Case Studies
P.R. Quinlan
Current Business Solutions
For the past eight years, PRQ has utilized a custom-made product to manage its core operations. Complementing this, the firm has leveraged a web application named Strategy Updates for approximately six years to support its business activities further. While these tools initially served their purpose well, PRQ began to face significant challenges due to the outdated technology that formed the backbone of these solutions.
Challenges Faced
“From our perspective, I don’t think we’ve ever utilized technology the way we should have. When we started the business 10 years ago it was a paper or where everything was done in a Microsoft Word document. — We eventually built a database and we found it useful. What we struggled with was the original database was clunky and over time our customers weren’t using our database but rather waiting for us to send a PDF report every couple of weeks”
– Frank Caliva, President, PRQ
Changes Over Time
The initial database that was built had both cost and functionality as a primary driver. However, as changes needed to be made over time PRQ found that the database became even clunkier in terms of interface, functionality and performance. There was an apparent need for changes that overcame workarounds that occurred in the platform as well as a cohesive, strong first impression that shows PRQ’s commitment to providing their energy updates.
Outdated Technologies
The aging technology used in PRQ’s applications presented several critical drawbacks:
- Slow Click Processing: The application was sluggish in processing clicks, leading to delays and inefficiencies.
- Cumbersome Data Handling: Entering and reading data was cumbersome, making routine tasks difficult and time-consuming.
- Poor Customer Navigation: The application was not intuitive for customers to navigate, causing confusion and frustration.
- Slow Page Loading: Significant slowness in page loading further hampered the user experience.
- Manual Corrections: Many corrections had to be made manually in the documents, increasing the risk of errors and requiring additional effort.
Solutions
To address these challenges, EC Group developed a tailored product-building platform for PRQ. This platform facilitates the creation of new products and the migration of existing ones, ensuring a seamless transition to a more modern and efficient system.
“The most important thing was that the EC Group team did so much work up front to try and understand our use case for this database. They did this in a way that we hadn’t done before that helped us clarify and ask questions of ourselves about what we wanted this database to mean to our customers.”
– Frank Caliva, President, PRQ
Key features and improvements included:
- Modern Web Applications: Development of modern web applications to replace outdated systems, reducing the need for manual corrections.
- Improved Performance: Enhanced performance metrics, ensuring faster processing and page load times.
- Intuitive User Experience: A modern UI structure that provides an intuitive user experience, making navigation easier for customers.
- Enhanced Reporting Capabilities: Advanced reporting capabilities that offer better business observability.
- Customer Self-Service: Improved features that enable customers to self-navigate and manage their needs independently.
- Proper Email Support and Notifications: Implementation of reliable email support and notification systems to keep users informed and engaged.
Results
“I don’t think we have ever worked with someone who honestly understands what we are trying to do better than EC Group. They just understand it, are thinking about it, and trying to figure ways to do things better than we ever would have thought of.”
– Frank Caliva, President, PRQ
The implementation of the new platform by EC Group yielded substantial benefits for PRQ:
- Time Gained: The improved efficiency of the new system saved significant time in processing and operations.
- Business Observability: Enhanced reporting capabilities provided better insights into business performance and operations.
- Customer Self-Service: Customers experienced a more intuitive and user-friendly interface, enabling them to manage their needs independently.
- Expanding Business Offerings: The modernized platform allowed PRQ to expand its business offerings, providing more value to clients.
- Increased Performance: The new system’s increased performance resulted in faster processing times and reduced delays.
- Modern UI Structure: The updated user interface offered a more appealing and functional experience for users.
- Intuitive User Experience: An overall improvement in user experience led to higher satisfaction and reduced frustration.
- Proper Email Support and Notifications: Enhanced communication through reliable email support and notifications kept users informed and reduced manual effort.
- Enhanced Reporting Capabilities: Advanced reporting tools provided deeper insights and better decision-making support.
“It feels like we went from a jalopy to a Porsche” –
Frank Caliva, President, PRQ
Conclusion
By partnering with EC Group, PR Quinlan Associates successfully overcame the limitations of their outdated technology. The transition to a modern and efficient system has not only resolved existing issues but also positioned PRQ for continued growth and improved client service. The new platform’s robust capabilities have enabled PRQ to streamline operations, and enhance overall performance. As a result, PRQ is now better equipped to deliver the critical insights their clients depend on, ensuring sustained success in a competitive market.
“It was so great because the team took us seriously and they took the process seriously which made us feel like a big deal. They took on the challenges of a serious process and it is something that a company of any size would find really valuable.”
– Frank Caliva, President, PRQ
PRQ will continue to work with EC Group as they look to develop Phase 3 of their database platform over the next 6-12 months where they will understand the feedback from their new launch and look to expand on what they can offer to their customers.
The collaboration between PRQ and EC Group stands as a testament to the power of innovative solutions in transforming business operations. With a renewed focus on efficiency, user experience, and scalability, PRQ is poised to continue leading the way in intelligence reporting and analysis for retail energy suppliers and consultants.
