BMT - Business Marketing Tools

BACKGROUND

Could you provide a brief description of your company?

We're a national volunteer organization that provides emergency services and medical supplies. We're essentially a first-response force that grants aid to the injured and sick before an ambulance arrives. We currently have around 2,000 volunteers with an annual budget of approximately $15 million. 

What is your position in the company, and what are your primary responsibilities?

I'm the Information Systems Manager, and I'm responsible for the purchasing and implementation of all enterprise software systems.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What were your company’s business goals, or reasons for undertaking the project? 

In the past, all of our volunteers were required to enter their data manually into Excel spreadsheets. The process was time-consuming, cumbersome, and somewhat prone to errors during times of extreme duress. We decided to make the transition to Salesforce so we could easily manage all of our volunteers, equipment, supplies, projects, and contacts in a single, dynamic system.

SOLUTION

Could you please explain the process used to select Business Marketing Tools as your development partner?

I was not directly involved in the selection process, but I know that it was conducted primarily through web research. Once we had a short list of potential partners, we collected their bids and proposals for the project. Ultimately, Business Marketing Tools was selected due to their reputation for high-quality work and their reasonable pricing estimates.  

Could you describe the scope of the project?

The project included planning, development, and ongoing support. Their team of developers worked with existing objects for the Salesforce platform. Using a series of logical formulas and a number of APIs, they constructed a database with all of our past data. This granted us the ability to import future spreadsheets or simply update the content through the Salesforce Platform.  

Could you please describe the size of the project in either monetary terms or dedicated personnel?

The project was carried out by two developers from Business Marketing Tools, a project manager from our side, and several of our administrative staff. The initial cost of the project was slightly over $15,000. 

How recently was the project completed?

The development work and implementation were finished nearly a year ago, but they still provide ongoing support for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What are the results of the project?

It's now possible for us to generate reports and tracking of real-time data via the Salesforce dashboards. We can now save all of our data into a single, accessible system, including scanned documents. These improvements have seriously aided our ability to collect and retain important information as well as make it easier to access. Our volunteers have been pleased with the improvements because it not only saves them time, but it also makes their jobs much easier to perform. 

How did Business Marketing Tools perform?

They did a wonderful job. They met all of their deadlines and completed the entire project within budget, which almost never occurs. Moreover, they've provided us with great ongoing support, which has been indispensable.  

When working with Business Marketing Tools, was there anything unique about them compared to other companies that you may have worked with? 

They're extremely professional, and their schedules mean a lot to them. They have considerable expertise with Salesforce, perhaps more so than any other developer I've worked with in the past. They have never had a problem with delivering a solution we needed.  

Are there areas that you think Business Marketing Tools could improve upon or you would do differently? 

I believe that Business Marketing Tools has a vast amount of knowledge with Salesforce that they might be somewhat afraid to disseminate. It might be the proper business mindset to protect and maintain that knowledge for yourself, but it also makes my job more difficult. As a non-profit organization, it's in our best interest to hire someone who can train our administrator in these best practices. When the issues arise again, we can tackle the problem ourselves rather than continue to hire new developers. Ultimately, we don't like to pay someone for the same thing repeatedly, which is the model for most if not all developers.

BACKGROUND

Could you please provide a brief description of your company?

My company builds gigabit wireless backhaul solutions over 70-80 GHz E-band and 60 GHz millimeter waves, at the lowest cost in the industry. Our EtherHaul systems are ideal for LTE macro and small cell backhaul, fiber extension and business service delivery. The EtherHaul E-band radios are the top choice of tier-1 operators for Gigabit backhaul worldwide. Thousands of units have been sold, deployed and operate solidly in all weather conditions. Our company has over sixty employees worldwide. 

Could you please indicate your position in the company?

I am currently the IT/IS Manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you please explain your company's business goals for undertaking the project(s) with Business Marketing Tools?

My company needed a tool for managing the sale process from lead to SO and so we chose SF. We started out doing the project with another company that we weren’t very satisfied with. We then discontinued with that company and choose Business Marketing Tools. I wasn't involved in that process since I had just begun to work with the company. I had experience with other companies in this area from my previous job and I didn’t know Busines Marketing Tools well. I decided to give them a chance before I brought in someone I was familiar with.

SOLUTION

Could you please describe the scope of the project(s)?

Referring specifically to the project designed to create and build an interface from Salesforce to our own ERP system, they were involved from the initial stage and were responsible for design, development, implementation and support. Their developers primarily used a programming language to build code packages that are executed by my ERP server, enabling me to retrieve data from Salesforce and to send data back to Salesforce. They also created the required customization in Salesforce for the data I send from the ERP and use Salesforce APIs to load this data.

Can you provide a sense of the size of the initiative in either monetary terms or personnel size? 

If I recall correctly, it was around $15,000 – $20,000.

How recently was the project completed?

It was completed around September, 2012.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results from the project?

This automatic process replaced a manual process of one person issuing excel from Salesforce and another entering the excel data manually into our ERP system (Customers, Contacts, SOs) and vice versa. The process was very cumbersome, slow and time consuming. Currently we have a bi-directional automatic update six times a day. The Operations and Sales departments are very pleased with the new process.

How did Business Marketing Tools perform?

They performed extremely well in my opinion. They are both highly flexible and task-oriented. This project established my confidence in their capabilities. 

When working with Business Marketing Tools, was there anything unique or special about them compared to other companies that you may have worked with?

They are very professional; they deliver what they promise; they're always on time; and they're honest. 

In retrospect, are there areas that you think Business Marketing Tools could improve upon? Or are there certain things you would do differently?  

They could charge less per hour, but that's all.