Background

A retail sales and services leader faced challenges with their manual quoting process for franchise owners. Relying on outdated information and manual tracking, the process was cumbersome and time-consuming, and with constant requests coming in for discounted pricing on bulk purchases, it was difficult to turn quotes around quickly. Recognizing the need for a streamlined approach, the retailer sought the expertise of Summit Advisory Team to leverage Salesforce Sales Cloud and Google Looker Analytics to automate the process and make it more efficient.

Objective

The primary goal of the engagement was to automate the retailer’s B2B quoting process. With Salesforce Sales Cloud already in place, the retailer wanted to improve data visibility, automate processes, and become more efficient as bids came in from their franchises. The Summit team guided them through the process and also created Looker dashboards to provide detailed analytics that helped bid analysts make data-backed decisions.

Methods

Summit Advisory Team initiated the project with a thorough assessment of the company’s existing processes. The engagement involved several key steps to create a more efficient and automated quoting system:

Discovery

The team worked closely with stakeholders to identify pain points in the manual bidding process. They found that the high volume of requests hindered the ability to provide timely responses, especially given the use of outdated information inherent in manual processes.

Integration Development

Summit’s team developed an automated process within Salesforce that enabled franchise owners to generate and track bid forms seamlessly. Having the forms available through a centralized platform reduced time spent on manual entries, improved response times, and allowed all parties to track progress on needed quotes.

Looker Dashboards

The implementation of Looker dashboards allowed the retailer to visualize key metrics related to their bidding operations. Insights into the most requested products, order patterns, and franchise performance provided by the dashboards were a key component in automating and simplifying the process.

Results

The engagement enabled the retailer to simplify their approach to B2B customer service:

• Faster turnaround times for B2B quotes, allowing franchise owners to respond to customer requests more quickly
• Increased data visibility and integrity in the bidding process so better decisions can be made
• Automated notifications that streamline communication and collaboration among stakeholders, keeping everyone aligned
• Improved user experience for customer service agents, franchise owners, and customers

Automating their quoting process and leveraging advanced analytics has allowed the organization to transform their approach to B2B customer service. With the new systems in place, they are positioned for continued growth and efficiency in a competitive market. Summit Advisory Team remains dedicated to supporting the retailer in their journey toward operational excellence.