HubSpot is the glue for manufacturer seeking to drive growth
A NetSuite integration is at the heart of a ‘game-changing’ HubSpot implementation for building products manufacturer Techlam.
The Client
Techlam NZ – pioneering ‘biophilic’ building products
Based in Levin, New Zealand, Techlam manufactures glue-laminated (glulam) timber products that promote ‘biophila’ – a design approach that strengthens our connection to nature and improves wellbeing in commercial buildings. Managing Director Brett Hamilton says, “As well as offering a flexible and cost-effective building material, Techlam’s products contribute to commercial buildings made of timber that encourage ‘biophilia’. A subconscious connection to nature, biophilia has been proven to promote wellness and a better atmosphere within the building, and has led to increased market interest in their environmentally friendly building options.”
Techlam’s product offering includes glulam products, design services, prefabricated components, brackets, and more, supporting construction projects through tenders, contractor involvement, and merchant sales throughout New Zealand and the South Pacific. Their close-knit sales and service team includes account managers across Christchurch, Auckland and Waikato, as well as a customer service team at their head office. Brett is also closely involved in outreach and estimating, ensuring strong connections with customers and a hands-on approach to driving the business forward.
The Challenge
Disconnected NetSuite ERP hampering progress
Techlam faced significant challenges with an inefficient mix of disconnected systems:
- Multiple, unconnected tools: NetSuite for ERP, Pipedrive for CRM, ActiveCampaign for marketing, and Tawk for chat, all of which couldn’t communicate with each other.
- Inefficiency: The fragmented nature of the systems led to counterproductive processes and a lack of real-time data.
- Clunky CRM: NetSuite’s CRM was difficult to use both in the office and for account managers on the road, making it hard to manage customer relationships effectively.
- Lack of integration: With no seamless integration between tools, data management became increasingly complex, affecting productivity and growth.
Having so many different systems that didn’t talk to each other was incredibly counterproductive.
Brett Hamilton
Managing Direct, Techlam
Techlam knew they needed a unified solution to streamline their processes and improve efficiency. They turned to Concentrate to integrate their systems and solve these problems.
Image: Techlam Curved Glulam Beams at Murihiku Marae
The Solution
HubSpot as the central platform for growth
Techlam engaged Concentrate to implement HubSpot CRM, Sales Hub Professional, Marketing Hub Professional, and Service Hub Professional to centralise operations and improve data flow. By integrating HubSpot with NetSuite, Techlam now has a unified system where sales data, quotes, and customer information sync seamlessly. This integration has created a cohesive environment for sales teams to access real-time data, making it easier to manage customer relationships and track sales activities.
Steps Taken
- Hubspot implementation: Concentrate implemented HubSpot as the central CRM, working alongside their specialist NetSuite developer integrating it with NetSuite to ensure smooth data synchronisation.
- Centralisation: All customer data is now housed in HubSpot, providing sales teams with a comprehensive view of sales activities.
- Streamlined processes: The integration syncs key data such as contacts, companies, and sales opportunities across both systems.
Figure 1: NetSuite to HubSpot integration architecture
The Results
The glue to drive growth a ‘game-changer’
With HubSpot now fully integrated with NetSuite and centralising key processes, Techlam experienced a significant transformation in how they manage their operations and customer relationships. What was once a collection of disconnected tools is now a seamless system that drives efficiency and enables growth.
- Seamless system integration: The integration of HubSpot and NetSuite created a smooth, unified system that eliminated data silos and manual entry. Techlam’s sales and service teams now have a single source of truth for all customer interactions and sales activities, improving overall workflow.
- Real-time data syncing: Quotes, sales orders, contacts, companies, and deals are now synced in real-time between HubSpot and NetSuite. This gives the team full visibility of their customer data, ensuring that nothing slips through the cracks.
We’ve got the integration with NetSuite working smoothly, syncing not only contacts and companies but also deals. In real-time, I can sit on the HubSpot dashboard and see quotes and sales orders pop up. That’s been game-changing.
Brett Hamilton
Managing Direct, Techlam
Seamless systems integration
Real-time data
syncing
- Increased sales team engagement: The sales team’s adoption of HubSpot has been a huge success. They now expect customer data to be easily accessible, whether in the office or on the go, leading to a more productive and engaged sales force. The ability to quickly scan business cards into HubSpot and view up-to-date information has been particularly valuable for field agents.
- Enhanced efficiency and productivity: Techlam has significantly improved sales efficiency, with processes streamlined and more automation in place. Workflow automation has reduced the time spent on administrative tasks, allowing the team to focus on more strategic activities that drive business growth.
- Clearer pipeline and customer tracking: With accurate and up-to-date data at their fingertips, Techlam now has a clearer picture of its sales pipeline. The integration has enabled them to track every stage of the sales process with greater accuracy, from initial contact to closing the deal, ensuring stronger forecasting and planning.
- Enterprise value: Brett sees HubSpot’s role as more than just a CRM—it’s a tool that’s adding enterprise value to the business. The ability to track every customer interaction and have a comprehensive view of their sales process has not only boosted efficiency but also added value in terms of insights and customer relationships.
It’s definitely going to make us more efficient... and it’s going to add enterprise value to the business. We now have an accurate pipeline and a clear record of our interactions with customers that we can refer back to.
Brett Hamilton
Managing Direct, Techlam
Looking Ahead
Expanding capabilities for future growth
Techlam plans to further expand its use of HubSpot, particularly by integrating the HubSpot Service Hub to enhance customer success efforts. Future initiatives include building an online knowledge base and automating customer service workflows to improve efficiency and self-service options for customers.
Additionally, Techlam aims to integrate outbound processes into HubSpot, enabling a more streamlined approach to reach new customers while maintaining high levels of service for existing ones. This will allow Techlam to further scale its operations and strengthen its outreach efforts.
By integrating NetSuite with HubSpot, Concentrate has helped Techlam streamline its operations, improve sales efficiency, and position itself for continued growth. The seamless connection between systems has not only enhanced productivity but also strengthened Techlam’s ability to scale and respond to customer needs more effectively.
If you'd like to find out more about how Concentrate can do for your organisation what we’ve done for our other clients , don't hesitate to get in touch.