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Southwire

Achieving 700% growth in business by digitizing manual processes

Southwire is one of the world’s leading developers, manufacturers, and suppliers of building wire and utility cable, as well as the tools used in their installation. Southwire strives to ensure that every product developed helps increase safety, improve productivity, reduce manpower, save time and save money—both on and off the job site.

Project introduction

In a bid to further their business by delivering power to American homes and enterprises, Southwire adopted a custom iPad-based sales solution to bolster their marketing efforts. However, customers weren’t too happy with it being on iOS alone. 

To fix this, Southwire decided to reach more users by expanding to tablets, desktops, and PCs; while overhauling the existing iOS app. Since they lacked the in-house capabilities needed to develop a new app, Southwire engaged Mutual Mobile for help on this front. 

Challenge

Widely accessible web app with improved functionality

Chief among the challenges was to build a mobile catalog. Southwire’s bulky and labyrinthine catalog had to be converted into a handy mobile resource that could be easily used by customers and sales reps alike. 

In addition, the new web app had to be easier to use, more intuitive, and at home in updated web-based architecture. This was how things were defined when we started. 

Approach

Integrated design and development processes

We kicked things off with a Discovery Workshop, which also comprised critical discussions relating to strategy, design, and delivery while employing automated QA to truncate regression timelines and better streamline iteration. 

The platform allowed users to order wires of different sizes and types. Its configurator would let them select how the wire would appear. After filling out the shipping details, the platform would move the request to the system, generate a price, and relay it back to the customer. To do this, the platform had to:

  • Allow people to see their orders during the customization process.
  • Make ordering intuitive and reduce fulfillment errors.
  • Stay on track with the roadmap to an effective mobile strategy.
  • Use Firebase for analytics.
  • Surpass KPIs for user sign-ups and job request generation.
  • Reduce touch points for sales reps.
  • Have scope for resource flexibility to deliver in time and on budget.
  • Integrate Google Analytics tactics to display usage/utility and inform future development.
  • Connect registration to Salesforce to aid in lead follow-up.
"Communication was open and active. The team explained how each tool and process would bring our ideas to reality. We built personal relationships with expertise, transparency, and mutual trust. It’s been fantastic." - Russ King, Director of Contractor Solutions, Southwire.

Impact

Improved communication and reduced fulfillment errors

While working on Southwire’s Configurator Plus, we achieved several key milestones, which included:

Increase in number of iOS app users

Southwire’s iOS app initially had around 230 users. Within a month of the new one’s launch, the number quickly climbed to 400, and then to 1,300.

Massive growth in business

User engagement and sales productivity improved with the simplicity the iPad’s Configurator brought, which helped register a whopping 700% growth in business.

Intuitive and approachable buying process

Southwire’s move from heavy and overwhelming Excel sheets to interactive tools paid off, and customers could place more complex orders because the system was now easier to use. 

Greater efficiency

The newly developed Configurator app reduced ordering errors and time taken to complete complex configurations while lowering overheads. 

Elevate your business with Mutual Mobile

Designing apps is one of the things that we do well. If you have any such requirements and wish to elevate your business, we are your dream team. You can reach out to us over here.