Legacy to leading: An electrical contractor embraces technology transformation

When a premier electrical contractor decided to modernize their legacy system, they engaged RSM to customize a technology solution to integrate seamlessly with their existing infrastructure.

After more than 50 years of building customer trust and loyalty, the contractor’s future looked bright, but their legacy infrastructure had lost its luster. The back office still relied on spreadsheets to manage financial tasks, using antiquated software prohibiting users from accessing records simultaneously. Moreover, the contractor’s sluggish operating system hampered leadership’s ability to access and analyze data on demand for strategic business planning.

The contractor’s chief financial officer (CFO) was familiar with RSM’s capabilities and strategic technology alliances because he engaged the firm to implement an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system while in a prior role at a different organization. The experience made a lasting impression, so he had confidence in RSM’s ability to provide the right solution.

After meeting with RSM advisors to discuss operational pain points and future-state goals, the CFO engaged the firm to conduct a thorough audit to identify areas of improvement and a technology solution that could help. A major goal was increasing visibility into the contractor’s financials and allowing greater access to real-time data across business units.

“We worked diligently to create a robust and user-friendly software solution that could scale with the business and empower the staff to drive operational efficiency,” says David Larkin, Oracle NetSuite director at RSM.

RSM integrated an Oracle NetSuite ERP system to automate multiple processes, including project costing, order processing and billing. The custom cloud-based solution offered real-time analytics and reporting capabilities, providing the contractor with valuable insights for more informed decision making. For instance, the leadership team identified inefficiencies in how contracts were being written and streamlined processes to forecast cash flow accurately.

Knowing that working in an ERP system would be new territory for much of the contractor’s staff, RSM employed a user-centric approach when designing the software system to minimize disruption during the adoption phase. RSM simplified the user interface and created comprehensive how-to guides to make the transition easier. Additionally, RSM advised management on implementing internal training while providing ongoing user support.

In the months following the implementation, the contractor underwent a remarkable transformation. Manual workflows were replaced with automated processes, improving productivity and reducing operational costs. Real-time access to critical data empowered the leadership team to make data-driven decisions to strengthen the contractor’s competitiveness in the construction market.

The impact on their customer experience was equally significant. The new software streamlined the contractor’s client interactions, enabling faster response times, more accurate order tracking and enhanced personalized service. As a result, the contractor saw an uptick in customer loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals.