With Podio, Foresight Lighting and Design:

• Automated most processes in their workflow to increase efficiency and output
• Tripled revenue in three years
• Added a second location

“Our business is so dependent on Podio. I love that I know what’s happening with every job or project. I can go into any project and know what’s happening, so when anyone calls in, any one of our team members can answer the phone and can know how to help somebody. That would’ve never happened before Podio.” 

-Ryan Reid, Owner, Foresight Lighting & Design

Manual processes limited growth

When Ryan Reid, owner of Utah-based Foresight Lighting and Design, took over the company from his father-in-law in 2019, he wanted to keep the company on a growth trajectory while maintaining its foundational values. But he realized the business had prospered and grown over the years using antiquated systems that hindered scalability. 

“We couldn’t achieve the level of growth I envisioned using spreadsheets and emails,” Ryan said. “It simply was not sustainable.” 

He needed a platform that could handle the volume he envisioned and help his team streamline everything. Ryan turned to Podio.

Complete process overhaul

After Ryan implemented Podio, he focused on process mapping.

“Through collaboration with Joel Hall of Design Flow Labs, we were able to streamline our operations and optimize every aspect of our workflows,” Ryan said. “From sales and purchasing to warehousing and deliveries, Podio provided the centralized hub we needed to keep our processes moving forward.” They added advanced automation to ensure triggers kept processes moving without manual work. First, they updated the order process. Before, the sales team was responsible for all process management. Now, when an order is submitted, the sales team completes the order in a Podio webform. Then, a trigger seamlessly transitioned the order to their office team to input relevant data in their systems. After they entered the data, the Podio-driven process triggered warehousing to begin order fulfillment. The Podio implementation freed them to prioritize sales and business expansion instead of being bogged down by administrative duties and support calls.

Ryan soon expanded this process to the presales journey. They were using a separate app for sales prospecting, which caused alignment issues.  Ryan built a prospecting app in Podio that his sales team could use to management leads efficiently and seamlessly transition them into orders, creating a smoother sales experience.

More growth and more automation

Last year, Foresight Lighting and Design added furniture and accessories to its inventory. These items were not listed on its website, which meant prospects needed the ability to inquire about these items.

Ryan worked with Design Flow Labs to create new system in Podio to generate quotes.  Sales team members can now respond to inquiries with PDF quotes that are automatically sent to prospects.   Rejected quotes prompted sellers for to make adjustments, while accepted quotes seamlessly transitioned into orders within the workflow.

Another part of the process was gathering testimonials from customers after successful order fulfillment. To accomplish this, Ryan added a Google review automation flow so when orders are completed, customers are asked to leave a review, helping spread the word about Foresight’s work.

They also found ways to leverage Podio for internal processes. They manage employee PTO requests through Podio, maintain their employee directory in a Podio app, and post internal memos and announcements in their Podio workspace. 

“Podio has become our go-to platform for all internal communications, replacing traditional methods such as texting and emailing,” Ryan said.

The results

After all the updates to processes with Podio, Foresight Lighting & Design has tripled their revenue with minimal increases in expenses to support growth. They have also opened a second location, enabling the company to serve a larger area more easily.

“There’s no way we could’ve done that without Podio. Absolutely no way. We wouldn’t be able to operate without it.” 

-Ryan Reid, Owner, Foresight Lighting & Design

Ryan and his team have experienced a notable increase in efficiency and significant reduction in manual work. With Podio, the Foresight team can accomplish much more in a given day, helping accelerate their growth.

What’s next

Ryan feels good about Foresight Lighting & Design’s processes and has noticed a shift in his team since the company implemented Podio.

“The team now feels empowered to suggest improvements,” said Ryan, whose employees are using a suggestion box app in Podio to share ideas and enable continuous improvement.

With an expanding product portfolio and the right technology in place, Ryan hopes to triple the business once again over the coming years and lead Foresight Lighting and Design to even greater success.

Learn how Podio can streamline your processes, and check out the solutions Foresight Lighting & Design provides homeowners and contractors.