Client Relationship Management for a Municipal Pump Manufacturer

Pumping Systems International (now operating as PSI Process) is an employee‑owned company that designs, installs and maintains large pumps for municipal water and sewer systems. The company’s growth exposed gaps in its sales and service processes: customer calls were routed manually by a small team, bids were tracked in spreadsheets and there was no unified view of the sales pipeline. Recognizing that their customers were primarily public agencies with complex procurement cycles, PSI Process sought guidance on selecting a customer relationship management (CRM) system.

Business Automation Experts (BAE) performed a comprehensive analysis of the client’s processes, evaluated multiple CRM platforms and facilitated a structured vendor selection.

Through a weighted scoring framework and a managed bid process, BAE helped PSI Process choose a CRM that could centralize customer touchpoints, integrate bid management and support service dispatch. The engagement equipped the company with a repeatable evaluation methodology and laid the foundation for improved customer satisfaction, efficient operations and scalable growth.

Project Overview

Client Context

PSI Process manufactures and services large pumps used by municipalities for water supply and wastewater treatment. Its business model combines design, sales, installation and ongoing maintenance. The organisation employs direct salespeople as well as independent representatives. Customer engagement spans initial specification and bidding through installation and decades of maintenance. Prior to engaging BAE, PSI Process managed customer relationships using disparate tools: spreadsheets tracked bids and contact information; a basic ticketing system dispatched service trucks but lacked integration with customer records; and about a dozen staff members fielded incoming calls and manually routed them to the appropriate person. As the company expanded and public‑sector projects became more competitive, leadership realized they needed a consolidated CRM to track opportunities, manage bids, coordinate sales channels and ensure timely follow‑up with municipal clients.

Business Challenge

BAE identified several challenges that a CRM initiative needed to address:

1. Disparate systems and manual routing – Customer inquiries, bid requests and service calls arrived via phone and email. With no central repository, employees manually forwarded messages, leading to delays and dropped leads. The existing ticketing system generated dispatch tickets for service trucks but did not capture customer context or integrate with sales data.

2. Complex sales and bidding process – PSI Process sells primarily to government entities through formal bids. Each project involved multiple stakeholders, precise specifications and strict deadlines. Tracking the status of bids, understanding who submitted proposals and where projects stood in the pipeline was difficult without a single system.

3. Multiple sales channels – The company employed both direct salespeople and independent representatives. Leadership needed visibility into each channel’s activities and performance, as well as a way to assign and manage territories.

4. Uncertainty about deployment models – At the time of the project (pre‑HubSpot era), the CRM market included on‑premises software such as Siebel and open‑source options like SugarCRM, as well as emerging cloud platforms like Salesforce.com. PSI Process was unsure whether to buy or rent software, host it on‑premises or in the cloud, and how to staff and support the solution.

5. Lack of structured evaluation experience – The client had never run a vendor selection process of this magnitude. They needed guidance on defining requirements, weighting criteria, evaluating proposals and negotiating contracts.

Solution

BAE delivered an advisory engagement focused on requirements definition, structured vendor evaluation and change management. The work unfolded in four phases:

Phase 1: Process & Systems Assessment

• Current state analysis – BAE spent time with sales, service and administrative teams to map existing workflows for handling customer inquiries, generating bids, logging service requests and managing dispatch. The analysis covered software systems, spreadsheets, call logs and physical processes.

• Gap identification – The team distinguished between manual and automated steps, identified bottlenecks (e.g., hand‑off delays when routing calls) and documented desired capabilities such as integrated bid tracking, automatic call routing, task assignments, and consolidated customer history.

• Infrastructure review – BAE inventoried the company’s servers and network to understand the feasibility of hosting a CRM on‑premises versus utilizing a cloud solution.

Phase 2: Requirements Definition & Evaluation Framework

• Requirement gathering workshops – BAE facilitated workshops with leadership, sales representatives, dispatchers and finance staff to capture functional and non‑functional requirements. Key requirements included: tracking bids and proposals; managing direct and independent sales channels; capturing all customer touchpoints; integrating with the existing ticketing system; and generating reports on bid status and sales activities.

• Criteria weighting and scoring model – BAE created a multi‑criteria decision framework, assigning weights to factors such as functional fit, ease of use, integration capabilities, deployment model (cloud vs on‑premises), vendor stability, implementation cost and ongoing support. This model would later be used to score vendor proposals.

• Long‑list of CRM options – BAE researched available CRM solutions, considering market leaders like Salesforce.com and SugarCRM along with other options. This step reflected the market context noted on the BAE website.

Phase 3: Vendor Evaluation & Bid Process

• Request for Proposal (RFP) preparation – Using the requirements and scoring framework, BAE drafted an RFP and distributed it to shortlisted CRM vendors and implementation partners. Vendors were asked to demonstrate how their solutions would handle bid management, sales pipeline tracking, call routing integration and multi‑channel sales teams.

• Demonstrations and comparative analysis – BAE organized vendor demonstrations and provided templates for the client to capture feedback. After each demo, the evaluation team met to score the solution against the weighted criteria. Comparative spreadsheets compiled scores for cost, functionality and fit.

• Bid process management – For an organization new to running a bid process, BAE managed communications, set timelines, coordinated vendor Q&A, and ensured that proposals were consistent and comparable.

Phase 4: Selection & Recommendations

• Scorecard and final presentations – BAE aggregated the scores and facilitated discussions to select the best‑fit CRM. The chosen solution balanced functional requirements with budget and support considerations. BAE also outlined the implementation approach and resource requirements.

• Contract negotiation support – The team assisted in reviewing license agreements, service terms and vendor commitments to ensure that the client’s interests were protected.

• Roadmap and change management – While the engagement did not include implementation, BAE delivered a roadmap for deploying the CRM, training staff and integrating with the service ticketing system.

Results

• Informed selection and risk mitigation – PSI Process chose a CRM platform that met its requirements, fit its budget and aligned with its IT capabilities. The structured evaluation reduced the risk of selecting an ill‑fitting solution and provided clarity on total cost of ownership.

• Improved visibility into bids and customer interactions – Once implemented, the chosen CRM system centralized customer information, bid status and sales activities. Sales teams gained transparency into opportunities, and management could monitor pipeline health and forecast more accurately.

• Better call routing and service coordination – Integration with the existing ticketing system enabled incoming calls to be routed directly to the appropriate sales or service rep. Dispatchers could view customer history and service requests, improving responsiveness.

• Repeatable evaluation process – The decision‑making framework and evaluation templates developed by BAE became a reference for future technology investments. PSI Process applied similar methods when evaluating other business systems.

• Positive client feedback – The organization appreciated BAE’s leadership in navigating a complex procurement exercise and credited the process with helping them adapt to changing market demands.

Final Impact & Value Delivered

BAE’s advisory engagement provided PSI Process with much more than a CRM recommendation—it delivered a structured approach to technology selection and change management. By thoroughly analyzing existing processes, defining clear requirements and managing a transparent vendor evaluation, BAE empowered the client to make an informed decision. The resulting CRM platform promises to streamline bid management, unify customer touchpoints, improve call routing and support scalable growth. Beyond immediate business benefits, PSI Process gained a repeatable model for future technology evaluations and a better understanding of how to align systems with strategic goals. As the client evolves, this foundation will help them respond effectively to new opportunities and continue delivering reliable water infrastructure solutions to municipalities.

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