Insightful ‘Voice of the Trades’ report issued by simPRO

The digital transformation of today’s ‘on-the-ground’ trade businesses is a process that remains nowhere near complete. The ‘Voice of the Trades’ research shows that 72% of trade professionals (ie fire and security system installers/contractors, electricians and more) who took part in the survey believe that new software and technology must be adopted for them to remain competitive, while 60% suggest that administrative burdens exert a negative impact on their ability to service customers.

Alleviating these pain points is going to be absolutely vital in helping the trades to grow. One of the key findings in ‘Voice of the Trades’ is the sheer amount of time, effort and money trade businesses spend on administrative tasks. Trade professionals estimate that they spend over 18 hours each week on tasks such as scheduling, inventory management, invoicing and overall workflow management.

Continuing that theme, with 49% of respondents sharing their belief that time spent on administrative tasks has directly contributed to customer frustration, the ‘Voice of the Trades’ report reveals why can be so difficult to source a contractor or service technician right now.

Economic problems

The ‘Voice of the Trades’ report also highlights the ways in which two larger economic problems – specifically the ongoing upheaval in the labour market coupled with supply chain disruption – impact ‌trade industries.

No fewer than 94% of respondents feel that there’s a lack of skilled candidates in the market, duly naming the tasks of hiring and staff retention as the foremost issues they’re facing in 2023.

Supply chain disruption has also hit the trade industries hard, with 94% of respondents having to delay progress on – or otherwise reschedule – jobs due to missing equipment or stock.

Lessening the burden

Gary Specter, CEO of simPRO, observed: “The ‘Voice of the Trades’ report’s findings confirm the need for trade businesses worldwide to implement technology solutions designed to lessen the burden of business management in any economy. This research provides a clear roadmap for improving operational efficiency such that trade organisations can better serve their customers.”

Spector added: “simPRO is wholly committed to helping trade professionals in being more efficient and successful.”

The report is underpinned by feedback from 840 trade sector professionals, with a geographic pool including the UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The primary goal of the research was to capture trade professionals’ opinions on their priorities, challenges, technology usage, plans for innovation and the general outlook for 2023.