Customer Case Study

‍The Backstory

In 2022, ORS Nasco faced a common, yet frustrating challenge. Their existing CRM was underperforming. "We were using [a mainstream CRM] but weren’t seeing the adoption we wanted. The user interface was not intuitive, and reps still had to log into different systems to get the info they needed,” says Tim Babco, ORS Nasco's CIO. The company needed a new CRM. One that included more contemporary features such as embedded AI, and could make customer data useful and boost cross-sell and upsell efforts. All without the trouble of logging into multiple systems.

The Goal

ORS Nasco's mission was to create a unified system that could:

• Help sales reps find relevant information fast by serving as a complete record for customers, prospects, products, and sales data

• Help sell more by giving sales reps a better understanding of customers and their needs

• Increase average order size and quote conversion rates

• Improve management’s visibility into the sales process with advanced data and analytics for informed decision-making

• Suggest add-ons, substitutes, and related products, educating reps and customers directly via the eCommerce plug-in, about the entire product catalog

Choosing Proton

ORS Nasco is a value-added wholesale distributor. They saw in Proton a CRM that fit their unique needs and challenges. Tim explains, “It’s important to have a CRM that’s made for the way our industry operates. Our sellers have to be able to plan intelligently and provide fast and meaningful answers and service to our customers.”

Implementation & Adoption

Within three months, ORS Nasco was up and running with Proton. We talked to Tim about how Proton compares to other systems he's worked with. "A CRM implementation can be as complex and risky as an ERP implementation if you’re working with a mainstream CRM product whose setups can get complicated and lengthy. With Proton, it took us about 12 to 14 weeks to go live. The experience was well-organized and straightforward. We had to clean up some of our data in the process , but the implementation and integration into our other systems was fairly seamless.” Since implementation, Proton’s become a regular part of how the company works every day. "Our sellers are staying active and engaged with Proton, using it on a daily basis." Babco says about how well Proton has been adopted.

Impact and Results

Increased visibility

‍The visibility into sales activities Proton provided has made a difference for company leadership. "Are our sellers making their calls? What is the average time it takes from an opportunity to close? If we get a new lead, how quickly do we bring them on as a new customer? Those are all things our leadership team relies on Proton to help track. We didn't have clear insight into that in a single place previously," Babco stated, highlighting the comprehensive overview Proton offers.

Unified customer data

‍According to Tim, this has helped reps serve customers better. “Proton gets info to our sellers fast and effectively, so they can talk about what's relevant and what's important. With Proton, our team has better discussions with customers.”

Intelligent insights

‍Proton's AI recommendations have encouraged reps to think about products strategically . “I like how product-centric Proton is because we offer a lot of SKUs. Before Proton, I hadn’t worked with a CRM that could provide information on services or products in such a way that makes you think, ‘Is this relevant for the customer? Should I mention this? Has the customer asked about this before? Have other similar customers asked about or purchased this before?’ Proton delivers data to our sellers quickly and efficiently,” Babco noted.

‍Accessible product knowledge

‍Proton has made product information readily accessible to sales reps. "Often, our customers are calling to ask: do you have these products? If we don’t have the product in stock, our sellers use Proton to suggest an alternative to get the customer what they need sooner. That brings a lot of value," Babco explained.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right CRM can be transformation, as proven by ORS Nasco's experience with Proton. But the success of any tool is heavily reliant on those who use it. At ORS, Tim has been one of the guiding forces behind Proton. In collaboration with the Sales team, he helps ensure that all sales-oriented associates adopt and use it effectively. The commitment extends to the sales leaders. The Inside Sales Director and Outside Business Development Director integrate Proton into their sales meetings, account planning, and more. The true value of a piece of software lies in the commitment of the people using it to deliver value. At Proton, we're thrilled to collaborate with ORS Nasco – a company that not only embraces innovation but also actively contributes to the success of our partnership.