The flooring industry is notoriously slow when it comes to embracing new technologies; however, the latest advancements that have been flooding the market at what feels like break-neck speed are becoming hard to ignore—and even detrimental to do so.
In 2025, flooring-specific technologies abound promising tailored solutions for the needs of today’s retail community. From ERP/CRMs to showroom management and measuring, there’s something for everyone.
Following is an overview of some of the most popular technologies and their applications:
ERP/CRMs
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Both a mouthful, both equally important when it comes to the success of a flooring business. And what do they do? Well, everything.
“CRM focuses on streamlining the lead management and sales process from tracking lead generations, schedule measure appointment, estimating and quote to close the sale; whereas ERP focuses on tracking after-sales processes such as procurement, inventory, billing and financial reporting, etc.,” explained Steven Wang, CEO of Measure Square. (See column on page 20.)
Justin Wirple, CEO of Flooring OS, agreed, noting, “Having an effective ERP/CRM is really the whole ballgame for a successful, scalable flooring business. Regarding the CRM, the initial challenge of any startup is, ‘Can you sell enough to survive?’ An effective CRM is vital for not only building your pipeline and tracking next steps for opportunities, but making sure your quoting and communications are documented and standardized. Regarding the ERP, scaling requires efficient operations. Outdated or clunky software creates burdensome processes that are time consuming and inefficient.”
Indeed, outdated or even unrelated flooring software can fall flat when it comes to the needs of today’s user. “Many small businesses rely on popular accounting systems such as QuickBooks, which do an excellent job in tracking the basic finances,” said Edgar Aya, CEO of Comp-U-Floor. “The flooring industry, however, is notorious for being an exception to the above, requiring extensive, industry-specific functionality not found at all under basic accounting systems.”
Chad Neufeld, director of product marketing at Roomvo, agreed, adding, “Generic ERP systems can pose problems for flooring businesses. They often mishandle tax, leading to financial losses for retailers. The flooring industry’s specific characteristics necessitate manual accounting adjustments for accurate financial reporting. Furthermore, these systems lack flooring-specific units of measure, complicating the creation of proposals and sales orders. The best scenario is to have flooring-specific systems that work together.”
For some, the proof is in the pudding. “The most successful retailers we work with leverage these systems to create seamless customer experiences while also optimizing their operations,” noted Mark Lukianchuk, general manager, Cyncly. “They’re able to provide accurate quotes faster, visualize projects for customers, efficiently schedule installations and maintain relationships that drive repeat business. In a competitive market, having the right technology isn’t just about efficiency, but about delivering the personalized, responsive service customers expect while maintaining healthy margins.”
Showroom management
Technology is not always meant to be kept behind closed doors. Used but not witnessed by the consumer. A business maker but buried behind computer screens. Sometimes that technology is front and center and more important than ever before.
“Showroom management has really taken on a whole new level of importance, especially in the last few years,” said Kristen Stensby, co-founder/CEO of Showroom Pricing. “Since the pandemic, the way homeowners shop has completely changed. They expect to see pricing. They see it everywhere else in their lives—shopping online, in-store and even for custom items—and flooring is no exception. It doesn’t matter if you’re a boutique retailer with a white-glove experience or a value-based store—customers want to know what things cost. And it’s not just the budget-conscious shoppers; high-end clients with deeper pockets want price clarity, too. Gatekeeping pricing is outdated. Most homeowners simply aren’t going to spend their time in a store that won’t show them the numbers.”
What’s more, a polished, well-run showroom is important not only for the sales it can help generate, but also for the time savings that can be realized by the flooring dealer. “Technical enhancements like product visualization kiosks, electronic tags and QR codes communicate competency and professionalism to the potential customer,” Roomvo’s Neufeld said. “They facilitate a personalized, elevated shopping experience. With the current uncertainty related to tariffs, utilizing either QR codes or electronic price tags in your showroom means that product pricing, quantity and availability are updated regularly and digitally. This can save a vast amount of time having to repeatedly manually track changes and update physical tags.”
In the end, with showroom technologies, retailers set the tone. “If your showroom looks up to date—if the pricing is clear, the styling is modern and the digital tools are working—it sends a strong message that you’re in tune with how people shop today,” Stensby said. “Merchandising and layout still matter, and tools like Showroom Pricing and room visualizers have become critical. They bridge the gap between the sample in someone’s hand and the finished space they’re picturing for their home.”
Measuring
There are some technologies that never land in the spotlight but are [important] nonetheless. Measuring software, for example, is often underrated and perhaps even underutilized in an industry that relies on measuring for its success. Luckily, there are several flooring-specific measuring technologies out there that the retail and installation communities can bank on to help get the job done.
“Reliable measuring software is your employees’ greatest assistant,” Measure Square’s Wang said. “We still get professionals who use pen and paper to measure—and we are astounded to see how much more they can do and how fast they can grow after adopting Measure Square Solutions. Beyond saving time, our technology significantly improves accuracy, reduces costly errors and streamlines collaboration across teams. With more and more of the industry using measuring software, those who don’t adopt it risk falling behind, getting stuck in outdated processes and missing out on growth opportunities.”
For Chesten Kesselhon, founder of Quote That, a measuring technology company, the flooring industry was a prime candidate for remote measuring. Kesselhon’s Premier Cabinet Painting in Clearwater, Fla., has been using remote measuring since 2017 and the application in flooring became obvious. “I wanted to expand my business, and flooring and countertops were common requests, but we needed measurements to offer these,” he explained. “Our digital sales process for Premier Cabinet Painting was efficient and effective—saving a ton of time and money not having to travel for quotes. So, in an effort to keep our approach, we built what has become Quote That, a mobile app that allows homeowners to measure their floors and provide all the quote details needed. Once in the app we’ve had very few issues with users navigating it because of the in-depth explainers and simple workflow.”
Today, Kesselhon’s business remains completely remote when it comes to providing quotes using remote measuring—just one of many software technologies designed to support the dealer/installer community.
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