// News & Articles
The latestfrom the trade.
Long-form articles, product updates, partnerships and straight-talking notes from the Specifi team. Built for AV integrators, written by people who have pulled cable.
// Feed
Everything we haveshared lately.
Industry Insight
How-To
Marketing
MarketingIndustry Insight
Marketing
Industry InsightBuyer's GuideHow-ToMarketingIndustry InsightBuyer's Guide
Buyer's GuideBuyer's GuideIndustry InsightHow-To
Industry InsightBuyer's GuideIndustry Insight
Industry InsightIndustry InsightWorkflows
Industry Insight
Buyer's GuideMarketingWorkflowsHow-To
WorkflowsWorkflowsHow-ToWorkflowsIndustry Insight
Industry InsightIndustry InsightMarketing
Industry Insight
Industry InsightWorkflowsIndustry InsightWorkflowsIndustry InsightMarketingWorkflowsWorkflowsWorkflowsWorkflowsWorkflowsWorkflowsIndustry InsightIndustry InsightMarketingIndustry InsightMarketingIndustry InsightHow-ToIndustry InsightIndustry InsightIndustry InsightMarketingHow-ToIndustry Insight
What AV integrators ask about leads, tools, software, and projects
Eight questions integrators type into Google every week. Leads, proposals, projects, and the software that should connect all three without a Monday spreadsheet rebuild.
AV proposal templates: residential, commercial, and service-only
One Word file from 2019 is not a template strategy. Here is the trio of layouts most AV shops need, and what each section is for.
What is Specifi Amplifi? Marketing for AV integrators, run for you
Four marketing specialists who already know AV. Strategy, content, campaigns and reporting on a monthly retainer, so you stay on the install.
Website hosting for AV integrators: what actually matters
Uptime is table stakes. The hosting decision that moves leads is whether the form talks to your CRM.
AV sales software: from lead to signed proposal on one thread
Sales software for AV is not a contact list. It is the thread from first call to deposit collected.
SEO agency for AV integrators: when to hire, when to run it in-house
You do not need an agency to fix a broken title tag. You might need one to outrank three local competitors who post every week.
AV contractor software: one database for the whole job
Contractors live in the job, not the CRM. The software has to follow the same path the cable does.
Audio video proposal software that does not stop at the PDF
Sending a polished PDF is table stakes. The question is what happens the hour after the client signs.
Work order tracking for AV integrators: dispatch, field, sign-off
The job left the office on a PDF. The crew on site is working from a WhatsApp thread. That gap is where margin dies.
AV SEO insights: the weekly checklist on your integrator site
Ranking on page one means nothing if nobody clicks. Here is the short weekly pass we run on AV integrator sites, and where SEO Insights fits.
D-Tools and Specifi: how engineering and operations share a stack
The question I get every month is whether Specifi replaces D-Tools. The honest answer is no. Here is what each one is built to do, and how integrators run both.
AV business management software in 2026: a friendly map of the market
A trade-show map of the AV business software market in 2026. Six platforms, six different shapes. A fair, friendly guide to which one fits.
AV business software for UK integrators: distributors, currency, and the local fit
A practical buyer's guide for UK AV integrators in 2026. Distributor integrations, GBP pricing, VAT, the snag list, and what to actually look for.
AV management software: what it actually is (and the three categories people confuse)
Three different categories of software get sold under the same phrase. A plain-English breakdown of which one solves which problem.
AV system design software: where Specifi fits, and where it does not
The honest take from the founder. Specifi has design output inside every proposal. It is not a CAD replacement. Here is how the two layers work together.
Send proposals straight to Xero (no copy-paste, no double-entry)
Specifi to Xero, in one move. How the two-way sync works, what flows where, and why your accountant will stop emailing you on a Friday.
Why generic proposal software fails AV integrators
The Swap Test, applied to your proposal stack. If your tool was built for marketing agencies, your AV business is paying for the gap. Here is where.
WebBuilder vs WordPress: an honest look for AV integrators
WordPress works. It just costs you more than you think. A side-by-side from the marketing desk, with the hidden bill spelled out.
What AV suppliers actually want from the integrators they sell to
Most pieces on supplier collaboration are written for integrators. This one is from the supplier side. Three things they wish you did differently.
Why your AV CRM should already know what is in stock
A CRM that does not know your inventory is not a CRM, it is a contact list with a sales pipeline. Here is what changes when the two talk.
Inside the AV product catalogue: managing 500+ brands so you do not have to
Every AV business eventually rebuilds the same spreadsheet. We rebuilt it once, with feeds, and now nobody has to. Here is what is actually inside.
How to run AV inventory without a clipboard, a notebook or a guess
A practical week-one playbook for putting AV inventory on the platform: locations, serials, allocation, and the Friday stock-take that no longer ruins your weekend.
We built the mobile app for the loft, not the laptop
Most vertical SaaS bolts a mobile app on top of a desktop product. We did it the other way around. Here is what that looks like in practice.
What to look for in AV proposal software (a 2026 buyer's guide)
Seven things to put on the shortlist when comparing proposal software for an AV business. Read this before you sit through another demo.
Get found by AV clients: a no-jargon SEO guide for integrators
SEO without the agency markup. Twelve things you can do this month to get the right kind of AV clients finding you on Google.
Inventory Management Launches
Stock tracking, multi-warehouse, serial numbers and RMAs are now live on every plan. Here is what it changes for the way you run jobs.
Real-time email sync: how we keep your inbox and your CRM honest with each other
Polling is dead. We build inbox sync on push, not pull. Why that matters when a client emails a change order at 4:47 on a Friday.
AV quoting in 2026: from spreadsheet rebuild to one-click proposal
A real-world walkthrough of the AV quoting workflow inside Specifi. From scope-of-work to e-signature, with the deposit collected before the client closes the laptop.
QuickBooks and Xero Two-Way Sync
Real-time, two-way sync with QuickBooks and Xero. Invoices, payments and contacts stay matched without the Monday reconciliation.
Why video proposals close more AV jobs (and how to make one in an hour)
A two-minute video walkthrough closes residential AV jobs at nearly twice the rate of a PDF. Here is the format, the kit and the workflow.
Quick Build Projects
Spin up a project for a fast-moving job in seconds, not minutes. Built for service calls and small installs that should not need a full setup.
How we test the platform without breaking your Friday
The boring engineering decisions that keep a 4 PM proposal send from becoming a Monday-morning support ticket.
Supplier collaboration: the missing piece in AV procurement
AV integrators spend more time chasing suppliers than they spend selling. The fix is not a better email template; it is a shared workflow.
Bob the AI: Enhancements
Sharper tone-of-voice learning, better email drafting, stronger scope-of-works generation. A round-up of what changed in Bob the AI.
Social media for AV integrators: the four-hour-a-week framework
You do not need an agency. You need a system. Here is how to run social media for an AV business in four hours a week and stop feeling guilty about it.
How Bob the AI learned to write like an integrator (not a press release)
Generic AI writes a scope of work like a graduate copywriter. Bob writes it like the install lead on a Thursday afternoon. Here is how.
AV integration software vs spreadsheets: where the cost actually hides
The spreadsheet is free. The cost of the spreadsheet is not. Twelve hours a week, three Sunday evenings a month, and one near-miss audit a year.
Purchase Orders and Expenses Upgrade
Company logo and project names on POs, accessories on the bill of materials, and consolidated expenses and mileage claims.
Permissions and Security Hardening
Granular permissions for change orders, invoice payments and access controls, plus integrity hashes and input sanitisation under the hood.
PDF Generation Engine
A rebuilt PDF engine for proposals, invoices and purchase orders. Cleaner output, optimised images, and documents that look the part.
AI Features Launch
AI-powered scope generation, training routes, price-list management and tone-of-voice learning. The groundwork that became Bob the AI.
Social Media and Blog System (Echo)
A social media tab and a full blog system with pagination, archiving and featured posts. Marketing that does not need a separate tool.
Accounting Integrations
Xero webhook processing, two-way QuickBooks and Xero sync, link and unlink customers, and bank-account linking.
Customer Portal Launch
A branded client portal with a white-label sign-up link and subscription frequency management. Make a small shop look like a big one.
Calendar and Timesheets
Google and Microsoft calendar sync, a team calendar with drag-and-drop allocation, and timesheets that link straight to jobs.
Email Integration
Full Gmail integration built from the ground up, with real-time sync, an email composer and drafts, all linked to your records.
Invoicing Overhaul
A complete rebuild of the invoicing engine: CSV exports, payment schedules and Stripe integration for deposits and balances.
Work Orders System
A complete work order system built from scratch, with the full job lifecycle and sign-off flows for the field.
Specifi adds ADI Global Distribution to the catalogue
ADI Global Distribution products are now part of the Specifi catalogue, so dealers can quote ADI lines with live pricing in one place.
Specifi integrates with Nice North America
Nice dealers can now build proposals on Nice North America products with live catalogue data inside Specifi.
How integrators rebuilt their sites with WebBuilder
A look at how AV integrators transformed their websites with Specifi WebBuilder, without hiring an agency or learning to code.
Josh.ai joins Specifi as a supplier partner for US dealers
Josh.ai products are now available to all USA Specifi dealers, ready to drop into proposals with live catalogue data.
A professional website is within reach with WebBuilder
Specifi WebBuilder lets AV integrators build a professional website without an agency, and wire it to the rest of the business.
Free field-user access on every plan
Field technicians now access Specifi free on every subscription plan. The crew on site should not be a line item.
Change orders happen in AV. Make them work for you
Unexpected changes happen on every custom install. Change orders done right protect the relationship and the revenue.
CEDIA Expo 2023: Joe Lautner talks to RavePubs
A round-up of our CEDIA Expo 2023 conversation with RavePubs on where Specifi fits for integrators.
We won the 2023 CEDIA Techstarter Best Start-Up Award
Specifi was named winner of the 2023 CEDIA Techstarter Best Start-Up Award. A nod from the industry we build for.
The future of AV dealer and supplier relationships
Why the dealer-supplier relationship is due an upgrade, and how shared product data and live pricing change it.
Earn a free month with Refer a Friend
Refer another integrator to Specifi and earn a free month. The best referrals in this trade come from people who use the tools.
10 things you did not know you could do in Specifi
A quick run through the Specifi features that long-time users keep telling us they wish they had found sooner.
Snap One UK joins forces with Specifi
Snap One UK is now a Specifi supplier partner, bringing their product lines into the catalogue for UK dealers.
// Specifi
Every feature.One price. All In.
One platform that catches leads, closes deals, runs projects, and keeps clients.