How Bolt Enhances Builder Orders and POs For Trade Contractors

Enhancing business operations

Efficient business operations are crucial for trade contractors who often juggle multiple projects and deadlines. Bolt’s builder order and PO functionalities streamline several key aspects:

• Automated data handling: By auto-populating fields with recognized information and allowing easy creation of new data, Bolt reduces the time spent on manual data entry. This automation minimizes errors and ensures consistency across projects.
• Organized order management: The ability to filter, search, and categorize builder orders simplifies order management. Contractors can quickly locate specific POs and manage them efficiently, leading to better workflow and less administrative burden.
• Seamless integration: Integrating new data into Bolt’s system means that once data is created, it’s available for future use. This reduces repetitive tasks and speeds up the process for subsequent orders, making the system increasingly efficient over time.

Increasing job profitability

Profitability in construction often hinges on efficiency and cost control. Bolt’s functionalities directly contribute to these goals:

• Reduced administrative costs: Automating the approval and editing of POs cuts down on the administrative workload, allowing contractors to allocate resources more effectively. This reduction in overhead costs can directly boost profit margins.
• Accurate scheduling: By facilitating precise scheduling and rescheduling of jobs, Bolt helps contractors avoid delays and optimize labor deployment. Efficient scheduling ensures that projects stay on track, reducing downtime and associated costs.
• Improved resource allocation: The ability to map and reuse data means that resources are allocated more effectively. For example, recognizing and reusing floor plans and job addresses reduces the time and effort spent on setting up new projects, allowing contractors to focus on value-added activities.

Strengthening relationships with home builders

A strong relationship with home builders is vital for repeat business and long-term success. Bolt’s functionalities support this in several ways:

• Enhanced communication: The unique email address for POs and the ability to track email audits ensure clear and documented communication with builders. This transparency helps build trust and reduces the risk of miscommunication.
• Timely and accurate deliveries: By automating and streamlining the PO approval process, trade contractors can ensure that orders are processed quickly and accurately. This reliability is crucial for maintaining builder satisfaction and fostering ongoing partnerships.
• Adaptability to builder requirements: Bolt’s capability to map builder-specific terms and tasks (e.g., mapping “Trim” to “Trim-Out”) shows flexibility and adaptability. Builders appreciate contractors who can seamlessly integrate into their workflows, enhancing collaboration and satisfaction.

Discover the Builder Order functionality of Bolt software for trade contractors with this quick video demonstration. Learn how to streamline your processes, from receiving purchase orders (POs) to mapping data, creating floor plans, and generating contractual work orders.

The builder order page in Bolt is designed to offer a modern and user-friendly experience. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make the most of this powerful feature:

• Unique email address: At the top of the builder order page, you’ll find a unique email address assigned to your account. This is the address to which you should email your POs or add it to your builder portal. The benefits include:
  • Having a unique email address dedicated to receiving POs simplifies communication and ensures that all relevant documents are centralized in one place.
  • By directing all POs to a single, unique email, the risk of misplacing or overlooking important documents is minimized.
  • Trade contractors can quickly locate and process incoming POs without sifting through unrelated emails, saving valuable time.
• Filters and search bar: Just below the email address, you can use filters to narrow down your builder orders by customer, community, date, and other criteria. Additionally, a search bar allows you to locate specific POs quickly. The benefits include:
  • The ability to filter orders by customer, community, date, and other criteria allows users to swiftly find specific orders, making order management more efficient.
  • The search bar enables precise searching for specific POs, reducing the time spent manually scrolling through lists and enhancing productivity.
  • Filters provide a customizable view of orders, helping contractors focus on the most relevant information at any given time.
• Downloading orders: Need a list of your builder orders? Simply select the download option to export it. The benefits include:
  • The download option allows users to export a comprehensive list of builder orders for offline access, reporting, and sharing.
  • Exported lists can be saved and archived, ensuring that contractors have a complete and accessible record of all orders.
  • Contractors can analyze downloaded data to identify trends, monitor order status, and make informed business decisions.
• Organizing POs: Once POs are received, Bolt organizes them into categories. Select “show orders” to view the list of POs within each category. The benefits include:
  • By organizing POs into categories, Bolt helps contractors maintain a structured and orderly workflow, making it easier to manage multiple orders simultaneously.
  • The “show orders” function provides a clear overview of all POs within each category, enhancing visibility and control over the order management process.
  • Categorized orders allow contractors to prioritize tasks and focus on the most urgent or important orders first.
• Additional options: On the left-hand side, you’ll find options to view an email audit, check unsupported messages, and import orders from an Excel file. The benefits include:
  • Viewing an email audit helps ensure that all communications are tracked and accounted for, improving transparency and accountability.
  • Checking unsupported messages allows contractors to address any issues with received emails promptly, ensuring no order-related communication is missed.
  • The ability to import orders from an Excel file streamlines the data entry process, allowing bulk uploads and reducing manual entry time.

The builder order page in Bolt is designed to offer a seamless and efficient experience for trade contractors. By leveraging these features, users can significantly improve their order management processes, leading to better communication, enhanced organization, and increased productivity. This, in turn, contributes to smoother business operations, higher job profitability, and stronger relationships with home builders.