PROBLEMS

As technological advances have made changes to the HVAC industry, All Seasons grew its expertise in how to properly manage advanced climate systems. As it has grown, it found a need to further streamline some of its processes in order to operate as efficiently as possible. With a growing client base it recognized, there was a particular need for a new way to manage incoming and potential jobs.

The company found it was struggling to keep up with information with its old system. Its previous system involved using email and Excel sheets to record when leads came in. It would rely on searching through old emails to try and trace information which was time consuming and often meant that details would go missing. It was also having to track various physical copies of paperwork in order to keep hold of the information it needed. After the jobs were done, it found a lot of this information went missing or was hard to track down. It identified the need for a more reliable system which would ensure all information was available in one place.

HOW DID OKAPPY FIT IN?

Okappy, a B2B communications platform that rethinks how companies manage their day-to-day work, combines social and market network technology to communicate and collaborate with employees and subcontractors, across different sites and with different clients. Online platforms and digitized workflows can improve the operation of businesses. Okappy enables HVAC companies to operate more effectively than traditional paperwork systems.

All Seasons uses Okappy to record when a lead comes through by logging it initially as an inquiry, and then updating it as it progresses through to the stage of the lead being won. Okappy helped All Seasons to streamline its processes while reducing time and costs.

Okappy allowed All Seasons to have all of its information in one place; making it easy to add leads when they come through and quickly locate client details.

“If I was off on annual leave for two weeks, it’s easy for someone else to pick up and take over," said Ellie Creay, climate control administrator, All Seasons. "If someone is out of the office on a certain day for instance, the information is still there and accessible. It makes our work a whole lot easier. 

“The simplicity of Okappy was definitely a plus for us," she continued. "It’s just nice to not have to rely on one sort of person or wait to get the information from them if we were desperately needing it. With Okappy everything is clear in front of us: This is the job, this is for this and that is for that. Everything we need is all in one place. It’s all quite open. Whoever needs the information can get hold of it.” 

All Seasons found that the simplicity of the software and app was one of the main advantages. With a system that is simple and easy to use, rather than relying on one person with all the knowledge, various employees are able to log on when information is required or needs to be logged.

“Okappy has really improved the way we follow up leads and, in turn, helped us generate more sales and stay on top of our cash flow better,” said Colin Owen, director, All Seasons.

“It’s definitely a time-saver to say the least,'" Creay added. "I used to Spend a lot of time tracing engineers and surveyors and trying to grab hold of different types of paperwork which may or may not be in their folders! Okappy has been a life-saver in terms of tracing information! It has definitely helped us out a great deal! I’d imagine if we worked it out we must save a whole lot of time each week compared to before! Companies like us would definitely need to use it if they could.”

Publication date: 10/22/2018

Want more HVAC industry news and information? Join The NEWS on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn today!