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Does Good Design Matter?
Precursor: In 2020 we wrote an article titled “Could A CRM Give You Pleasure?” which proved rather popular. We’ve also spent much of last year improving the UX of our software.
But WHY?
Does any of it really matter? Thankfully there have been numerous studies to answer this very question…
For example, in 2005 a group called The Design Council studied portfolios of companies that traded on the FTSE over the past 10 years. What they discovered was that the companies that put an emphasis on design outperformed the FTSE 100 index by 200%*.
More recently, in 2015 the National Endowment for the US Arts released a study that concluded that small businesses saw a 17.5% increase in average sales on improved goods and services when they invested in design**.
https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/NEAIndustrialDesignManufacturing-4.28.2017-rev.pdf
As Homer Simpson once said:
"Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!"
So let’s drill down into
Five reasons why design doesn't just matter for the energy sector, it's imperative:
Good design has the power to simplify the complex processes that you find in the energy sector.
If you were to create a piece of software that fulfilled every part of your job – that system would be complex to a point of chaos but good design can simplify it all into manageable chunks. If done right, the design can act as a translator, simplifying the complex language of your processes.
Good design can affect users emotions and can actually make your team happier.
It may seem trivial to focus on emotion when talking about software but companies are realising more and more that it’s possible to evoke a positive response from simple interactions, like a hover effect or a popup animation.
Firms such as Apple have built billion-dollar products around how good it can make a user feel, where everything is carefully crafted to give the user a positive experience.
A CRM is much like your phone. You’ll likely spend more time looking at it than you will your own family, so it’s only right that it should also invoke positivity for the user.
Good design can make your team more efficient
As humans, we have an inbuilt nature to take the perceived quickest route to a solution, especially if we’re unsure of the path ahead. When performing a complicated task, good design can provide useful tools precisely where and when they’re needed along a workflow. For instance, having an important button appear more prominent than other page elements can help guide users eyes on where they should go next.
Good design can help highlight your wins and losses
Presenting your data is all well and good but if its meaning is not clear, then it’s likely to be overlooked. This is even more apparent when reporting within the energy sector. Good design can help declutter and present important, actionable information whilst giving the option to drill down to the data that matters. Users can then focus clearly on the presented facts and adapt swiftly to the cause of their wins.
Good design can provide assurances of a high level of service.
If we hold two products side-by-side, we’ll invariably focus on the better-looking of the two. This is where the good design looks to assure us that “If they’ve spent this much effort perfecting how it looks, then the way it works must also be as equally well thought out”.
Although we know that doesn’t always hold true, it’s inbuilt within us and we still can’t help but use it as a base for commercial decisions. When providing completely re-brandable software like ours, it’s even more imperative that when your customers are using it, the way it looks matches the high level of service that you provide.
Summing It All Up
Investing in good design is superficial by its nature but the results will bleed into numerous positive areas, far and beyond aesthetics. Here at UtilityClick we care enormously about the software experiences our users will have, that’s why we invest so much in a design to convey that. We don’t believe any equivalent system can attest to that.
If you’d like to see how we’ve taken these 5 points above (and a few more) to transform our software, get in touch for a demo:
An interactive side-by-side of old Vs. new for our PRO CRM product.
A Big Fat Review Of The Year
What happened in the world?
The US elected their first ever female vice president.
What happened at UtilityClick?
Vendor Agreements Added
This update enabled users to keep all customer data in one place by storing all types of agreements, not just energy related.
Bill Val Launches!
A brand new product was added to give peace of mind to customers that their bills are thoroughly checked prior to payment.
Click To Dial Added
PRO CRM users were now able to make outbound calls and log the resulting details (like call duration and time of call).
What happened in the world?
NFT became a thing. Christie’s sells first purely-digital NFT for $69 million.
What happened at UtilityClick?
Address Lookups Added
Address lookup functionality was added to the system, saving users time when profiling their customers.
Marketing API Integration
This was a new API connection that allows contacts to be automatically fed through to any system of choice.
What happened in the world?
Ever Given boat blocks the Suez Canal for 6 days.
What happened at UtilityClick?
A New Advanced Search
We deployed a MASSIVE upgrade to all system search tools, making it even easier to search for customers and leads.
The UC Jukebox
This brought an integrated UC Video Jukebox to PRO CRM. Now if the work gets tough users are able to turn up the tunes.
Our staff launched a lighthearted energy podcast and inadvertently stumble into a great energy-saving waffle cooking hack.
What happened in the world?
Nomadland wins Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress at the Academy Awards (Oscars).
What happened at UtilityClick?
Employee Payment Terms
We added an enhancement to our Commissions module that allows users to create employee payment profiles. Monthly payments due can then be reported to internal agents.
Monthly Usage Tools Added
This allowed for future forecasts to be updated based on actual usage, thus providing a clearer insight into users finances.
We Turned 5 Years old
Half a decade ago UtilityClick was just an idea from the inside of a South London flat. Fast forward to April 2021 and our software is used to procure over 2.8 TWh every year.
What happened in the world?
The one where the cast of the hit TV series, Friends reunited.
What happened at UtilityClick?
Supplier Pricing Participation
With this update, suppliers could now mark whether they will be participating within a tender or custom pricing request.
Parent/Child UI Overhaul
This upgrade made it so much easier for users to review Parent/Child portfolios.
What happened in the world?
England reach the finals of a European Championship for the first time ever.
What happened at UtilityClick?
Speedier System Exports
We rewrote each module using pure SQL code, which means requested exports are completed much faster.
Another new product, allowing users to create their own energy price comparison website through Tickd (and then manage it all through our industry-leading CRM system).
Bulk Reassigning Customers
We realised the unnecessary admin required to make wholesale changes to a customer, so we added a bulk assignment tool.
What happened in the world?
The delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics takes place and is dominated by the US and Chinese teams.
What happened at UtilityClick?
Meter Lookup With MPAN
We added the ability to search for a site or meter location by MPAN.
PORTAL offers suppliers a doorway to interact with TPIs, whilst INSIGHTS allows for invaluable monitoring of market conditions.
Authentication With Microsoft
This update brought Microsoft authentication to the majority of our services. Now all that is needed is an existing Microsoft login and password.
What happened in the world?
Lionel Messi leaves Barcelona in tears after 21 years with the club.
What happened at UtilityClick?
This one was huge! We completely redeveloped all reporting and dashboards from the ground up.
What happened in the world?
Nasa's rover lands on Mars and collects first rock samples.
What happened at UtilityClick?
A Bumper Release Of Over 100 System Improvements
Including a 'Recycle Dead Leads' tool, 'Quick Customer Snapshot', and improved error messaging for imports.
What happened in the world?
Space tourism takes off as William Shatner actually goes to space.
What happened at UtilityClick?
A 2.0 of an upgrade which included significant improvement to the upload process as well as making the system much easier to use.
A Jam-Packed Bonus Box
We released a selection of items for PRO CRM containing 9 new tools.
What happened in the world?
Britney Spears is a free woman after a judge ends her conservatorship.
What happened at UtilityClick?
Extended Dashboards And Reporting
We rolled out 10 new beautiful dashboards to all customer accounts. These new reports not only look great but focus on speed and clarity.
No matter your supplier relationship coverage, this update meant you could now choose to employ the "Get Tickd Quotes" button and utilise the connections that Tickd have assembled.
What happened in the world?
Angela Merkel steps down as German Chancellor after 16 years in charge.
What happened at UtilityClick?
Complete System Redesign
The end of the year saw the completion and rollout of a shiny new design for our PRO CRM, BILL VAL and PORTAL products.
Duck Hunt Game
Everyone hates an error screen so we tried to soften the blow of ours by giving users the chance to play a version of the 1984 hit Duck Hunt each time it appears.
EDF Energy Contract Submission API
We've worked closely with EDF to give UtilityClick TPIs the ability to submit contracts directly to the supplier, once a quote has been marked as accepted.
And that was all in just 12 months!
You’ve seen how quickly both the world and our software evolves. Please feel free to get in touch to discuss any of the functionality we’ve added since you last saw it. We’ll be more than happy to arrange a demo to show you around!
Further reading...
The Oscars Vs. UtilityClick
If you’d rather skip the marathon, we’ve got a better option: our US blockbuster demo…
A Very Merry Pants Vs. Pants
Choose your side, play & win prizes. Rack up your score, push your country up the…
Supplier Integration with BG Lite and SP
Do you need access to BG Lite and Scottish Power?
Well now you can!
UtilityClick has teamed up with Tickd to offer TPIs access to both of these suppliers (read the article explaining our avo-lutely smashing partnership with Tickd).
The process is simple:
Sign up to the UtilityClick system
Run Tickd quotes alongside your standard quotes
Accept a BG Lite or Scottish Power quote through Tickd
The system will automatically push your request directly to Tickd. Simply sit back, relax and let PRO CRM do the rest.
Not signed up to PRO CRM yet?
Get in touch now to see what all the fuss is about.
Disclaimer
UtilityClick is, and always will be a Software Company. UtilityClick does not offer aggregator services and does not share in any commission splits. Tickd manage all aggregator services.
Energy Matchmaking with INSIGHTS
We know our TPIs and we know the industry. Our TPIs respond better to suppliers that offer more than just good price.
Imagine this tendering scenario:
Supplier A
Supplier A is the cheapest offer on the completed tender but TPIs don’t know much about them. As a result, they haven't formed a great relationship.
Supplier B
Supplier B is £90 more expensive over a 12 month deal BUT they use the power of INSIGHTS to allow TPIs to contact them there and then. They also highlight their three best personality traits:
Fully fixed product 100% renewable Dedicated account managers
Can you guess which supplier invariably comes out on top with our TPIs?
At UtilityClick, we can present your best personality traits to the TPI when it matters most – at the price presentation stage.
Give your TPIs the confidence to put their business through you.
Latest articles...
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Elon, Cybertrucks & Supplier Links
Your Supplier Journey, Does It WORK?
Elon Musk shows us that it can.
Elon is a clever man. He didn’t invent trucks. Of course he didn’t. They’ve been around for quite some time. So how do you go about revolutionising the truck sector? Well, quite simply, you make it better.
The reason that Tesla has over 1 million truck reservations isn’t just down to its environmental benefits. Here are the big three reasons people are reserving the Cybertruck:
- Looks – quite the head-turner isn’t it? Who wouldn’t want to drive a truck that makes you look like Batman!
- Brand – it’s fair to say that it’s pretty cool to drive a Tesla. They are innovators, forward thinkers and always pushing the boundaries.
- Potential – want to go on a journey reading a book whilst your car/truck drives autonomously? Want your car/truck to be fixed through a WiFi patch update rather than at a garage? It’s fair to say that it’s more likely to happen sooner with Tesla than it is with Ford.
Why is this relevant to the energy sector and the supplier journey?
Well, there are providers out there that offer integrations between supplier and TPI. They’ve been around for a few years. But now UtilityClick has entered the space to make the process smooth, efficient and better!
Our supplier integrations create true automation between suppliers and TPIs, dramatically reducing the cost to serve for both parties.
Dare we compare ourselves to Tesla?
Why Not!...
1. Looks
Our TPI Pro CRM and Supplier Portals have been built on cutting edge technology, creating beautiful front-end applications with primary attention placed on user experience.
2. Brand
We’ve got a great track record in not only building industry-leading software solutions but also building them quickly.
3. Potential
We develop quicker than anyone else in the industry. And with our focus now firmly on TPI/supplier integrations, full automation is on the horizon!
Are you as excited as we are on the future of automation between TPIs and suppliers? Get in touch if so! The only main drawback, we have an Andy, not an Elon. Don’t let that stop you though!
Latest articles...
The Oscars Vs. UtilityClick
If you’d rather skip the marathon, we’ve got a better option: our US blockbuster demo…
A Very Merry Pants Vs. Pants
Choose your side, play & win prizes. Rack up your score, push your country up the…
Enter your email below and we’ll write to you about once every 2-3 weeks.
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The Perfect Duo? Avo-lutely!
Create your own energy price comparison website through Tickd, then manage it all through our industry-leading CRM system. Integrate your own supplier relationships or push contracts through Tickd’s panel of suppliers.
What's Tickd?
Tickd allows you to create your own Energy Price Comparison Website, either integrating your own supplier relationships or utilising theirs. Your customers can generate their own quotes and choose a deal that suits them.
How does it work with UtilityClick?
With the UtilityClick integration, you can push your own supplier pricing straight through to the Price Comparison Website. Then, once a lead lands, you can progress, report and connect automatically all through the UtilityClick PRO CRM.
Guac can it all do?
Key Features:
- Allow your customers to generate their own quotes.
- They choose a deal that suits them.
- Contracts signed, all online.
- Combine with your own special pricing.
- In-built credit referencing process to ensure quotes are pre-qualified.
- Can be adapted to a telesales journey.
- Track, Convert and Report from one CRM system.
Register Your Interest Below...
Disclaimer
UtilityClick is, and always will be a Software Company. UtilityClick does not offer aggregator services and does not share in any commission splits. Tickd do offer aggregator services. To take advantage of this you will need a direct agreement in place with Tickd. We can put you in touch with a Tickd representative when using the “Register Your Interest” form above.
A Big Leap: Monthly Usage Data
What does it do?
It allows you to store monthly usage information that's provided by the utility. Simply locate the relevant file, upload and let the UtilityClick system do the rest.
How does it help me?
Commissions! Update your future forecast based on actual usage and gain a clearer insight into your finances.
Retrospectively amend your forecast to help with reconciling payments to truly get on top of budgeting.
Latest articles...
The Oscars Vs. UtilityClick
If you’d rather skip the marathon, we’ve got a better option: our US blockbuster demo…
A Very Merry Pants Vs. Pants
Choose your side, play & win prizes. Rack up your score, push your country up the…
Enter your email below and we’ll write to you about once every 2-3 weeks.
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Free Cake and Burning 5 Candles
How many candles are we burning?
Five!
Yes, we’re 5 years old!
It's hard to believe half a decade ago UtilityClick was just an idea from the inside of a South London flat.
Fast forward to today and our software is used to procure over 2.8 TWh every year.
Or to put it another way -
That's 350,000,000 candles*
So you could say we're burning 350 million candles (our design team told us that was too many to illustrate).
Ok, enough talking...
How do I get my free birthday cake?
Book a demo and we'll send you some cake to enjoy whilst we take you through the system.
What better way is there to spend 20 minutes than eating cake and finding out how the UtilityClick system can run tenders, progress leads, or forecast your commissions?
Just enter your address details when booking your demo below and we'll send you the cake to join us in our celebrations (no tricks, just lovely tasty cake).
Latest articles...
The Oscars Vs. UtilityClick
If you’d rather skip the marathon, we’ve got a better option: our US blockbuster demo…
A Very Merry Pants Vs. Pants
Choose your side, play & win prizes. Rack up your score, push your country up the…
Enter your email below and we’ll write to you about once every 2-3 weeks.
Error: Contact form not found.
Three demos and a baby
Once upon a time...
...We spent our days living in two different worlds. One where we kept all things workplace related; and another, completely separate, where our offspring would shout:
"Mum/Dad, I need a poo",
again and again, at the top of their voice.
Today those two worlds have very much collided and working practices over the last 12+ months have shifted significantly as a result.
Our team meetings have often been invaded, either by the physical presence, or vocal clues, of other littler beings, just a door handle away.
On the demo front - We've had customers that have needed three calls, where previously they would have had one. Each demo being brought to an impromptu close with the recipient needing to stop to offer unexpected childcare.
We are no longer alone - these worlds have joined. But isn't that amazing?
As a society, we have had some rough hits over this last year but there are also some wonderful positives to find amongst the debris.
Businesses are being forced to relax and show their personality, warts and all. For us, that's been great, especially for our demos. We see them as a chance to chat, get to know someone new and see if there's a mutual fit.
We always have.
What's great now, is that when a new face joins us on a Teams call, they're already accustomed to that approach, having experienced it twenty times previously since this all began.
Our CRM may be all-encompassing but that doesn't mean our demos need to be. We more than welcome the potential family invasion and if you need, we can tailor our demos so that even your two-year-old can enjoy it.
So if you would like to book a demo with us don't worry about having to bring the tribe along.
We'll take you through it all.
Once, twice or three times.
All in baby steps.
Latest articles...
The Oscars Vs. UtilityClick
If you’d rather skip the marathon, we’ve got a better option: our US blockbuster demo…
A Very Merry Pants Vs. Pants
Choose your side, play & win prizes. Rack up your score, push your country up the…
Enter your email below and we’ll write to you about once every 2-3 weeks.
Error: Contact form not found.
A Secret Track - UtilityClick Jukebox
...
...A little while back one of our clever developers created UtilityClick Jukebox - a video boombox embedded directly within our CRM.
We encourage our dev team to experiment and innovate as much as possible so these little side projects are always a welcome surprise.
Isn't that a waste of their time?
Ok, we admit that a jukebox within a CRM might not seem like a useful addition, but we believe that in these moments of experimentation, great ideas (and subsequently, features) are born. Up until now, our jukebox has only been available to UC employees but we thought the world could do with a boost and so UC Jukebox has now been added to the system for all to enjoy.
Once switched on you can listen to some great* tunes whilst managing those important opportunities.
All that bopping got us thinking... and so, here's our perfect top 5 Energy Brokerage tracks that you just might hear on the UC Jukebox...
Marvin Gaye
I Heard It Through The Pipeline
Dolly Parton
KPI Will Always Love You
Guns N' Roses
Sweet Parent/Child Tender Of Mine
Jackie Wilson
Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Supplier And Supplier
Stevie Wonder
Signed, Sealed And Set A Renewal Notice For 24 Months
We don’t just create innovative music features, we also make great software to help procure energy. If you would like to see a demo of our system and understand more about how we can help you dance to a better beat – feel free to get in touch, we’d be happy to show you around.
*The term “great” depends on your love for MMMBop by Hanson.
Further reading...
The Oscars Vs. UtilityClick
If you’d rather skip the marathon, we’ve got a better option: our US blockbuster demo…
A Very Merry Pants Vs. Pants
Choose your side, play & win prizes. Rack up your score, push your country up the…