Beyond PDFs: How We Built a Custom Quote & Signing System for Faster Sales
Before Us: The Client's Struggle
The client’s current quote sharing and signing process was cumbersome. Exporting quotes as PDFs, uploading them to DocuSign, manually marking signature fields, and sharing them with clients was a time-consuming and inefficient workflow. They envisioned a streamlined solution that would allow for one-click quote sharing with integrated signing capabilities. Additionally, they desired a “templating system” to expedite quote creation. Ideally, this system would allow them to load pre-built quote templates based on product or service type, minimizing data entry and reducing quote turnaround time from one to two hours to a mere ten minutes.
Understanding the Needs, Building the Plan
We proposed leveraging their existing Odoo CRM system, with custom development, to fulfill their needs. This approach would:
Integrate electronic signing capabilities, eliminating the need for DocuSign and streamlining the workflow.
Implement a custom quote templating system. This system would allow them to load pre-built templates based on product or service type, significantly reducing quote creation time.
To further enhance the payment process, we proposed integrating a secure payment gateway. Sharing sensitive routing and account information or setting up ACH has its own problems and overhead. To offset the associated payment gateway commission fees, a 3% surcharge would automatically apply to credit card payments. This approach provided a seamless payment experience for customers while ensuring transparent cost coverage for the client.
Our Tailored Solution
Following a comprehensive review of available solutions within the Odoo marketplace, we determined that custom Odoo module development was necessary to fulfill the client’s specific requirements. This approach allowed us to tailor the functionality precisely to their needs, including the development of a custom quote templating system and integration with a secure payment gateway.
This revised case study incorporates the information about the desired quote templating system and its potential impact on turnaround time. The language is also refined for consistency and readability.
The Results
- Dramatic Reduction in Quote Turnaround Time: The custom quote templating system significantly reduced quote creation time, going from one to two hours per quote to a mere ten minutes.
- Streamlined Quote Sharing and Signing: The elimination of manual PDF exports, DocuSign uploads, and field marking resulted in a more efficient workflow for quote preparation and sharing.
- Improved Payment Efficiency and Client Assurance:
- Integration of a secure payment gateway eliminated the need for clients to share sensitive bank details and streamlined the payment process.
- The ability to collect a downpayment during the signing process provided the client with:
- Assurance: Confirmation that clients accepted and signed all necessary documents.
- Financial Security: A downpayment functioned as a “layaway” to secure the client’s intent to complete the purchase.
- Faster Payment Processing: Potentially faster receipt of payments due to the ease of secure online transactions.