01-04-2022
You may be wondering why we recently established our Project Management group.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the problems we needed to resolve, as well as the benefits of our newly formed, front-line group.
The Previous Process for Ordering Light Poles
In the past, our sales-order process was fairly linear. Each team member owned a specific piece of the puzzle — quoting, engineering drawings, order review, and entry.
But we now realize that approach was fragile. Since each specialist focused on a certain area, business was affected if someone ever took time off. Quotes took longer to turn around and that would extend the overall ordering process.
Internally, our team members’ workloads were imbalanced and clear communication around a sales opportunity was a challenge. Externally, service quality was eroding, which affected business demand and led to frustration for our sales partners.
The New Sales Order Process
To address these issues, we looked to create greater flexibility in how the opportunities our sales partners bring to us are handled. In doing so, we have blended our legacy Inside Sales, Engineering, and Partner Service teams into one Project Management group. This group of front-line individuals has been cross-trained on every step of the quoting, designing, and ordering process.
Justin Snowden, Director of Engineering, said, “Our goal for the Project Management team is that our external sales partners get meaningful, detailed product and manufacturing information from the outset of a sales opportunity all the way through the order fulfillment and shipping process.”
Now, every Project Manager is equipped to handle a business opportunity, no matter the stage, and keep the order moving. That brings more continuity and value to our sales partners and company as a whole.
Zac MacVoy, Chief Strategy Officer, said, “The move to the Project Management Office aligns directly with our focus of being a more product-centric company. It allows us to focus resources on bottlenecks or priorities within the transaction process prior to scheduling in the plant. It also means we have more people on staff who understand the product, manufacturing process, and sales cycle.”
Want to learn more about our Project Managers? Click here to meet the team.
A few key resources:
- To reach a Project Manager, feel free to call our P.O.L.E. line at 586-774-5650 and press option 1
- Please note: A team member monitors this line Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm ET. If you reach our voicemail, simply leave a message and we’ll return your call the next business day.
- If you have requests for product configuration and pricing, please email Quotations@UnitedLightingStandards.com
- To place a purchase order or ask questions about a current order, please email Orders@UnitedLightingStandards.com
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