A factor that can’t be overlooked in any complex legacy stack is the sheer amount of maintenance required just to keep the systems running.
In Deloitte’s tech trend report this year, it was highlighted that for the average software developer, almost half of their working week is taken up by maintenance issues. Even if we discount the cost of maintenance that can be predicted and, therefore, ideally scheduled, there is the disruption and cost of unexpected glitches, downtimes and so on.
A global water and waste treatment provider was facing significant challenges when attempting to get a handle on just that dilemma – trying to manage its software maintenance for a complex legacy stack – and found itself under building financial pressure.
With multiple legacy sales tools in its stack, all tailored to its different products and sales channels, the water treatment provider found its ability to create complex sales proposals for its different sector solutions was hindered, costing the company’s income stream.
Seeking to consolidate these disparate and aging systems, the organization sought a single, cohesive configuration and pricing platform. The solution needed to simplify maintenance efforts, reduce operational costs, and accelerate the production of sales quotes.
Effective treatment with Accelalpha and Oracle
The water treatment firm had extensive engineering and mathematical configuration requirements and needed a system which could produce accurate configurations and prices every time.
Choosing to partner with system integrator Accelalpha and software vendor Oracle, the water treatment management firm sought to implement Oracle’s Configure Price and Quote (CPQ) Cloud application.
Oracle CPQ is marketed as a solution able “to bridge the gap between your CRM and ERP systems and establish an end-to-end sales-to-order process”. Seeking to sync customer data with pricing, inventory, and other key data to improve cross-organizational operations, Oracle CPQ reportedly reduces sales cycle time, increases business margins, and supports current technology investments – ticking a lot of the boxes in the case of this customer.
A spokesperson from the Accelalpha project team said: “Our approach was strategic and phased, ensuring a seamless transition to the new platform while accommodating iterative enhancements and incorporating user feedback.”
“We collaborated closely with the organization to refine complex formulas and configurations, ensuring the new system not only met but exceeded the specific needs of the organization.”
Opting for a phased approach, the project was able to achieve a smoother transition, with Accelalpha handing off any remaining maintenance responsibilities to the organization’s internal IT team after each phase. The joint efforts of the water treatment provider and Accelalpha then ensured that any changes were rolled out to pilot users, fine-tuned based on their feedback, and then extended to a broader user base for successful adoption.
By consolidating outputs from various configuration tools onto a unified platform, Accelalpha was able to implement the Oracle CPQ system to significantly consolidate the organization’s sales processes, leading to increased efficiency and productivity in a way that was also cost-effective for the business.
