Q. How closely do you think the overall system represents the package that was sold?

We really didn’t know what it was going to do, but we think it will do far more than we have learnt so far. There are still a few things we’re waiting on, such as accounts integration and Dashboard elements—although these are things we agreed at the outset would be implemented once we had a chance to get used to the core system. 

Q. How accurate was the requirements gathering process—ensuring the finished system met your needs?

This was very close. The first few meetings were all about matching system requirements with our business structure. Rob got to know our business and what we needed. Rob was realistic about what could be achieved in the initial project and what represented longer-term goals.

Q. How useful was the product classification process?

Absolutely spot on—Rob emphasised how important the process of classifying our events and courses through product codes was to business management, analysis, and growth. We are amazed at the difference this has made to our confidence in day-to-day operations and the long-term success of the business.

Q. How good is the website and e-commerce integration?

Sales Orders and Contacts are integrating accurately with the CRM. Due to a unique configuration within our website, products need to be created then synched manually, either individually or in bulk. This takes very little extra time, but it would have been useful to have understood this workaround during the planning phase.

Q. How comprehensive was the training?

The training was very comprehensive, but I didn’t realise how much there was to the system. I have got my head around it now and I haven’t looked at my spreadsheets for weeks, but I think getting to the point where I was confident took longer than I expected.

Q. How intuitive is the Campaigns Marketing system to use?

I haven’t really used this yet. We have sent a couple of campaigns; however, we’ve set up automated emailing within the CRM to thank our clients for attending (following completion of a course) and to remind them of the need to requalify after a set amount of time has passed. We have already started to see a positive effect from this.

Q. How intuitive is the email system to use?

I love that you can go into the Leads and Trainee modules and see all emails against individual contact records. You can see whether a contact has opened or clicked on an email, and you can send emails from the same location too. There is some latency between Outlook and the SalesInbox, which makes me reluctant to part with Outlook, but we are considering using Zoho Mail in the future, which should resolve this latency and remove the need for the Outlook account.

Q. How accurately does the customised tutor portal reflect your requirements?

Spot on. Our three tutors are using the system to review their training schedules, notify the office when they’re unavailable, and add photos from training sessions and event cover. Our marketing assistant can access these photos and understand which event they were taken at without needing to communicate with our team. One drawback is that when I upload a course that’s longer than a day but not consecutive days, it renders across all days in between on the calendar. Visually, this is slightly confusing, but it’s only a minor point. It would help if a Contact’s affiliated Account came up in the portal for our marketing assistant.

Q. How accurate were the initial timeframes for delivery?

The focus on the core product was good. There were some elements of the user portal integration that took a little longer than expected, but our availability has been a bit patchy in places, so it hasn’t been a problem.

Q. Have you started to experience any benefits from implementing the system?

• Temporal: We no longer have to send pre- or post-course emails—these are all handled automatically via a workflow, which has saved me hours and prevented countless potential errors. While we still have to send certificates manually, it is far quicker than using Outlook. 

• Financial: We have been able to cancel our subscriptions to When I Work and Mailchimp. We’ll need to wait and see if the system leads to an increase in turnover, but we are feeling confident. 

• Efficacy: We are getting loads more Google Reviews—this has more or less doubled since we’ve been using the CRM to send out automated course completion emails.

It’s great to have enquiries automated to the Leads module, as this means I do not have to copy and paste info from emails into a spreadsheet. However, we previously received the information identifying from which source they came (Google Ads, etc.), and while this is still available within WPEngine, it does not render to the Leads module.

Q. What future plans do you have for the system?

• We’d like our marketing assistant to be able to identify if a Contact is associated with an Account. 

• We’d like a system whereby a training manager can purchase a number of products for their team and complete a form which creates multiple learner records within the CRM, triggering the workflows associated with direct purchasers. 

• We’d like to automate the attachment of certificates to emails. 

• We are considering Zoho Mail so we can move away from our Microsoft subscription and rectify the latency issue within the SalesInbox.