settings can be individually customized.

On the business solution side, a best practices panel discussion led by Ralph Grove, vice president of the commercial group for Commercial Carpet of America, focused on, “How to control and successfully grow your local market by employing Business Development Associates (BDA).”

Featuring StarNet members Bill Imhoff and Tracy Pennington of Intertech, Ian Martin of Great Floors, Jennifer McAlister of Bonitz Flooring Group and Kathi Kennedy of Howard’s Rug Co., the panelists shared their companies’ respective experience in having at least one BDA on staff as well as answered questions on the subject.

The general consensus was BDAs are a good resource to generate new accounts and form relationships which can lead to repeat business. “Much of what they do is hard to quantify,” said Harold Chapman of Bonitz and StarNet’s chairman emeritus. “But they are a great resource and can help open doors.”

Dave Bradbury, vice president of the American Subcontractors Association (ASA), was on hand to detail what the organization is about and how it and StarNet have mutual goals and can help each other. “There are a lot of challenges and ASA gives you a voice and seeks to improve the environment of the construction industry by working with other associations at the national and local levels.”

This includes everything from being an advocacy group to helping subcontractors resolve their own legal issues.
StarNet has formed a partnership with the association to allow each member to join at the national level when no local ASA chapter is available. “There is power in numbers and with more subcontractors working together, we have the opportunity to make a positive change,” Branbury said.

Lori Dowling, StarNet’s president and CEO, said this year’s focus was to show members there are other ways of expanding their business and, ultimately, their bottom line besides the traditional methods everyone turns to increase their business.

“That’s why we had members who have been successful in doing something, such as in the area of reclamation,” she explained, “help lead a seminar and explain what it is they’re doing.”

As with the other sessions, this particular one cited by Dowling, “How to Build a Successful, Local Carpet Reclamation Business,” featured three members explaining their strategies. “Not everyone is the same size or in the same situation to be able to do it one way, so by having members who achieved similar results through different methods tell their stories, it allows the rest of the membership to see they have options.”

Fred Williamson, StarNet’s director of special projects, said it best. “Just because you’re not on the Best Practices Committee, doesn’t mean you can’t contribute. Everyone has ideas and ways of dealing with situations and yours may be able to help a member solve a similar problem. The power of StarNet is in putting our heads together; as a group we are a very powerful entity.”

Bob Noe, right, of Pacific Solutions, & Bill Imhoff, CEO of Intertech.

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