How AI Can Transform Daily Operations in a Kitchen & Bath Design Business
Welcome back to another episode of Elevated, the podcast dedicated to helping you build a better Kitchen & Bath Design business through innovation and modernization. I’m your host, Brandy Lawson, continuing our journey through the fantastic world of AI in the Kitchen & Bath Design business.
In our last episode, we talked about the different ways AI can streamline financial tasks and minimize paperwork. In this episode we’re taking those concepts and applying them to a day in the life of a Kitchen & Bath Design business owner who’s embraced these innovations. Say hello to Lisa, a designer turned business owner who’s juggling many hats to keep her business thriving and growing.
A Day in the Life: How AI Streamlines Operations for Kitchen & Bath Designers
Lisa starts her day at the office around 7:30 AM. She makes a coffee in the Keurig in the break room and plops down at her desk to check her schedule and tasks for the day. Both her appointments and tasks show in her calendar as the project management software integrates with Google calendar to give her a full view of her day, complete with automated reminders and updates.
After a morning briefing with the team, Lisa quickly checks her emails. Using AI-powered email sorting tools, such as SaneBox, her priority emails are already separated from the clutter. She dispatches her install teams to their respective projects with a few quick lines of communication, her project management software logging every instruction and update.
Mid-morning, Lisa gets a visit from Sheila, a potential client who popped by the showroom. Using their customer relationship management (CRM) software, Lisa pulls up Sheila’s previous inquiries and interactions while saying hello. They discuss Sheila’s needs, and Lisa logs the details right into the CRM, ensuring no details are missed and the team can follow up.
Measuring Success
Next up, Lisa heads out to measure for a remodel job. Equipped with a measuring mobile app, she’s able to draft a floor plan and take precise measurements using just her smartphone. The app stores this data and syncs it with her overall project management system.
By late morning, Lisa meets Dave, a contractor and strategic partner, for lunch. They talk about life, business and a specific upcoming project. Lisa uses a note-taking app like Fireflies or Otter.ai to record and transcribe their conversation, highlighting important points for action. When the bill arrives, Lisa pays with her company credit card and snaps a photo of the receipt in her Quickbooks mobile app.
Seamless Tracking
Post-lunch, Lisa drives over to check on the install team at another job. Instead of jotting down notes or carrying around files, she uses MileIQ to track her mileage automatically for bookkeeping purposes. She catches up with the team and checks the project’s progress. All observations get entered into the project management app, ensuring every detail is documented without needing a notebook.
Back at the office, it’s time to update project statuses. Her project management software helps here again, auto-updating timelines based on her notes and new data. She returns phone calls and puts notes in the CRM to ensure all communications are logged.
Lisa sends a team member to Costco for office supplies; they capture the receipt with the Quickbooks app on their way to show the attendant at the door. No risk of losing the receipt as the items are in transport, or in a pile on Lisa’s desk.
For invoicing, AI takes the cake. Using a project management tool capable of automating invoicing by integrating with QuickBooks, Lisa ensures all completed project tasks convert into invoice line items. No hunting for details or manual input needed.
Streamlining Success: The Role of AI in Kitchen & Bath Design Business Operations
As the day winds down, Lisa takes a few moments to plan for tomorrow, setting tasks and reminders with her project management software. Her AI-powered system helps her feel on top of tasks that might otherwise drown her in stress.
By integrating AI tools, Lisa has transformed what could be a chaotic juggling act into a streamlined, efficient operation. Whether it’s tracking expenses with Quickbooks mobile, Hubdoc or FyleHQ, capturing mileage with MileIQ, or ensuring seamless invoicing through project management integrations, AI makes it all possible.
If you’re looking to make even better use of AI in your business, then tune into our next episode where I break down the key to using any AI well – writing prompts.
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