What You Don’t Track Will Cost You: Blind Spots in Material Showrooms

There’s no shortage of systems in this industry. Inventory? Tracked. Shipping? Documented. Orders? Digitized.

Yet the most influential part of the sales process, the part that happens between “I’m interested” and “I’m ready to buy”, often gets ignored entirely. It’s not because people don’t care. It’s because can’t see what’s happening.

And that’s the problem.

The most expensive issues are the ones you can’t see

Every showroom leader can point to their sample inventory, but few can tell you how many samples walked out this week, who took them, or whether anyone followed up. These aren’t minor blind spots. They’re silent margin killers.

• Samples go missing.

• Follow-ups fall through.

• Product trends go unnoticed.

And without any data trail, it becomes impossible to answer the most important question: What’s working and what’s not?

Where blind spots live in the showroom

Blind spots aren’t just physical. They show up everywhere in the workflow:

• At the counter: A customer takes a sample without logging their info.

• On the sales floor: A rep hands off a board but forgets to follow up.

• In the back room: A SKU goes missing from the display, but no one knows when or why.

• In the CRM (if there is one): No record of what the customer actually looked at—just their name.

These moments might seem small, but over time they multiply—and create real impact.

Manual systems can’t scale, no matter how well-intentioned they are

Clipboards, sticky notes, and verbal reminders are common in this space. So is “we usually remember who took what.”

But let’s be honest—people forget. Teams change. And even the best memory won’t give you the full picture when it matters most.

This isn’t a knock on showroom teams. It’s a call for support.

What if the showroom could see what’s really happening?

Imagine being able to answer these questions in seconds:

• Which samples leave most often?

• What products are trending in your region?

• How long do customers keep samples?

• Are your sales reps following up?

• Which customer interactions actually lead to a sale?

This isn’t about micromanagement. It’s about clarity.

With the right visibility, you can improve processes, train smarter, stock more effectively, and close more consistently.

Blind spots aren’t bad habits, they’re a lack of tools built for this industry

At Haystack, we’ve seen the issue up close. Through our work inside the SI Group, we’ve spent decades supporting showrooms, brands, and distributors in the building materials world. The patterns are clear:

• People are capable.

• Teams are motivated.

• But the tools they’re using weren’t designed for how they work.

We’re here to change that. Blind spots in your showroom aren’t just minor inefficiencies — they’re missed opportunities that add up to lost revenue, frustrated staff, and declining customer trust. In other industries, from logistics to retail, technology has already closed these gaps. It’s time for building materials to catch up.

That’s exactly why we built Orbit. By combining smart labeling, automated check-in/check-out, and data-driven dashboards, Orbit eliminates the guesswork from sample management. No more missing assets, no more blind spots — just clear visibility into where your samples are and how they’re driving sales.

At Haystack Technologies, we’re more than a vendor. We’re the technology experts for the building materials industry, committed to giving your showroom the tools and intelligence you need to compete at the highest level.

The blind spots are costing you. The fix is here. Want to stay ahead of the curve?
Contact us today to learn how you can fix the blind spots in your showroom with our innovative sample tracking system.