FollowUp Power CRM for Construction is a CRM system for the construction industry. Features include lead tracking, sales pipeline analysis, closing ratios, quota management, project management, and dashboards. It can integrate with other marketing and accounting products.
One of the best things about FollowUp Power is that we can mark things for follow-up several months down the line, which we frequently have a need for since many of our clients are seasonal. For example, we'll get started working with them while they're here in Florida for the winter, then they'll head back north in the spring and not want to hear from us again until they return in the fall. With FollowUp Power, we can then mark them for follow up in the future rather than to have to somehow remember to contact them in the future.
We love the dashboard feature. This is where we spend the majority of our time. The dashboard helps us avoid missing bid dates and deadlines.
The system is very intuitive and a new user will be up to speed within one hour after they start using the system. There is only one place to enter all data. This allows for ease of use and minimizes data entry mistakes.
Every task is date stamped to insure proper work flow and holds the team accountable to each other.
It really needs to have the capability of listing numerous phone #s with a note beside each one ("his cell#", "her work#", "do not call before 9a.m.", etc.).
It really needs to have the capability of listing numerous e-mail addresses ("hers", "his", "her email address at work", etc.).
It would be nice to have a separate general information box where we could put comments in that would show every time we bring up the account (such as "her nickname is Bobbi", "their dogs name is Fido, "their son is currently stationed in France", "husband is going through chemotherapy", etc.), which would help us to remember personal details that are important to our clients.
Their spell checker creates a squiggly line to tell you that you have a misspelled word, but, doesn't allow you to correct it.
The spell checker lets you add custom words to a dictionary, but, it can only use one dictionary at a time to check spelling. So the default dictionary gets used, and your custom words still show up as being spelled wrong!
You can't select-copy addresses, in order to paste them somewhere else.
Using duplexing on my printer doesn't work right. It works for every other software I own, but not in UDA.
There is a bug in the WIP date range that doesn't pull accurate data.
"Options" in the estimate show only cost, not margin. So if you show your customer that report, you are revealing cost info, not selling price!!
You can't import a PDF into bid notes, even though the premise of UDA is to try to make it a single repository for all your information.
You can't use the arrow key to browse photos in UDA. You need to close, and click into the next one. No inuitive functionality.
The estimating module separates material and labor, in ways that create a very confusing Scope of Work. You need to select the labor item from your database, then separately select the material from your database. You end up with two line items in your Scope of Work for the same thing. Instead of writing, "Supply and Install a new window" you have "Supply a new window" and then "Install a new window." It's hard for my estimator, and confusing for my client.
UDA will WREAK HAVOC on your contacts in Outlook.
It does a terrible job of managing husband/wife or partner/partner situations. You can't mail merge them properly, or, you get forced into combining their contact into into a single contact-- and then how do you know whether the cell phone is his or hers???
There is no good way to credit design fees against the construction contract, if you happen to use that paradigm for your contracts.
There is no way to filter contracts by their date created. So, how do you find your newest contacts for entering them into something such as Constant Contact?
If you try to use integration of QuickBooks(QB) and UDA, your ITEMS list in QB will either get expanded to hundreds or even THOUSANDS of items... or, your POs in QB will get created in a summary form such that they are virtually meaningless.
The "lead funnel" graphic may look cool, but there is not a good way to actually report on the lead status, track the activities and calls that you make, note significant emails that you write, or keep track of when you send out thank-you cards or spiffs/gifts!
They might tell you that these things work, but, after spending MONTHS with UDA, I found out that these problems are deal breakers.
Within their customer service department, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. They do not use a structure such as Zendesk that so many other great companies use. Even though I was paying for priority support, there were often days going by where I could not get a call or email back to assist me with a support request or provide a tutorial on how to do something. Had I not paid extra for support, this would be acceptable. But when paying for "TotalCare" priority support, there are times when the software had me stuck, and I was stuck for a day at a time waiting for an answer. Sometimes no answer ever arrived.
My company had already implemented FollowUp Power CRM for Construction before I arrived. I have used other CRM programs in the past, and FollowUp Power is much more user friendly, and I have already seen a direct increase in my lead to customer conversion ratio as well as increased sales
QuickBooks has great quality assurance and while they don't provide support, their software is nearly flawless. Co-construct provides great support and solves problems. In comparison, UDA Construction Suite is full of flaws, and their customer service department is disorganized and overworked.
I have seen a lot better tracking on my jobs when it comes to scheduling and staying on top of my jobs.
The dashboard is part of my daily routine it tells me exactly what I need to follow up on weather it is calling the customer or checking on the customer.
Payments or what the current status of the job is.
