As more electricians turn to job management software to streamline their businesses, electrical wholesalers have an opportunity to enhance customer loyalty and increase sales says Katie Hall, UK Marketing Manager at Fergus.
The rise of job management software is transforming the way electrical contractors run their businesses. By automating tasks, reducing admin and streamlining everything from quoting to invoicing, these platforms help contractors focus on their trade while staying in control of their finances. But this shift isn’t just benefiting electricians – it’s creating new opportunities for electrical wholesalers to add value, improve customer loyalty and increase sales.
For electrical contractors, efficiency is everything. A typical day can involve juggling multiple jobs, sourcing materials, managing teams and keeping track of payments. Without a proper system in place, it’s easy for costs to spiral, invoices to go unpaid and jobs to become disorganised. But job management software, like Fergus, can really help.
Fergus allows contractors to log new jobs, track costs, schedule work and invoice customers – all in one place. It keeps everything running smoothly, making it easy to manage team workloads, send quotes quickly and ensure that every job remains profitable. One major advantage is automated payment processing, which allows electricians to accept contactless payments on-site via Apple Pay, Google Pay or credit card. Late payments can also be chased up automatically with SMS reminders, taking the hassle out of credit control.
By integrating scheduling and client communication, Fergus also helps businesses keep customers informed with appointment confirmations and job updates. Instead of manual diary entries and missed calls, the system provides a clear visual calendar, reducing the risk of overbookings and improving customer service.
The right stuff
While job management software is designed to help contractors, its impact extends much further, including for wholesalers. One of the biggest challenges for trade customers is ensuring they have the right materials, at the right time and at the right price. Fergus solves this problem by integrating directly with wholesalers, making it easier for electricians to place orders, manage stock and track material costs in real-time.
Fergus currently integrates with over 26 electrical wholesalers, including Yesss Electrical, Rexel, CEF and Edmundson Electrical. This means that electricians using Fergus can order materials straight from their preferred wholesaler without leaving the platform. Pricebooks are uploaded directly into the system, ensuring contractors always have access to the latest prices, reducing errors in quoting and improving pricing accuracy.
For wholesalers, this integration does more than just make it convenient for customers – it provides valuable insight into purchasing trends, stock levels and contractor buying behaviour.
One of the stand-out features of Fergus for wholesalers is the way it simplifies procurement. Instead of electricians having to manually check stock, call for prices or visit a branch, they can place purchase orders directly from Fergus. These orders go straight to the wholesaler for pricing, pickup or delivery.
Frustrations
One of the biggest frustrations for trade businesses is waiting to get paid so the automatic invoice-matching function is another major advantage. Supplier invoices are imported into Fergus and automatically assigned to the correct job, removing the need for manual data entry. For electricians, this means no more lost paperwork and no more confusion over material costs.
With Fergus, wholesalers can help their customers speed up the invoicing process, ensuring that contractors can bill their clients the moment a job is completed. Because material and labour costs are already logged in the system, invoices can be generated in minutes – whether from an initial quote or a quick final calculation.
The ability to pull in live supplier pricing also ensures that electricians apply the correct markups and discounts, helping them protect their margins while keeping costs transparent for customers.
The growing use of job management software presents a clear opportunity for wholesalers. Contractors are increasingly relying on digital solutions to improve efficiency, reduce errors and increase profitability and wholesalers who integrate with these platforms stand to benefit. By becoming a preferred supplier on Fergus, wholesalers can improve customer retention by offering seamless ordering and invoice integration and increase sales by making it easier for electricians to purchase materials directly from their platform. Wholesalers can also gain valuable sales insights on what products are in demand and when and enhance customer service by making procurement faster and more efficient.
As electricians continue to embrace job management software, wholesalers that integrate with these platforms will be in the best position to support their customers, streamline operations and drive sales growth.
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