How Maguire Stays Ahead of Growing Service Demand
We had the ability to meet with Maguire Iron (IT Director, Rod Lindstrom and COO Mike Farnsworth) to discuss how they are using the integration RenaissanceTech built to connect Infor’s configurator to Syteline’s Project Module. We learned the key reasons the integration was needed, the benefits it provided the business, and best practices to keep in mind for a CPQ implementation, particularly when integrating a configurator for services.
Why Use a Configurator for Services and Projects?
Traditionally, we hear more about CPQ as a way to configure Products. But what about offered services and entire projects? Maguire can perform water tank projects of all sizes: from service, repair, and maintenance to concept and construction. Offering a variety of services including: relocation, part replacement, painting, and repairs, means that they were faced with the challenge of creating thousands of quotes and hundreds of projects. Manual, paper processes could not keep up with the growing demand for their services. When they made the decision to implement Infor’s configurator (CPQ) and have RenaissanceTech integrate it with Syteline ERP’s Projects Module, everything changed. Quotes that previously took hours to complete, now take a mere 60 seconds. As the quote is built, the Project is simultaneously being created in the background according to selections made in configuration. All of this information is passed directly into the Syteline Projects Module when it’s time to convert the quote to a real project.
Check out a client-led demonstration of this integration!
Best Practices When Implementing CPQ for Service-based Projects
So what are the best practices to keep in mind during the implementation process? It is suggested that you go into your CPQ and Projects Integration with a clear picture of architecture, such as naming conventions and organization of pricing and cost. Maguire also emphasized the importance of understanding how Field Services works and involving sales in the process to ensure that the tool makes sense to everyone.
The benefits of implementing a configurator are significant, such as the ability to handle thousands of projects consistently and tie project and service orders together. This gained scalability allows service-based businesses to do more work while saving time and effort in the process.
If you're new to configurators, Mike suggests starting from the quote setup and next working on the contract instead of the other way around to save time and effort. He also recommends exporting the options list and matrices to a spreadsheet for troubleshooting and simulations with errors to better understand the process.
Overall, implementing a configurator can be challenging, but the benefits are worth it. It can help tie your project, service order, and invoice processes together, saving time and effort in the long run. So why not consider it for your business? Contact us to learn more about the Infor CPQ and Syteline Projects Integration.
