Customer Story
"Everything ends up on the right project"
Business Online gives Master Builder company Byggmester Tommy Bårdsen full control and better workflow in their projects – with clear processes, smarter customer follow-up, and all communication in the right place.
About
Byggmester Tommy Bårdsen AS is a Master Builder company based in Karmøy, with 10 employees and a strong professional environment. The company specializes in complete renovations and energy efficiency upgrades of older homes, and also undertakes new builds, bathroom renovations, roofing, and extensions for the private market. Each year, they complete around thirty large and small projects. Through systematic work and new technology, they aim to be a positive contributor to the construction industry.
Challenge
With many projects running simultaneously, it became challenging to maintain an overview. Important information was scattered, and quotes and customer conversations risked falling through the cracks. The company needed a system that could bring everything together in one place, with the right information at the right time.
Solution
Business Online was chosen to tie everything together and make it easier to manage customers, quotes, and construction tasks in busy workdays. The company implemented the Project module as a platform for customer follow-up and project management.
Result
Business Online has helped Byggmester Tommy Bårdsen achieve better workflow, greater control, and higher quality in their construction projects. Simple, efficient, and tailored to the daily operations of a busy carpentry business.
Loss of overview and information in a hectic work environment
As a proud master builder in the Haugaland region, Tommy Andre Bårdsen is passionate about ensuring that the projects carried out by his company are more professional than average. In an industry that could be described as more than moderately skeptical of digital systems, this hasn’t always been a given.
Like many other carpentry companies, Byggmester Tommy Bårdsen previously managed projects and customers using emails, messages, folders, and spreadsheets. As the company grew, it became increasingly difficult to keep track of everything.
“The biggest challenge was getting the flow of information to move in the right direction. Often, one person starts a job, and then someone else comes in to take over. In those cases, it’s important that the person taking over has access to the right information without having to call the previous person every time,” says Bårdsen, general manager of the carpentry firm that bears his name.
It wasn’t uncommon for emails, customer conversations, and drawings to be hard to find or not up to date.
“We realized we needed one place where everything could be gathered. Where conversations with customers, updated drawings, and other notes are available on the correct project.”
Structure and control with Business Online
To ensure solid project execution, Byggmester Tommy Bårdsen needed a management tool.
“In all these workdays that just fly by, it’s challenging to keep an overview of everything going on in the company. We were looking for an easy-to-use management system that ensures everyone works in the same way, while also giving us full control over all ongoing projects.”
Bårdsen was introduced to Business Online, a cloud-based management system for quality work and project follow-up. At first, he had some reservations. Would it be easy to use in a busy carpentry business? But after seeing how user-friendly the system is, it quickly became clear that this was something they needed.
“Often, you don’t realize you need a system like this until it’s presented to you. We quickly saw that Business Online could help us gather everything in one place and give us better control over our projects.”
How they use the Project module
Bårdsen logs all customer inquiries and sales processes as individual projects in the Project module.
“We register the projects so that they get a status, for example, ‘Price request.’ Then we can sort out the ones we need to calculate as the next step. And from there, we can move them on to ‘Quote sent.’”
This approach makes it possible to follow up on both leads and active projects within the same module. The system provides a clear overview of sales opportunities, which is crucial in a work environment filled with numerous customer inquiries.
“We have a lot going on, so it’s especially important to keep track of what we’ve submitted quotes for, what needs to be followed up, and how far along we are in the process with each customer.”
Easy to implement, without extensive customization
Business Online requires no special customization, but to get the full value, a solid implementation is essential. As a customer, you’ll be assigned a dedicated project manager who guides you through the implementation process and ensures that you get up and running quickly, without having to put everything else on hold.
No special customizations were made for Byggmester Tommy Bårdsen, they largely use the standard features.
“We use the system as it is. You don’t need to be an IT expert to understand how it works. There are plenty of help texts in the system, with tips and tricks. Most things are easy to figure out if you just spend a little time on it.”
More efficient workdays and better overview
Byggmester Tommy Bårdsen is still in the process of rolling out Business Online across the entire organization, but they are already noticing an improvement.
“When I use the system actively, I can see how much more efficient everything becomes. I save time and have a better overview. And once we get even more employees on board, we’re going to save even more time and deliver projects even more professionally.”
Bårdsen especially highlights how the Project module has made it easier to plan and execute construction projects.
“It’s given us more consolidated information for the people working on a given project. It’s great that notes can be recorded directly on the correct project, either as regular notes or through the Teams log linked to the project.”
Better resource planning and insight
Business Online has made it easier to identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement in planning. It gave Bårdsen an eye-opening realization:
“It made me realize that we need a better, more predictable resource plan. It’s easier to spot the problems when you can see them more clearly in a management system.”
With Business Online, it has become easier for Bårdsen to maintain an overview of upcoming projects, crew, and resources.
All communication and information gathered in one place
When asked about the biggest benefit the company has seen so far, Bårdsen answers quickly:
“The biggest advantage is that everything ends up on the right project, and that you can communicate more in one place. Often, some things are on Messenger, some on Facebook, some via SMS, and some by email. So it’s hard to keep track of where you discussed what. Now we have everything in the right place.”
This has made it easier to follow up and stay organized—especially with private customers, who make up the majority of the carpentry firm’s clients, Bårdsen explains.
“With private customers, there’s more Messenger and text messages and photos and so on. Once you’ve created a customer in the Project module, it’s easier to link opportunities to that same customer and gather the full history.”
Reminders that ensure things are followed up and not forgotten
Bårdsen also uses the system actively to set tasks with deadlines, ensuring that important quotes and follow-ups aren’t forgotten.
“With so many things going on, there have been times when I almost forgot about a quote I needed to send, but because it was entered into the system with a deadline, I got a reminder. That’s incredibly helpful.”
According to Bårdsen, he and his employees forget far less now that they have better control with Business Online.
“You get a ‘ping’ reminding you to follow up on this or that. That’s a very concrete way the system helps. And then there are orders that often have eight or nine weeks of lead time – those are easy to lose track of if they’re just sitting in an email. I’ve set up tasks in the Project module, so I get a notification a day in advance and know that it’s coming up.”
An advantage in meeting sustainability requirements
For Byggmester Tommy Bårdsen, good housing solutions are also about creating sustainable homes. In facing new sustainability requirements, Bårdsen sees great potential in the management system. Business Online makes it easier to document and follow up on procedures, which is valuable both for reporting and as a competitive advantage.
Bårdsen points out that public sector projects already come with sustainability reporting requirements, and expectations in the private market will only continue to grow.
“It’s easier to report when you have a management system. And the demand for that is only increasing in the private market. If you have a track record of following certain procedures, it’s an advantage, both for sales and recruitment. Especially when it comes to social sustainability – being able to prove that you run your business in a responsible and healthy way.”
The master builder has a clear message for other carpentry businesses
According to Bårdsen, most carpentry businesses still manage their projects using email, folder structures, and spreadsheets. It’s a hassle, and there’s a risk that important information gets lost. The master builder is clear when it comes to the need for a system like Business Online in the construction industry:
“You can sum up the company’s DNA in a way that makes it easy for new people to integrate into a system that’s more or less ‘pre-digested.’ Often the problem is that you’re good at getting people started, but you don’t follow up well enough, and then they leave. And in those cases, it’s often the leader’s or the system’s fault that things turned out that way.”
Bårdsen believes that a management system like Business Online is the natural next step for carpentry businesses looking to position themselves for further growth while also ensuring quality and control.
“We’re already seeing major benefits, and we’ve only just begun to tap into the system’s full potential. It makes it easier to work in a structured way, share information, and follow up with customers and projects. It’s an investment that truly pays off.”
At the same time, he points out what often holds other carpentry businesses back:
“There’s little awareness of this way of working in the construction industry. It’s a new and slightly different approach, and that’s probably the biggest hurdle. People just don’t see the potential.”
Bårdsen points out that more carpentry businesses would see the value of good management systems if they realized how small steps can lead to big gains:
“The challenge with tradespeople is often getting them to understand that if they spend just 10 minutes a day on this, it can save an incredible amount of money and time during execution.”
Preparing for growth with clear processes and full project control
Bårdsen looks forward to using Business Online to establish even clearer and more predictable processes within the carpentry firm. He draws a parallel to IKEA’s instruction manuals – it should be crystal clear how something is supposed to be done.
“When we build garages, for example, this is how we build them. If you have a solid and clear process, it becomes hard to make mistakes. That’s where I think Business Online can be a big help – creating a solid framework for carrying out projects the right way.”
The proud master builder has no doubt that Business Online has become a crucial tool for running professional projects at Byggmester Tommy Bårdsen. He is clear that the management system will play a central role in the further development of the company:
“After one year with Business Online, we can see how much more organized and efficient our workdays have become. We now have full control of our projects, better documentation, and all communication gathered in one place. There’s no doubt that this is a system that meets both today’s needs and tomorrow’s demands for carpentry businesses.”