Redcastle business management solutions
Redcastle business management products have been developed specifically for Voice, Data and Mobile resellers, dealers, VARs and Integrators. Powerful proven and unique, Redcastle’s solution handles all key operations and processes, from customer and supplier databases to pre-sales, quote generation, sales, installation, stock inventory, contracts and billing, post-sales and support.
The product, a core engine supported by a range of dedicated modules, has been created out of clear practical need.
RedcastleCRM was launched by a group of leading players in the IT sector, initially to develop top-level CAD solutions for SME and Corporate business. How the Nottingham-based company came to develop a 100% reseller-centric business management solution is a case study in organic innovation.
“Soon after we started our company in 1995 we realised we needed help with the practical mechanics involved. We wanted a powerful, easy-to-use system to help us manage the business,” says Jeff Proctor, MD of RedcastleCRM. “Nothing on the market suited our needs, so we developed our own software application.
“We wanted an end-to-end solution to cover everything: from customer and supplier databases to pre-sales, quote generation, sales, installation, stock inventory, contracts and billing, post-sales and support. It had to be automatic at every stage with everything linked to individual accounts and transactions. It’s the operational and procedural core of the company. We wanted a solid management tool to deliver real efficiencies, to help grow the business.
“Having developed and applied the solution across our operations, the company grew beyond expectations, expanding seamlessly in just three years.
“As the company grew, we formed networking relationships with a number of voice and data resellers who, we discovered, had a similar practical need for a good business management system.
“We’re talking about successful, growing companies that are about to move up to the next level and need dedicated management and operational tools to create real efficiency and profitability.
Complete Management Oversight
“What companies want is a powerful end-to-end business solution that sits at the core of their business driven by a single database and an easy-to-use single interface. They want complete real-time management oversight of their processes and operations so they know exactly what is happening at all times.
“Over a period of (three years?), working closely with partners in the indirect channel community, we developed a powerful modular application that meets the specific needs and demands of Voice, Data and Mobile dealers and resellers. The product is pretty much unique; there’s nothing else like it available.
“Other brands, like S.A.P. and Sage, have tried to create an end-to-end system but they do not deliver the power and specific practical benefits of our product – straight out of the box in one package. Other solutions, also, do not address and meet the specific needs of the reseller community.
“Resellers want automation; they want everything done seamlessly and quickly with as few mouse clicks as possible.
“The system is modular so channel companies can pick & mix between core functions to create a ‘best fit’ system for their particular operations. Every reseller has their own individual priorities and approach and Redcastle products have the depth, breadth and functionality to accommodate this.
The Redcastle solution for mobile resellers, for example, includes automatic rebates, stock allocation, product returns, order cancellations that automatically put items back into stock, credit notes, etc.
“For VARs and Integrators, the system offers automatic alert and renewal of support and maintenance contracts. It can also handle orders or projects involving multiple suppliers and generate multiple purchase orders, with a single click.
The product range includes a series of ‘dashboards’ that give senior managers a complete real-time overview of the workings of their company from first enquiry to invoice and post-sales - the ability to monitor and analyze each part of their operational process.
“Redcastle delivers exactly what Directors need to improve the management and operation of their business. Our product allows instant access to the data as it flows through the company so you can control the business at every stage.
Says Proctor: “I believe strongly that the systems within a company govern and ultimately determine the worth of the business. If systems and procedures are inefficient, and a barrier to productivity, they will ultimately prevent the company growing and realizing its potential”.