HubSpot

In a rapidly changing digital landscape, the unification of marketing, sales, and customer service strategies is essential for generating strategic insights, optimising return on investment, and ensuring smooth operational efficiency.

Our client, a leader in industrial pumping solutions, faced several challenges with their outdated Salesforce CRM system. They required a more efficient way to manage their sales pipeline, streamline internal processes, and eliminate manual tasks. The existing tech stack—relying on Salesforce, Simpro for quoting, and various other software tools—was siloed and cumbersome, leading to inefficiencies across sales, operations, and service departments.

Additionally, they needed an integrated solution to support geographical and service expansion with real-time data visibility and enhanced operational efficiency. The project was delivered by fileroom's specialist team who have significant experience integrating HubSpot with the range of software platforms commonly used by industrial businesses.

Replace the Salesforce/Simpro integration with HubSpot to solve challenges experienced with the existing Salesforce/Simpro integration, automate and align sales pipeline management & quoting activities between HubSpot and Simpro.

Clean data and improve sales and operations teams efficiencies by integrating Simpro quote and job data into HubSpot to drive sales, marketing and operational workflow automation.

Harness the full potential of HubSpot by sending proposals/quotes from HubSpot and increasing sales conversion by leveraging engagement tracking on quotes/proposals.

Utilise sales/marketing automation to enhance team efficiency, focusing on warm and qualified leads and enabling dynamic triggering of tasks and communications.

Achieve clear visibility into sales revenue sources and to close the gap on understanding time spent in each stage of deal life cylce; as well as extend insights into the full customer lifecycle value.

Enhance customer service through Aircall phone integration, process automation, work efficiencies and team communication.

Our Starting Point

Our Client was using Salesforce for their sales processes and Simpro for quoting and job management. They were experiencing many challenges with integration which required manual intervention. They weren't confident in the data and the process was clunky and time consuming for the team. They recognised the need to streamline their operations and made the decision to replace Salesforce with HubSpot which provides a much cleaner and automated integration with Simpro. The integration allowed for seamless data flow between sales and operations, improving efficiency and providing a more comprehensive view of their customers journey.

Our Approach

To bridge the gap and get the most out of their HubSpot implementation, an enterprise-level subscription was needed to open up some advanced HubSpot features. The subscription upgrade provided access to HubSpot's Custom Objects features providing:

Web hooks
Calculated fields with varying limits depending on the subscription type.
Data sync capabilities.
Workflow extensions.
Programmable automation.

By having these tools at our disposal, we were better equipped to create a cohesive and streamlined experience between HubSpot and Simpro. Our approach to the HubSpot Simpro integration focused on creating a robust, custom solution to meet specific needs for different business areas. We began with comprehensive data mapping and execution planning to ensure all relevant information would be accurately transferred between systems. Our team then set out to create a custom API integration, leveraging HubSpot's Operations Hub Professional features such as webhooks and custom coded actions in workflows.

The Action Plan

Fileroom provided a tailored HubSpot CRM implementation, integrating Sales Hub Enterprise and Operations Hub Professional. This implementation eliminated repetitive quoting tasks, automated follow-ups, and improved accuracy in sales forecasting. Key elements of the solution included:

Salesforce to HubSpot Migration: A seamless data migration with enhanced properties to better track customer journeys and sales opportunities.
HubSpot and Simpro Integration: A custom API integration allowed for real-time syncing between systems, ensuring data consistency and integrity.
Sales Hub Architecture: Custom objects were created to support term maintenance contracts, improving operational efficiency and creating additional sales opportunities.
Automation: Implemented workflows to automate tasks across departments, reducing manual work and freeing up team resources for high-value tasks.

The integration project was carried out by the fileroom team in collaboration with our client in the following stages:

Solution Design and Documentation: In this phase, the blueprint for integration was fully scoped and designed, ensuring that both HubSpot and Simpro features were fully utilised and aligned with the project objectives. Every aspect of the integration was documented for clarity and future reference. It also included comprehensive data mapping and creating detailed execution documentation.
Development Build: This involved the actual process of integrating the two platforms. Custom fields, webhook setups, data syncing, property mapping, programmable automation and more were delivered during this stage. We also setup a Heroku API hosting environment and built the custom API integration. This included data management workflows and status reconciliation to maintain data integrity, establishing and testing the integration process directional flow in a sandbox environment.
Pilot Testing and Refinements: Before a full-scale staged roll-out, a pilot test was conducted to identify potential pitfalls or inefficiencies. Feedback from this phase led to refinements, ensuring a smooth integration experience.
Training and Coaching: To ensure that the team could make the most out of the new integrated environment, comprehensive training and reference documentation was provided. This involved both one-on-one coaching and group sessions to acquaint staff with new functionalities and optimised processes.

The Results

The HubSpot implementation led to significant improvements in operations:

Increased Efficiency: Automating sales and operational processes reduced errors and improved quote follow-up times.
Improved Data Visibility: With real-time reporting and dashboards, our client gained deeper insights into customer interactions, enhancing decision-making and resource allocation.
Enhanced Sales Forecasting: Custom sales forecasting and pipeline dashboards provided accurate revenue visibility, allowing the team to better anticipate future needs.
Better Cross-Department Collaboration: The integration of tools like Simpro and SharePoint through HubSpot helped streamline document management and enhanced communication between sales and operations teams.

Connect with us to learn how a HubSpot integration project can benefit your business.

In Summary

The integration of HubSpot with Simpro stands as a testament to the importance of software harmonisation in creating a single source of data truth to enable business performance insights and support confident decision making. By closely aligning the functionalities of both platforms, our close the gap on a common pain point for many business: Attribution and ROI visibility.

This project not only underscores the value of strategic software integration but also showcases the steps and diligence required to achieve seamless alignment, especially when it comes to data management and hygiene. The benefits from sales management to enhanced team communication have set an excellent foundation for improved customer experience and journey insights.

As part of a larger HubSpot CRM implementation project, this integration forms a crucial component in transforming our client's digital infrastructure to support their growth and improve overall operational efficiency.

Emma Ruefli October 1, 2024