3 Key Benefits Of CRM Connectivity:
Manage additional remote teams
Use data weekly to coach for revenue
Remain a market leader with superior service

Company Snapshot
CCI Technology Solutions
Managing Director: Steve Pinkney
Industry: IT Connectivity Services
Founded: 1986
Employees: 70
Customer Since: 1989
Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Imagine you are on your first Zoom meeting with a potential customer, and then you get the dreaded “poor connection” error and the line goes dead.

You try to call back on but notice you cannot reconnect to the internet…

Your unreliable network has cost you another new client.

That’s where CCI Technology Solutions comes in. They provide connectivity to keep businesses running without skipping a beat.

Click on the image above to watch the CCI Technology Customer Story Video

How it All Started

Steve, a qualified technician, had a passion for technology early on. During his career, he transitioned to data communications but it was while working in the networks division at a big insurance company in Cape Town, he and his friend Gerald Lea, noticed there was a gap in the market. The lack of Local Area Networks (LAN) was starting to impact the commerce in South Africa. So in 1986, they took the plunge and created their own company, CCI Technology Solutions. They started out of his garage, focused on cabling, but have evolved into communication enablers, providing infrastructure for anything to do with connectivity. Cabling, generators, and wireless links – they provide the links that keep businesses running.

Over the years, they have built a very loyal client base. While there are cheaper alternatives out there, it is their exemplary service and fantastic team that keeps their customers coming back. Steve points out that “Companies come and go in this business, but we’ve managed the test of time.”

In fact, they keep growing. With a head office in Cape Town, they have expanded with a network of subcontractors to offer national coverage and work all over Sub-Saharan Africa.

Connectivity problems

Despite being a connectivity company, CCI was experiencing a disconnect in their expanding suite of software. Their growing business meant that they were using more and more sophisticated solutions to manage their activities but none of them were integrated. They needed the 360-degree visibility that Maximizer provides, particularly on the go.

“We implemented Maximizer a long time ago to our business, specifically since 1989. We needed a CRM to keep a check on who our clients are and for our reps to track updates on their ongoing deals.”

Connecting the dots

Part of the decision-making process was about how well the on-premise CRM played with their existing solutions like accounting systems. Steve notes that “One of the good things about Maximizer is that you can add more products. We’ve integrated Maximizer into our accounting system and our document management solution and everything works seamlessly.”

Their local Maximizer Certified Solutions Partner, Camsoft Solutions, helped them set up everything including their need to track their growing team and locations. Steve explains, “We dashboard everything! From opportunities to wins and everything in between and all the integration coming from all the different systems.”

“So, from my perspective, as a Managing Director, I want to see everything and I wanna see how my reps are doing, and how our opportunities are coming along.”

Operations, sales, and services. Every individual has their own dashboard that they manage and maintain – so everyone knows where they stand and where they should focus next. Things like:

• Number of open jobs
• Amount invoiced
• Opportunity age
• Closing rates

They use all this information in weekly one-to-one and team meetings for coaching and to keep everyone on track. They discuss what people are working on, what the week is looking like, or what is invoiced today. Steve adds, “In addition, I can also track what’s happened in terms of our lost deals and why we lose to our competitors.” They discuss what’s working and what problems they are having and make proactive changes.

“We have probably got about 200 active clients and about 14,000 clients in our database. That’s a huge amount. Maximizer gives me a quick overview of how we are servicing each client with a few clicks. I can see exactly what opportunities appending with them and what wins we have had.”

As a director, this company-wide information is crucial to their success. He explained, “We know exactly what jobs are assigned, to whom they have been assigned, how they are progressing through the system, and how fast are deals being closed. Then we also track the help desk we use for customer service.”

Their entire company uses this information to provide more proactive, personalized customer experiences. Whether they are in the office or out on-site, they can access everything they need to know about their customer’s preferences or orders.

This extra attention to detail has given them the competitive edge for three decades. And the team is happier as well. Overall Steve has felt the increase in productivity and his team is less anxious as they know exactly where they stand, and everyone works together to fill in any gaps.