Ostratto - Blog | Ostratto #field salesOstratto - Blog | Ostratto #field saleshttps://www.ostratto.com/blogs/tag/field-salesFri, 11 Sep 2026 21:11:15 +0200http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[Case Study: Transforming Quote Generation for a Leading Solar Energy Provider]]>https://www.ostratto.com/blogs/post/case-study-transforming-quote-generationSee how Ostratto revolutionized Solarsense's sales process with Zoho CRM. By replacing spreadsheets with automated quote generation, we cut quote time by 75% and enabled instant on-site quotes for field consultants.]]>
Solarsense, established as a leading solar energy provider in the South West of England, faced growing pains with their manual quoting system. With a team of field consultants handling complex solar installations nationwide, the company needed a solution that could match their reputation for excellence.

The business was relying on spreadsheet-based quotes that required office access, limiting their ability to serve customers efficiently. This created a significant bottleneck in their sales process, particularly affecting their energy consultants who needed to generate accurate quotes during site visits.

Solarsense partnered with Ostratto to implement a comprehensive Zoho CRM solution, transforming their quote generation from a desk-bound process to a mobile-friendly, automated system. This digital transformation project focused on enabling field consultants to create professional quotes on-site while ensuring accuracy through automated calculations and product compatibility checks.

The Task

The primary challenge was to transform a complex, manual quoting process that required office access into a mobile-friendly system their field consultants could use anywhere. The solution needed to handle intricate product configurations, including solar panels, inverters, and mounting systems, while automatically calculating compatibility and pricing. 

Beyond just digitising the process, the system needed to enable on-site quote generation, standardize proposal documents, and integrate e-signatures for faster deal closure. This required a careful balance between maintaining the detailed technical specifications necessary for solar installations while creating an intuitive interface that consultants could use efficiently during customer visits.
Mobile-First
The system required seamless functionality across all mobile devices, enabling consultants to generate professional quotes during customer site visits. This mobile-first approach meant designing an interface that balanced complex technical capabilities with intuitive usability, ensuring consultants could work efficiently from any location.

Automated & Intelligent
The platform needed to deliver smart automation throughout the quote generation process, from initial product selection to final proposal creation. This meant implementing sophisticated rules for product compatibility and automated pricing calculations, while maintaining accuracy and eliminating manual checks.

Instantly Updatable
A central requirement was the ability to push real-time updates across the entire system, ensuring all users had immediate access to the latest product specifications and pricing information. This real-time synchronization needed to work across all devices, eliminating the risk of outdated information in quotes.

Integration-Ready
The solution required seamless integration between multiple systems, connecting CRM functionality, quote generation, and e-signature capabilities into a single, cohesive workflow. This integrated approach needed to support future scalability while maintaining consistent performance across platforms.

Products Featured

Leveraging our wide range of products and services, we implemented the correct tools to achieve the objective.

Zoho CRM

A customer relationship management solution that brought together sales and customer management in one place.

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Professional Services

Designing, implementing and maintaining the solution to meet requirements was all completed in-house by Ostratto.

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Ostratto Support

Dedicated helpdesk support ensures users confidence in knowing they are technically supported at all times.

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Implementation

The entire approach was then designed around these requirements, plus a few extras that would enhance the solution.

Mobile-First

We transformed Solarsense's field operations by optimizing Zoho CRM's mobile interface specifically for their consultants. The solution focused on streamlined mobile layouts that displayed essential quote information at a glance, while enabling one-touch quote generation during site visits.

Understanding the challenges of rural installations, we implemented offline access capabilities, ensuring consultants could continue working even in areas with poor connectivity. The mobile interface was extensively tested and refined based on consultant feedback to ensure optimal usability on both tablets and phones.

Automated & Intelligent

The heart of the solution lay in creating a sophisticated CPQ system with custom rules for solar panel compatibility. We developed automated calculations that instantly determined system sizing and pricing based on site requirements. 

The system was programmed to make smart product suggestions based on installation parameters, while automated validation checks ensured technical specifications were always accurate. This eliminated the manual cross-checking that previously consumed hours of consultant time.

Instantly Updatable

We established a centralized product catalog that served as a single source of truth for all product information. Real-time updates to pricing and specifications were immediately reflected across the entire system, with automated synchronization ensuring consistency. 

Push notifications kept all users informed of product changes, while version control for proposal documents eliminated confusion over outdated templates. The quick-update tools we developed allowed product information to be modified efficiently when needed.

Integration-Ready

The implementation connected Zoho CRM, CPQ, and Sign into a seamless workflow that eliminated manual handoffs between systems. We integrated automated document generation through Zoho Writer, creating standardized proposals that maintained brand consistency. 

The e-signature process was streamlined for quick customer approval, while automated follow-up workflows kept deals moving forward. All integrations were built on a scalable framework, allowing for easy addition of new features as Solarsense continues to grow.
​" Ostratto helped us implement Zoho without any of the usual tech headaches. No jargon, no complications - just practical solutions that work. Their training was spot-on, and whenever we need help, they're quick with clear answers. Our teams now spend less time on admin and more time on actual work."

James Molloy

Head of Quality & Support

Result

The implementation of Zoho CRM transformed Solarsense's sales operations, delivering immediate and measurable improvements across the business. 

Quote generation time plummeted by 75%, with field consultants now creating and sending professional quotes during initial site visits rather than returning to the office. The automated system virtually eliminated pricing errors and incompatible product combinations, while reducing quote revision requests. 

Consultants now report 100% reliability in generating quotes on-site, regardless of location, with the mobile-first approach enabling a 40% increase in daily site visits. The streamlined process has allowed Solarsense to handle 60% more quotes a week without increasing administrative overhead, while e-signature integration has reduced closing time from days to hours, with an increase in proposals signed within 24 hours of presentation. 

Perhaps most significantly, the improved efficiency has allowed consultants to focus more time on customer relationships, resulting in an increase in conversion rates. Product updates that previously took days to implement are now instant, ensuring all team members work with current, accurate information at all times.

photo of the solarsense team stood next to vans

At Ostratto, we're fundamentally customer-success focused. This means instead of designing solutions based on our expectations, we focus on customer requirements and needs to ensure their success. In turn, we find success in shared success as our customers' trusted technical consultancy partner whom they can rely upon.


We solve complex business problems with cutting-edge technology, whilst keeping everything simple for our customers. Be sure to check out other examples of how we have helped businesses make their work, less work.

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