A global leader in industrial energy efficiency solutions was using an Excel-based system that was no longer fit for purpose and needed a modern solution to enhance data capture during equipment surveys and streamline quote generation.
By leveraging Microsoft Dynamics 365, the company was able to replace complex spreadsheets and manual processes with a modern system that can capture, process and report on data rapidly.
Energy Solution ProviderWe formed a great collaborative relationship with Chorus. Their developers understood our needs and trusted our capabilities, and the agile approach allowed us to test and improve the system frequently. The collaboration and focused sprints ensured the project was a success. We really enjoy working with the team and continue to collaborate really well.
As a global leader in energy efficiency solutions, the organisation conducts regular on-site surveys to review equipment and provide recommendations to improve system efficiency and enable cost savings.
Previously, to conduct surveys and provide accurate quotes, their engineers used complex Excel spreadsheets on-site for data entry during surveys. These spreadsheets then fed into Excel services to generate accurate quotes and calculate cost savings. However, Microsoft’s deprecation of Excel Services and the inefficiency of the process meant they needed a modern solution compatible with tablet devices.
Following a discovery process with the team at Chorus, it was clear the organisation needed a custom frontend app for comprehensive data capture and a back-office system for data processing.
The solution required capturing complex information with real-time data entry and then needed to automatically generate sales quotes and payback calculations, accommodating for numerous variables, including complex engineering calculations.
Such complex requirements made Microsoft Dynamics 365 the ideal backend solution.
“We recommended Dynamics 365 due to its power and flexibility to be customised. For example, the final solution would need to be able to suggest appropriate products and provide payback calculations, while accommodating varying variables for different countries, such as metric or imperial values and local currencies. Dynamics can handle all this and excels as a solution when combining sales processes with operational data”., Senior Technical Architect at Chorus
Once engineers finish a survey, they need to swiftly generate quotes. Using Dynamics 365, Chorus developed the backend processes which use the survey data to suggest equipment from a product catalogue and calculate the savings and payback time for the customer, generating a quote in minutes.
Engineers can now generate a quote in minutes and adjust items as needed, streamlining a process that previously took hours, down to one that now takes minutes.
“A vast amount of data is captured during a single survey, and the processing involves numerous engineering calculations. We were able to build these data processes and a product catalogue, which takes all that data and automatically recommends a specific product based on the survey findings”., Senior Technical Architect at Chorus
Having spent years refining Salesforce to meet their sales needs, the organisation didn’t want to replace their entire system with Dynamics 365. Instead, Dynamics 365 was simply used for the more complicated data processing which Salesforce couldn’t support.
To solve this, Chorus created an integration between Dynamics 365 and Salesforce using Power Automate. This allows the sales team to continue using Salesforce for opportunity management, while seamlessly transferring account and contact data to Dynamics 365 for the engineering team ahead of a survey.
The success of the project hinged on the strong partnership and active engagement ensuring rapid user testing and regular feedback.
This close client involvement alongside the development team at Chorus, with regular standups and adoption of the principles of ‘agile’ working, helped identify and resolve issues promptly, contributing significantly to the project’s positive outcomes.
“We formed a great collaborative relationship with Chorus. Their developers understood our needs and trusted our capabilities, and the agile approach allowed us to test and improve the system frequently. The collaboration and focused sprints ensured the project was a success. We really enjoy working with the team and continue to collaborate really well.”, Energy Solution Provider
With a modern, mobile-friendly app designed by a partner and a powerful backend solution from Chorus, this organisation now enjoys a streamlined survey and quote generation process. The new system reduces quote generation time from hours to minutes, enabling parallel processing across countries and improving efficiency. Engineers benefit from a seamless user experience, and customers can, in real time, see the problems and potential energy savings available to them across their industrial site.
Energy Solution ProviderBy moving to Dynamics 365, we’re no longer reliant on a legacy spreadsheet solution, with a modern back-office system that streamlines processes and calculations to save our teams time and help them work more efficiently. We’re delighted with the project’s outcome. It has been a real success.