“Since installing the system in July we have more than doubled the speed at which we can get quotes out."

Bladen Box design and supply bespoke packaging solutions for a wide range of clients looking for something a little bit different in the way of packaging. As James Bladen, MD of Bladen Box explains “Usually when you think about bespoke packaging solutions people immediately think of the retail environment. But put simply, anything that is a problem for a large volume sheet plant is prime business for us. One minute we could be designing for a client like Next, the next minute we could be supplying a basic box fitted out with specially designed internal components to ensure a jet engine blade gets from A to B and is delivered in perfect condition. Regardless of client size or reputation, the expectation is the same: brilliant design and a quick turn-around on quotes.”

There can be little doubt that Bladen Box is already enjoying business success with some high profile clients such as Next, 3M and DHL under their belt. At this time of year, Christmas shoppers in Next Home department can hardly fail to bump into one of their bespoke designed display stands filled with anything from aftershave to picture frames. But, as a supplier of bespoke solutions their typical customer base is many and varied which represents a challenge in itself.

The problem

Like any business trying to convert as many sales as possible in the current tough economic conditions Bladen Box felt they would benefit from greater efficiency and streamlining of business processes to help them compete. As with any small business, time spent costing and quoting and keeping track of enquiries represents a sizeable but necessary cost of doing business. It is also a process which needs to be managed as efficiently as possible to maximise return on those enquiries.

James explains “We were experiencing increasing pressure on finite internal resources and it was impacting on our ability to respond to our clients as efficiently as we would have liked. Getting back to past quotes and chasing business was very time-consuming. We wanted to be able to maximise conversion of enquiries to sales. So, when it came to the decision on whether to invest in a new machine or software to strengthen our operational efficiency there was no question that investing in orderlineBOX was the right thing to do.”

“As a small business, OrderlineBox was a perfect fit, not too complex nor too expensive, total value for money.”

The solution

In July 2010, Onesys installed orderlineBOX software at Bladen Box. Since starting to use the system they have experienced visible increases in sales conversion rates and marked improvements in efficiency which they directly attribute to their investment in orderlineBOX. As James explains, “We were originally looking for a system to get us from quote to invoice and give us better control. Six months on, we are now using more and more of the features to manage our stock control and works order processing. As a result we have reduced duplication of effort, reduced the scope for human error and gained real visibility of the sales process.”

Of course as anyone who has ever installed a new software package may have experienced getting staff to fully use any new system is half the battle. The experience of Bladen Box is strong testimony as to the ease of usage of orderlineBox. “The day we got the software installed was the day we started using it. We didn’t run it in tandem with anything else. It felt very familiar to us as it looks and operates in a very similar way to the other common software applications we were using day to day. During the first few weeks after installation the Onesys support team were responding within 24 hours if not within the hour putting in any small tweaks to the system to customise it exactly to our requirements.”

A range of staff at Bladen Box are now using the system for raising specs, cost estimates, works orders and pallet labels. James now finds it an invaluable tool for overseeing the smooth running of the business. “I use it on a daily basis to quickly get back to past quotes, check current specs, pricing and material levels and I can get reports out at the touch of a button.” All this puts him firmly in charge of all aspects of the sales process.

James adds “Since installing the system in July we have put nearly 1500 quotes into the system and more than doubled the speed at which we can get quotes out. The actual number of quotes we can get out has increased and we can acknowledge orders quicker. I can now drill down into the data every morning to see how we’re doing. We no longer have to double enter data into multiple systems and so it has helped eliminate that element of human error associated with our previous manual systems. Overall we have better control and greater efficiency.” James continues “As an added bonus, the documentation we can now produce from the software to send out to clients looks so professional, it helps us compete with much larger players in the marketplace.”

“Since installing the system in July we have put nearly 1500 quotes into the system and more than doubled the speed at which we can get quotes out."

The Benefits

“Within the first six months alone we have experienced on average a 15% increase in the number of sales converted from enquiries. The amount of time spent on sales order processing and administration from quote to invoice has halved!” These marked improvements in the speed and quality of response to customers are clearly yielding strong business benefits. All this, James predicts, will mean that their investment in the OrderlineBox software from Onesys Ltd will have more than paid for itself within 12 months if not sooner.