Non-destructive testing companies operate in extremely specialized business landscapes, often making it difficult to differentiate their service offerings from those of their competitors.

Their end customers — be they in industries like aerospace, manufacturing, oil and gas, or renewable energy — all need similar tests and inspections performed for compliance and to keep their assets and equipment environmentally safe and operating at optimal capacity.

Indeed, providing timely inspections and accurate reporting is critical for NDT companies to overall profitability and retaining customers over the long-term. The only way to truly set apart your company’s offerings from your competition is by doing NDT betting than anyone else.

In order to do that and at the same time grow your NDT business, it is critical to streamline processes that create the most friction. These could include everything from quoting to the actual NDT work to customer reporting to invoice to receiving payment. If you have manual processes in place, either from a back-office perspective or from the work being performed in the field, your customers are not getting optimal results.

The easiest, most affordable way to automate the manual areas of your NDT business is with a software as a service (Saas) solution. In working directly with NDT, non-destructive examination (NDE), and non-destructive inspection (NDI) companies, we see four ways that a SaaS solution will help you grow your business while also serving your customers better than ever.

Eliminating manual processes

Going completely digital in your NDT organization is the quickest way of realizing improved profitability while delivering better customer service. Removing paper forms and manual ways of capturing data is no easy task, however. Start with your existing back-end software systems that you use for job tracking, accounting, CRM, etc. If these are siloed, or if data is spread across several systems, try to consolidate where possible and perhaps even seek out the use of one system of record for managing your entire business from quote to cash. This can be accomplished through scalable, affordable SaaS solutions designed specifically for NDT inspections companies. A SaaS software package is easy to implement and get up and running quickly. Most offer modules for NDT business functions like dispatch, mobile apps, analytics, cost management, integrations, equipment and asset management, client management and knowledge and coaching.

Improved tester / inspector productivity and utilization

Giving field NDT testers and inspectors the tools they need in the field is imperative to increasing productivity and enabling them to better serve customers. Many of the SaaS tools available offer a mobile app that allows testers and inspectors to seamlessly interact with and capture customer data with their mobile devices. An end-to-end SaaS tool also gives dispatchers better visibility into which inspectors are available, their locations, and their skillsets to fully optimize service delivery. You will then have relevant analytics and can refer to historical data to better plan for peak demand times and improved resource utilization.

Improved customer reporting and billing

Do you use paper, Excel spreadsheets, or email to deliver NDT reports to your customers? SaaS will eliminate this manual process for you. Using a comprehensive, cloud-based NDT inspections software package, you can customize the data you collect based on the unique needs of your particular customer. You can even give them access to their own accounts where they can pull the data they need when they need it. Invoicing and payment can also live in the SaaS tool, making getting paid a seamless process.

Reduced costs and overhead

By implementing a SaaS solution for your NDT business, you can drastically reduce costs and overhead. You are eliminating paper, improving efficiencies across the board, and speeding billing cycles. As far as costs of the software itself, you are basically renting software in a SaaS model instead of buying. Startup costs and ongoing maintenance and upgrades are eliminated. Also, with a SaaS solution, you only pay for the modules you need, so you can scale up when necessary to cover future business needs or requirements. Finally, a SaaS solution is also cost-friendly when it comes to licensing. You only pay for the number of end-users you need. For example, you might only need one admin license along with the 25 inspectors you have in the field. As the number goes up or down, you can add or remove licenses as necessary.

If your NDT business has slowed due to increased competition and antiquated field processes, check into a comprehensive SaaS solution. By eliminating paper forms and going digital, your business will operate better and your customers will be happier. With minimal startup costs and no risk, for what more could you ask? SaaS solutions can put NDT businesses ahead of their competition and allow them to focus on what they do best — delivering world-class NDT services.

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For information on Floodlight Software, read the solution sheet. Our cloud-based software solution was designed specifically for NDT and industrial inspections businesses.