Why it is hard for moving companies to embrace technology

A couple of months ago we landed a spacecraft on Mars. Robotic sleeves are being developed that wrap around a failing heart and take over the pumping. Packages are being delivered by drones and all information is accessible through our smartphones. Despite all opportunities technology gives us, lots of moving companies still rely on pen and paper to manage their moves. A study found that 82% of moving companies are afraid to implement technology. Why doesn’t the moving industry embrace technology?

Moving is a process that is challenging to standardize and automate. For example, when booking a room at a hotel, not a lot of information needs to be provided. The hotel will need your personal details, the room you would like to book, the dates you will be staying and perhaps whether or not you wish to include breakfast. The price is automatically calculated based on this information.

When moving, the required information can be far more complex. The price of the move is based on the moving distance, inventory size and requested services. All these things contain many possible variables and vary strongly on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, it is more challenging to standardize and automate the process of providing clients with accurate quotes.

Challenging, but definitely possible. And the benefits can be tremendous! For consumers as well as for moving companies. Customers can be given better insight and more grip on the moving process. This builds some much-needed trust in a good outcome of the move. Keep in mind, customers are not experienced movers. Additionally, moving can be a very stressful time for the consumer. Their agenda is packed with a diverse range of tasks and their precious items are handled by strangers.

Moving companies can save time and money by using one central place to manage all customer and moving data. Time-consuming tasks can now be fixed with just a click of a button. And when processes are automated, there is less room for error, saving moving companies valuable time normally spend on fixing mistakes and copy paste jobs. More and more companies make the switch to a digital workflow. Step by step they digitalize different parts of their moving process, avoiding business disruption.

It is understandable that moving companies are cautious about implementing technology. However, when those barriers are brought down, the benefits for moving companies and their consumers can be tremendous.

Marco Maruccia is the Vice President of Sales for Europe. With over 10 years of experience, Marco has a deep understanding of the moving business and the challenges moving companies face. Want to know more about this subject or the Move4U solutions? Feel free to contact Marco through mmaruccia@move4u.com or +31857604760.