Closet Factory is a leading franchisor with over 50 locations in the United States. Recently, the franchisee in Fort Lauderdale, Florida became an airSlate customer.

We spoke with Steve Newman, CEO, and Alex Newman, Vice President to learn more about their journey. 

airSlate WorkFlow adoption contributes to a highly successful franchise

All the Closet Factory locations are individually owned and operated and can differ from one another. The Fort Lauderdale location happens to be one of the best performing locations in the country. 

As one of the highest-selling Closet Factory stores, Steve Newman’s operation is often used as an example and a model for success. With that in mind, Steve and his team have lofty ambitions.

“One of our long-term goals is to eliminate paper in this business. We are in 4,200 homes each year, that’s a lot of paper. We want to automate as much as possible, and be much more collaborative and efficient. With different departments all relying on paperwork, we need to have a centralized repository that allows everyone to have access in real-time, with no delays.” 

Steve Newman
CEO, Closet Factory

To help them in their quest to go paperless, Steve and his team have introduced airSlate WorkFlow to their document process. And they know others will be watching. 

If the Closet Factory in Fort Lauderdale finds success automating with WorkFlow, that could be a catalyst for the entire Closet Factory organization to adopt the technology and operate much more efficiently across the board. 

Trial and error when going digital with the sales process

Where Closet Factory shines in delivering a personalized and high-value product, they lacked in being technologically advanced. 

This was especially apparent when it came to the sales cycle, particularly at the point of sale. Understanding that there was a need to shorten the sales cycle in order to experience business growth, Steve sought the advice of Nizar Lavji, VP of Productivity & Collaboration Solutions at Forthright – Closet Factory’s IT partner.

Based on their specific needs and the way the Closet Factory sales cycle works, Forthright suggested using WorkFlow to create digital contracts.

“We had previously worked with a third-party provider to build us a digital contract, which was essentially hard coding on someone’s laptop that a customer could fill out,” explains Alex. “Unfortunately, we have certain if/thens – conditional logic – that add to our complex sales cycle that our initial digital contract could not solve for. Thanks to Forthright, we now have WorkFlow which meets our needs and has allowed us to do what we were hoping for.”

In addition to working via conditional logic, WorkFlow and Forthright have helped Closet Factory bring the contract and the digital design process together. Because everything Closet Factory produces is completely custom, clients have to approve every aspect of the design, which has historically been done through a third party software, like AdobeSign. Aside from being a lengthy, complicated process for customers, it also meant that important signatures or details would not get captured.

“WorkFlow has allowed us to compress the sales cycle and recover some losses that resulted from a disjointed process. I’m no longer chasing people down to get a missing signature or make sure their payment is going through or hunting down a client I can’t get a hold of. Now, we get what we need the first time around.” 

Alex Newman
Vice President, Closet Factory

Using WorkFlow has also helped keep the sales process compliant and hold salespeople and clients alike accountable. 

“WorkFlow has given us the ability to obtain certified signatures, versus having someone write their credit card number on a piece of paper,” explains Steve. “Certified signatures have been a big deal, not only for PCI compliance, but because they’ve also eliminated any he said/she said. If there’s something in a contract that we need to enforce, we have a check and balance system and a repository for all critical documentation, so we know who, what, where, why, and when anything transpired.” 

Using sales process automation as a performance motivator

An interesting and unexpected way that WorkFlow has brought value to the Closet Factory team is by giving them a means to performance manage their staff. 

“Our business is very personal and our sales people are often outside of the office interacting with clients, making it hard to see exactly what they’re doing,” explains Alex. “WorkFlow has given us the ability to audit our team and mitigate any shortcuts that may happen, which has been motivating. For example, if someone has a lower closing ratio, we can coach them through the process and help them become better at their job.”

Instead of being perceived as a sort of watchdog on them, the Closet Factory sales team has been grateful for the opportunity to develop their professional skills and focus on being more detail-oriented. Plus, the efficiency that WorkFlow has brought to their process means there are more deals to be made. 

“With WorkFlow, the sales cycle has been significantly shortened, by days or hours. Our salespeople are ecstatic about that.”

Alex Newman
Vice President, Closet Factory

With the majority of sales and design activity happening out in the field, access to WiFi can sometimes be an issue. 

“WorkFlow has been a good choice for us because we’ve been able to create an Offline Document that is not dependent on internet connectivity, but will still feed right into our central repository,” says Alex. “Our team can confidently go through their sales process without missing a beat, which makes their lives and jobs easier.”

Favorite WorkFlow features 

Since implementing WorkFlow, the sales process has changed drastically for the folks over at Closet Factory, so much so that it’s hard for them to pinpoint what they love most about the software. However, Steve and Alex are quick to mention two critical elements:

“When we’re with a client who has approved a design and we’re in WorkFlow going through the signature process, we are barred from moving the contract forward until all required fields are completed,” says Alex. “This is vital; this is where a lot of errors or incompletes happened in the past. Requiring that each signature or initial is completed before hitting ‘NEXT’ alleviates the need to chase anyone down for more information. I can’t overstate how important this is.” 

Steve adds, “WorkFlow has brought a level of professionalism to our process that shows our consumer that we really have our act together. It shows a much higher level of professionalism than our competitors. WorkFlow is sophisticated, and it gives our clients a higher level of confidence in our product.” 

Because WorkFlow is a no-code platform, the team at Closet Factory does not require additional IT resources to help them manage and enhance their use of the solution. 

As a bonus, having a digital contract makes it easy for anyone, anywhere to add their signature and move the process forward, which works out well since many of Closet Factory’s customers live elsewhere or travel frequently. WorkFlow has also removed uncertainties in the process of building closets, since it is easy to track if and when customers have signed all necessary disclosure forms and when they’ve made deposit payments using Stripe. 

“WorkFlow has just made everything much more seamless for us, which allows us to focus on how we can continue to grow and scale our business.”

Steve Newman
CEO, Closet Factory

Looking ahead with WorkFlow

In the short time they’ve been using WorkFlow, the Closet Factory team has already seen significant savings in time and money. 

Most noticeably, the team no longer deals with the grief of chasing down customers or credit card numbers. They’re able to get the signatures they need the first time around and run payment immediately, which results in a more efficient cash cycle for the company. 

They are saving mountains of paper thanks to a seamless and streamlined digital process. 

Moving forward, Steve and Alex and their Fort Lauderdale team are hopeful that their location can enact change across the entire Closet Factory organization. 

“We are operating in a very competitive environment,” says Steve. “The more profitable we can be, the better. And WorkFlow is helping us get there.” 

The post How Closet Factory is using airSlate WorkFlow to streamline their sales process and deliver a high-value customer experience  appeared first on airSlate Blog | Business automation.

While implementing a flexible work model can be disruptive, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) face a trend that could be even more so—the talent shortage. A recent VMWare survey showed 62% of respondent organizations are currently experiencing talent shortages, with hospitality (81%), media and entertainment (69%), business and professional services (68%), and public healthcare (68%) experiencing the most dramatic shortages. These trends are helping to facilitate the rise of the distributed workforce.

What is a distributed workforce?

A distributed workforce can include remote and hybrid workers, but it goes further. Distributed workers may be full- or part-time and work across geographies, time zones, and office locations. 

So even offices where most employees are on-site most of the time may have a distributed workforce. You may have a central office in Madison, Wisc., and smaller locations in Los Angeles and New York. Or you may not have full-time marketing or IT staff, but contract these individuals as needed. Salespeople often work from their homes or remotely while traveling. 

The distributed workforce model is considered future-proof, boosting innovation, driving employee satisfaction and productivity, and enabling companies of all sizes to access talent pools across the globe.

Automation technology and distributed workforces

One thing all these workforce models have in common? The need to implement automated solutions to connect and work digitally and smartly. Automation is no longer just a buzzword; it’s a strategic imperative. With some headwinds due to skill shortages, automation technology is the linchpin that holds the workforce together, irrespective of physical location.

The investments in this technology made during the pandemic have proven to be enduring solutions critical in today’s work environment. These include cloud-based applications for automated workflow, document creation, team collaboration, communicating with clients or prospects, or getting contract signatures. 

Complex automation solutions include eSignatures, document editing, payment collection, and no-code robotic process automation.

Automation tools have become indispensable, as they can trigger processes automatically, regardless of where someone is located. For example, an electronic signature can trigger an alert that a contract with a new client is signed or a job candidate agrees to your offer. They enable employees to sign and send documents, contracts, and web forms that are legally binding from any device. They can also integrate with CRMs and databases. In short, these tools also help companies close deals faster.

The importance of e-signatures in business operations 

Our recent third-party survey highlights a significant shift from traditional wet signatures to digital signatures, with two-thirds of respondents using digital signatures in business operations.

Xerox’s 2021 study, The State and Fate of Small and Medium Business, surveyed 1,200 business decision-makers from companies with 25-1,000 employees, confirming the importance of automation and digital transformation in the post-pandemic work environment.

• 81% acknowledge that reliance on technology is essential to support and secure a distributed workforce.
• 80% saw automating tasks and processes as essential to their survival post-pandemic
• 82% strongly emphasized the importance of digitizing paperwork.
• Two-thirds planned on upgrading their automation tools, with 65% already in the process of upgrading their workflow solutions.
• Following the pandemic, 85% of these businesses were more reliant than ever on communication technologies, remote IT support, and security hardware and software.

Our internal research confirms these findings. Customers who use SignNow have shared benefits such as:  

• 300 hours saved per week; 15,000 hours saved per year
• One whole salary
• Cut the signing process from 15-20 minutes to 30-60 seconds.

They also shared the Intangible benefits realized from implementing SignNow: 

• Improved customer relationships due to easy-to-use UI and the ability to sign from any device
• Digitally stored documents can be instantly accessed
• Reduced signing error rate and audit trail to maintain compliance

The benefits of workflow automation

Workflow automation has proven to be a game-changer for businesses in this distributed work environment. Some key benefits include:

1. Streamlined communication: Workflow automation eliminates manual communication, reducing stress and workplace misunderstandings. Team members receive automated reminders for tasks, improving overall communication.
2. Seamless remote onboarding: With the continued embrace of the hybrid working model, companies are turning to automated systems to streamline the onboarding process for remote employees. Onboarding is crucial for integrating new team members into the company culture and ensuring they understand their responsibilities. Automation helps plan and orchestrate the onboarding experience, making remote team members feel welcome and connected. 
3. Increased accountability: Automation assigns responsibility for every aspect of a project or process, reducing the chances of errors or missed tasks. Managers can easily oversee operations and identify inefficiencies.
4. Cost savings: Businesses can reduce costs by eliminating errors and streamlining processes through automation. Administrative labor costs are reduced as repetitive tasks are automated.
5. Empowerment: Workflow automation empowers employees by enabling them to manage their work more effectively, giving them more time for strategic tasks.
6. Efficiency: Workflow automation software simplifies task assignment and approval processes, speeding up operations that previously required manual intervention.
7. Productivity: Employees can focus on higher-value tasks when routine and time-consuming activities are automated. This results in serving more clients with higher profit margins in client-facing industries.
8. Quality: With more time for meaningful work and less exposure to human error, businesses see higher-quality output from their teams.

Final thoughts

The post-COVID work environment has ushered in a new era where technology and automation are crucial to business survival and success. The distributed workforce is here to stay, and businesses, especially SMBs, must invest in technology to thrive in this dynamic landscape. Workflow automation, e-signatures, and other technological innovations are shaping the future of work, and embracing them is essential for businesses looking to stay competitive and agile in the years ahead. As the world of work continues to evolve, those who harness the power of automation and technology are best positioned to succeed.

The post Why automation is integral for the post-COVID, distributed workforce appeared first on airSlate Blog | Business automation.