For Colter MacKenzie, branch manager at iModernology's Austin, Texas office, speed is often what separates a signed deal from a lost one. The eight-person integration company, which also operates a branch in Houston, depends on fast, accurate proposals to keep pace with a competitive residential and commercial AV market, and MacKenzie credits D-Tools Cloud with making that possible.
MacKenzie isn't new to the platform. He has relied on D-Tools Cloud for six years across multiple companies, and when he joined iModernology, he brought it with him. While the rest of the iModernology team runs on D-Tools System Integrator (SI), MacKenzie's Austin branch operates on D-Tools Cloud exclusively.
Record-Time Proposals, Even on Complex Builds
Ask MacKenzie what D-Tools Cloud has changed most about his day-to-day, and the answer is immediate: turnaround time. Proposals that once ate up entire afternoons now come together in a fraction of the time — without cutting corners on accuracy.
“To give an idea of how fast I can do proposals, I typically put a pre-wire proposal together in an hour or two. It used to take three to four hours just with all the line items. As far as a full system build-out, I can typically put it together in two to three hours, which used to take six to seven hours depending on the size of the system,” says MacKenzie.
MacKenzie points to D-Tools Cloud's product catalog and accessory associations as the engine behind that speed. Because parts are easy to find and optional accessories are automatically tied to the products he typically pairs them with, he can move through even large, complex proposals without missing a line item.
“Having all the parts easily accessible and being able to create optional accessories that are tied to parts I typically associate with them speeds everything up and makes sure that I don't forget certain parts in a large system,” he adds.
Built-In Tech Support Is Big Benefit
When MacKenzie compares D-Tools Cloud to D-Tools SI, which the rest of his team uses, one difference stands out above the rest: the ability to get a real answer in real time. D-Tools Cloud's built-in tech support chat sits right on screen, letting MacKenzie ask a question the moment it comes up. It means he doesn’t need to create a support ticket or wait for a callback.
“One of the biggest benefits of Cloud in comparison with SI is the tech support that is right there on screen that you can jump on and ask a quick question at any time. That helped a lot in my early days when I was setting up the system and building packages and accessories, and just understanding everything right off the bat. Fast turnaround on responses and quick, simple answers have been helpful,” he recalls.
That immediate support made the biggest difference during onboarding, when MacKenzie was building out his product packages and accessories from scratch. Rather than stall out on a setup question, he could get an answer on the spot and keep building.
Eyeing Procurement and Service Modules
Today, iModernology's Austin branch uses D-Tools Cloud primarily for proposals, but MacKenzie is looking to add some of D-Tools Cloud's other features. iModernology currently manages those functions with separate software, and MacKenzie sees an opportunity to eventually consolidate onto a single platform.
“I know that there's been a lot of work done on the service side of things as well as the procurement, and I wanted to learn how we can utilize that. Right now, we're using other software for that, but we'd like to bring it all into one if we could,” explains MacKenzie.
It’s All About Proposal Turnaround Speed
Asked whether he'd recommend D-Tools Cloud to other integrators, MacKenzie points to the same two things that have defined his own experience: faster proposals and a broader view of what's possible to sell.
“I would recommend D-Tools Cloud to other AV integrators if they're looking to speed up the turnaround time for proposals. Als, if they want the ability to explore other products that they wouldn't normally have heard about or found by using the catalog,” he says.
