All-natural fertiliser set to revolutionise agriculture
NutriSoil Biological Solution is busy creating an all-natural fertiliser to super-power growth.
Replacing chemical fertilisers, the worm juice feeds both crops and soil. NutriSoil was using MYOB AccountRight, accounting software ideal for small businesses.
The company was satisfied with its financial capabilities, but there were limitations when used as a CRM.
“We could make notes on an individual customer file, however, we could not connect customers through type and size of farm,” says Managing Director Rachelle Armstrong.
Clunky processes make growth difficult
The limitations of the existing solution meant the company was spending extra time exporting its customer data to spreadsheets, to make sense of it.
With a major part of the company’s work involving education, often hosting 100-200 farmers at events, this clunky process was less than ideal.
“We needed a CRM to help us build a movement! Before I knew what a CRM was, we couldn’t search our customers’ info or group them together,” says Rachelle.
“The dream was to ask a question and collect the info without exporting and changing it around.”
NutriSoil needed software that would alleviate the need for time-consuming, manual work. But like many regionally-based companies (Wodonga), it often feels the distance when dealing with suppliers and partners who are unwilling to travel.
An implementation partner who would take the time to visit on-site, to truly understand the business and its needs, was a must.
"We needed a CRM to help us build a movement. Before I knew what a CRM was, we couldn’t search our customers’ info or group them together."
MYOB upgrade right for regional business
The company performed a global search before deciding that MYOB Advanced Business was the best solution.
“It was daunting, actually, how many CRMs are out there at all different prices,” Rachelle says.
“The fact that we could stay with a MYOB solution was a benefit, rather than having to move to another accounting programme.”
NutriSoil appreciated that its MYOB business partner had no issue with supporting a regional business and travel to Wodonga.
“They didn’t make us feel like country bumpkins,” says Rachelle.
She could see that the change process would be difficult for longer-standing employees, but had no doubt in six months they’d all be saying “How did we survive without it?”
"The fact that we could stay with MYOB was a benefit, rather than having to move to another accounting programme."
Strengthening relationships will see business growth
Rachelle says MYOB Advanced Business’ robust CRM will let them send targeted campaigns.
“We’ll be able to group together people who attended an event, so we can send them all the videos, surveys and feedback from that event,” she explains.
The system will also make its sales process more streamlined and personal.
MYOB Advanced Business helps better manage phone enquiries, rather than relying on handwritten notes.
We’ll be able to set them up as sales leads and ensure follow-up on a personal level. The flexibility of the CRM suits them well:
“We’ll still have the trading name, but we can set up a contact for the son, for instance, who we might actually deal with more,” Rachelle says.
MYOB Advanced Business has made it easier for the company to deliver on stringent reporting requirements demanded by its new B-Corp certification, and allows for more flexible-pricing management and online payments — all crucial to the growth of this industry-changing business.
"We hosted an event last month with over 100 farmers. All the videos, surveys and feedback from that event we can now quickly email out to that group."
Before
Limited CRM functionality stunted growth of business
Heavy reliance on time-consuming manual reporting and processes
No cloud connection meant information wasn’t accessible on the road
Processes designed to work around the limitations of the software
After
CRM functionality lets NutriSoil seamlessly build customer database
Reduced manual reporting and processes lead to massive time savings
Cloud connection makes customer information accessible anywhere
Customised reporting leads to best practice processes
