Glossary
Growth & Digital Marketing
Lead generation
The act of attracting new potential clients through targeted marketing campaigns. It enables construction companies to maintain a steady flow of projects and secure their contracts.
Marketing automation
An automatic sequence of emails and messages designed to convert leads. This helps entrepreneurs stay engaged without adding to their daily workload.
Content strategy
Scheduled publishing of relevant content to attract and persuade the right clients. It showcases the builder’s expertise and strengthens their credibility.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Website optimization to appear at the top of Google search results. Strong local ranking attracts projects without relying solely on word of mouth.
Ad campaigns
Paid online ads aimed at generating traffic, leads, or sales. They enable you to quickly receive targeted requests for quotes.
Landing pages
Web pages designed to convert visitors into leads. They highlight a clear offer and encourage direct contact.
Lead Nurturing
Sending content regularly to nurture prospects’ interest until they make a purchase. This approach works especially well in extended sales cycles, such as in residential or commercial construction.
Email marketing
Direct email communication with a targeted audience. Used to inform, follow up, or build loyalty with clients regarding completed or upcoming projects.
CRM
A tool for managing customer relationships and sales follow-up. It centralizes contacts, quotes, and follow-ups to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
Conversion funnel
The path followed by a prospect from discovery to purchase. Optimizing this journey increases the chances of converting a lead into a contract.
Conversion rate
The percentage of visitors or leads who become customers. A key performance indicator for quotes or marketing campaigns.
Customer segmentation
Dividing the customer base according to their needs or behaviors. This allows for tailored messaging suited to each type of project (residential, commercial, etc.).
Personas Marketing
Typical profiles representing ideal clients. They guide the creation of tailored content and offers for the construction sector.
A/B Testing
Comparison of two versions of the same element to identify the most effective one. Ideal for testing different offers, pages, or follow-up approaches.
Performance analysis
Evaluation of results achieved by a campaign or marketing channel. It helps identify the most effective actions for generating qualified clients.
Marketing dashboards
Concise visualization of key indicators from a marketing plan. Provides a quick overview of the profitability of actions taken.
Social media
Online platforms for sharing content and engaging with a community. They help build your reputation and attract new clients by showcasing your completed projects.
Pay-per-click advertising
Payment is made for each click on an online ad. A fast and effective way to generate qualified leads based on specific offers (renovation, new construction, etc.).
Retargeting
Re-engaging website visitors through personalized ads. Useful for recapturing prospects who haven’t yet taken the next step.
Growth hacking
A set of digital techniques designed to generate rapid growth at a lower cost. Allows construction SMEs to boost their projects without blowing their marketing budget.
Finance and accounting
Accounting migration
Transfer of data from an old system to a new accounting solution. Ensures continuity of operations without losing project history or financial information.
Financial analytics
Strategic analysis of financial data to support decision-making. Provides a clear view of margins, cash flow, and actual costs per project.
Cashflow management
Tracking cash inflows and outflows to maintain balanced cash flow. Essential for planning purchases, paying suppliers, and ensuring uninterrupted payroll for teams.
Monitoring incoming and outgoing payments
Monitoring invoices to be paid and collected. Reduces oversights, payment delays, and negative impacts on a project’s profitability.
Budgeting
Planning of expected expenses for a project or specific period. Allows setting clear objectives from the bidding stage and better management of on-site costs.
Financial analysis
Evaluation of economic performance over a given period. Helps compare projects, identify the most profitable ones, and adjust execution methods.
Financial projections
Anticipation of future revenues and expenses. Useful for planning growth, hiring new staff, or investing in equipment.
Financial dashboard
Visual tools that consolidate key economic performance indicators. Provide a concise overview of project profitability, cash flow, and budget variances.
Integration with accounting software
Seamless connection between management tools and software like QuickBooks or Sage. Avoids double entries and ensures consistency between the field and finances.
Sage / QuickBooks / Maestro / Advantage / Acomba
Popular accounting solutions for SMEs in the sector. Often integrated with field tools (like NTR), they facilitate the financial management of entrepreneurs.
Financial audit
Comprehensive financial review by an independent expert. Used to validate financial statements prior to expansion, financing, or sale.
Management control
Real-time management of financial and operational resources. Allows for tracking costs on a per-project basis and reacting quickly in case of deviations.
Financial reports
Synthetic documents of the company's economic results. They provide a clear reading of monthly or project performances, aimed at managers or investors.
Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
Key measures to track the effectiveness of a project or department. Examples: profit rate per site, budget overruns, average payment delay.
Expense Management
Rigorous tracking of expenses incurred within the company. Limits unauthorized purchases, budget overruns, and unidentified losses.
Tax optimization
Legal strategies to reduce the tax burden. Allows for more room to be freed up and reinvest the savings into development or equipment.
Software implementation and digital transformation
Software implantation
Implementing a digital solution to improve internal processes. Connects sales, projects, and finances to centralize information and avoid duplication.
Digital transformation
Strategic adoption of digital tools to modernize the business. Automates tracking, improves office-site communication, and optimizes daily management.
Specification Book
Document that describes the functional requirements before the implementation of software. It serves to design a system adapted to the real-world and administrative reality of a construction company.
Monday.com
Visual collaborative management platform for organizing projects, tasks, and teams. Structures schedules, project tracking, timesheets, and validations.
CRM Pipedrive
Pipeline-oriented sales management tool. It facilitates tracking quotes, leads, and business opportunities in the construction sales cycle.
Kajabi (LMS)
Training platform and online content dissemination. It allows teams to be trained remotely on internal tools or operational procedures.
Zapier
No-code automation tool between applications. Automate tasks such as billing follow-ups, task creation, or project deadline reminders.
Integromat (Make)
Advanced software automation platform. Ideal for connecting existing tools without having to change the entire digital system.
Process automation
Use of digital tools to automatically perform repetitive tasks. Eases the administrative burden and reduces errors on-site as well as in the office.
API
An interface that allows two software programs to communicate with each other. It promotes the smooth flow of data between project management tools, CRM, and accounting.
SAAS software integration
Connection between different online software to create a smooth system. Connects ERP, financial management, and project management tools without recreating processes manually.
Data migration
Transfer of the history from an old system to a new platform. Ensures continuity of data related to projects, budgets, and purchases.
Software training
Learning about the functions and best practices of a digital tool. Promotes rapid adoption of new solutions by field and administrative teams.
Technical support
User support for resolving software-related issues. Ensures continuity of digital operations, even in the event of a glitch.
Project management
Planning, coordination, and monitoring of all stages of a project. Essential for delivering projects on time, with the appropriate resources.
Custom dashboards
Visual interfaces displaying real-time key indicators. They provide managers with a clear view of the status of projects, margins, and timelines.
Budget tracking
The comparison continues between the planned budget and the actual expenditures. It allows for control over costs and helps to avoid unexpected overruns.
Schedule management
Organization and monitoring of deadlines for each phase of a project. Facilitates the coordination of subcontractors, the delivery of materials, and resource planning.
Digital time sheets
Tools for electronically recording hours worked. They improve team tracking, payroll management, and hourly profitability by project.
Management of purchase orders
Monitoring of purchase requests and approval processes. Ensures complete traceability of material and equipment purchases while controlling expenses.
Operational efficiency
Operations Management
Overall supervision of activities related to project execution. Ensures smooth coordination between the site, subcontractors, supply chain, and administration.
Process Optimization
Continuous improvement of work methods to maximize efficiency. Reduces delays, simplifies steps, and limits losses and errors on site.
Process digitization
Replacement of paper procedures with digital solutions. Allows for real-time tracking, more reliable and accessible everywhere in the field.
Resource management
Planning and tracking teams, equipment, and materials. Ensures optimal distribution to minimize waste and maximize profitability.
Project planning
cheduling tasks, budgets, and resources in a well-organized calendar. Key to meeting deadlines and managing different trades efficiently.
Site monitoring
Monitoring the progress of the work and its compliance on-site. Provides a real-time view and allows for quick intervention in case of deviation.
Inter-team communication
Smooth flow of information between the different departments. It improves collaboration between the office, project managers, foremen, and subcontractors.
Subcontractor management
Organizing tasks, deadlines, and communications with external partners. Reduces conflicts and delays, promoting a smooth execution of mandates.
Centralization of information
Consolidation of all key data into a single digital space. Eliminates the fragmentation between emails, calls, and paper documents for quick decision-making.
Reduction of duplicate entry
Elimination of repetitive tasks related to entering information into multiple systems. Reduces errors, saves time, and improves team efficiency.
Automation of repetitive tasks
Use of software to automatically perform certain actions. Saves time for higher value tasks both on-site and in the office.
Document management
Storage, organization, and quick access to important documents. It facilitates the tracking of plans, contracts, submissions, and project histories without loss of information.
Digital archiving
Secure conservation of documents in electronic format. Guarantees project traceability and meets the legal requirements for conservation.
Data security
Protection practices against loss, unauthorized access, or cyberattacks. Protects sensitive information such as contracts, customer data, and finances.
Mobile accessibility
Access tools and information from a mobile device. Allows project managers and foremen to take action quickly, even away from the office.
Real-time tracking
Automatic data updates as soon as an event occurs. Provides continuous visibility into project progress, hours worked, and costs.
Alerts and notifications
Warning system to notify of critical events. Prevents oversights, delays, or blockages that may impact schedules or budgets.
Approval Management
Validation process for key actions such as purchases, orders, or changes. It facilitates decision-making while maintaining control over financial commitments.
Process standardization
Definition of uniform procedures to be applied throughout the company. Strengthens the quality, predictability, and effectiveness from one site to another.
Continuous improvement
Regular review of practices to improve performance. It allows for learning from past projects and optimizing future ones.