Commercial Landscaping Company Uses Custom App To Improve Performance

THE CHALLENGE

Struggling to Convert New Business

A commercial landscaping and tree service company in Chicagoland was struggling to convert new business. When out in the field at the customer site, they were unable to provide quick and accurate proposals as they did not have access to the real-time data they needed.

By the time the sales consultant got back to the main office, assessed the possible inventory levels (frequently necessitating a change to the bid), created the proposal, and sent it over … the prospect had often moved on with a different tree service.

When the consultant tried to create the proposal on site, they struggled to bid it correctly, often quoting incorrect products that were no longer available. They used pricing which was either too low, causing issues with margins, or too high, effectively bidding the company out of the project when the prospect compared them to other options.

All of this translated into lost business.

THE SOLUTION

Creating a Custom Proposal Application

Working closely with the team, Ntiva developed an intuitive proposal application that would work on low-cost tablets out in the field, enabling the consultants to deliver proposals on-site during the initial walk-through.

The app connected the consultants to their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, which meant they were able to quote from available inventory, project management considerations, and pricing structures.

Since inventory levels we are often limited for certain trees, shrubs and other products, this helped the entire consultancy team quickly see that there might be a delay to inventory – giving them an opportunity to suggest alternatives on the spot, ensuring greater likelihood to meet desired timetables and creating more satisfied clients.

Now, changes could be made to the proposal based on feedback during the initial consultation, providing the right solution at the right price, effectively providing an accurate and collaborative proposal the first time.

If management approval was needed, the manager would received the proposal in his or her email in-box, review it immediately and press "accept" or suggest edits or other ideas.

THE IMPACT

Increase In Customer Conversion Rates

The company was able to increase their conversion rates and cycle times of their proposals, with a dramatic uptick in same day closes with proposal margins which were now in line.

The decision to create this application for the sales consultants out in the field was instrumental in  helping the tree service increase their overall profitability and stay competitive, in a world where the right technology is offering huge advantages to companies willing to invest.