"It's been intrinsically linked to our success"
Benefits of a bespoke back office system
Slipstream Organics was using an old system to manage their customers and weekly orders. Owner Nick was tied to a single old computer with a desktop-based system that was "fraying at the edges" and couldn't be moved or updated. Admin was time-consuming, unreliable and prone to inaccuracies.
Working closely with Nick to set the project requirements, we developed a bespoke web-based back office system for his customers. Nick and his staff can create weekly boxes, manage customer accounts, handle delivery logistics, and even sync to third party Xero for accounting. And we've been adding new features for six years and counting.
Read on to find out how our new system helped Slipstream Organics to:
Save time on everyday tasks
Cut business costs
Create an asset for the business
Improve customer service
Increase revenue
Get results
Bespoke software fits your business perfectly, meaning real improvements to cost and revenue.
Save time on everyday tasks
"Your recent changes with payments and customer orders are saving a day a week at least, simply because of how long it was taking to manually update processes that are now automatic, or simply a tick box." And that's just one area. From the first day of the new system, Nick and his staff were saving time.
Another example is the accounting admin. "Before, we'd get all these individual payments in a bank statement and I'd have to manually add them," says Nick. "Now I just click through a list and what took 2 hours now takes 5 minutes. And the accuracy is far better."
Cut business costs
Reduce staff costs and issues
Saving time on everyday business tasks reduces salary costs, makes it easier to expand with new staff, and increases business profit. At Bluelinemedia, we value long term relationships over a 'quick buck', which means we take our time to understand requirements, and only offer services that will really help.
"Your service was professional and efficient," says Nick. "I had plenty of opportunity to describe what I needed, and that was taken on board and responded to over a series of meetings. As a result, the system ended up being exactly what we wanted."
Save money on long term support
Bespoke software also means a long term cost saving. There are no licence fees and no contractual maintenance fees. Ongoing costs only come from new features and changes added as the system grows with your business.
Nick liked our flexible approach to ongoing support costs. We offer a discounted rate for hours bought in bulk, which can be used for any changes. "That was a perfect way for us to do it, and it felt like good value for money to make these incremental changes."
Create an asset for the business
As a bespoke tool built precisely around the business processes, the new Slipstream Organics system provides a real business asset. Slipstream are less dependent on individual staff, and the improved accuracy and stability means better customer service.
"I have confidence in the integrity of the system to help us with 500 odd customers and various degrees of complexity," says Nick. "I needed to be able to upgrade so we've ended up with a really refined version, and I'm sure that will continue over the years."
Improve customer service
"It's enabled us to be more professional in our approach to customers, we've become more reliable and more accurate," says Nick. Web-based software means a simple interface that anyone can use, and just the right processes.
Nick has a specific example. "I needed a tick box to mark if a customer was going on holiday. More inefficient systems might mean they didn't get properly processed, and we'd end up sending a box that a customer didn't want to pay for. Your change meant that we're not losing customers."
Increase revenue
Better service means customers stay loyal and increase their orders over the long term. The bespoke system also made more money for Slipstream Organics when it allowed them to react to the change of habits in lockdown.
"We went through Covid and had a sudden surge and expansion," says Nick. "We wouldn't have been able to cope with a system that was fraying at the edges.
"If you put £200 a day over 50 weeks, it runs into thousands."
About Slipstream Organics
Established in 1994, Slipstream Organics has been delivering high quality, organically grown, fresh produce directly to households in the Cheltenham, Gloucester, Stroud and Forest of Dean regions.
Benefits
Save time on everyday tasks managing orders
Cut business costs with a dramatic saving in time
Create a long-term business asset that adds real value
Improve customer service with better processes
Increase revenue from a reliable and scalable system
"I just have to say my experience with Bluelinemedia as a company has been fantastic, I would thoroughly recommend you and what you've been able to do."
Nick McCordall, Owner
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