As most working in photovoltaics (PV) know, the solar industry is constantly evolving, with new technologies, changing regulations, and shifting market demands.
So while you’re busy converting leads, designing systems, submitting project plans, managing contractors, sourcing parts, scheduling installations, and receiving permission to operate (PTO), it can be easy for important project details to fall through the cracks.
If you’re still relying on basic spreadsheets, outdated systems, and inefficient processes to power your solar workflows (we call this Gray Work), this could cause missed opportunities, delays, costly errors, and (at worst) unhappy customers.
If you’re looking for an edge in navigating the solar coaster and growing your business, dynamic CRM (customer relationship management) software can completely transform your operations. It streamlines your processes, ensures you always deliver great customer experiences, and keeps those important partner relationships strong. It’s essential for staying ahead.
Here, we'll look at all the benefits of using a solar CRM platform to demonstrate how effective software can help your business’s efficiency and bottom line.
Common Project Management Challenges (Without a Solar CRM)
Operating a solar company without a high-quality CRM platform can be a bit like sprinting in high-heeled shoes — sure, you could do it, but it’s pretty inefficient and could seriously hold you back in the long run.
From lead to sale and beyond, solar customer journeys span marketing, design, installation, and service stages, each with its own data, stakeholders, and best practices for success. But if the tools you’re using don’t communicate well with one another, it can create headaches when information gets siloed and communication breaks down. With every delay or mistake, it may become increasingly harder to keep solar clients happy when project fulfillment falls short of customer expectations.
Without a centralized hub for communication, solar teams may spend unnecessary time tediously processing customer information, manually transferring project data between platforms (spreadsheets, email, etc.), and managing vendor contracts. These inefficiencies can really add up. So, when scaling your solar business, a centralized CRM platform is essential to streamline projects, keep everyone on the same page, and consistently set up your customers, vendors, and teams for success.
Benefits of Quality CRM for Solar Project Management
With high-quality solar project management software, PV companies can operate efficiently, communicate effectively, and grow sustainably, one happy customer at a time. Helping solar-powered businesses shine bright in every market, here are a few key benefits of implementing effective solar CRM software.
Centralized Data For Everyone
Helping consolidate information on both sides of the solar installation equation, CRM platforms centralize customer and vendor data so that every critical project detail can be found in one place. Within a shared solar CRM interface, sales representatives, project managers, and engineering teams can collaborate with consistent information across customer timelines, including up-to-date system details, total costs, and ongoing client communications. For example, while previously delayed by internal software firewalls, global photovoltaic leader Canadian Solar found that a centralized CRM platform made it easier to communicate data with key PV project stakeholders in real-time worldwide.
Improved Relationships and Customer Service
A good solar CRM makes building stronger customer relationships easier, both before and after a sale. During the pre-sales phase, marketing and sales teams can track important info — like where a lead came from, their preferred contact method, site details, and notes from past conversations — so they can nurture interest and follow up more effectively. After the sale, automated tools in the solar CRM keep everyone in the loop, sending project updates to stakeholders and reminding your team when it’s time to reach out for check-ins, review requests, referrals, or even scheduling future inspections. It helps keep everything organized and ensures no opportunity gets missed.
Increased Operational Efficiency
Most importantly, CRM tools can track every aspect of a solar company’s relationship with its customers and vendors, creating detailed data points and valuable insights to guide future business operations.
Within a customizable CRM platform, you can analyze ongoing success using several key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure customer experience. For solar companies, this means tracking ongoing projects, identifying common bottlenecks, reducing unnecessary delays, and consistently finding ways to minimize operational redundancies while maintaining consistent customer satisfaction.
Using a Solar Industry CRM Platform
While IBISWorld estimates that there are over 1,300 CRM system providers to choose from in 2024, it is important to remember that not all platforms are the same, and few are suitable to address the complexities of average solar workflows.
By choosing a CRM specifically tailored for solar companies, you can maximize the benefits of your organizational upgrade and position your business for long-term success. To stay ahead of the competition, here are four key product features to look out for while choosing your solar CRM platform.
Workflows Based on Solar Customer Journeys
From sales and design to installation and maintenance, a quality solar CRM can help you guide your customers through every stage of their journey with built-in features to accelerate processes, like easy project scheduling and integrated vendor contracts. Most importantly, organized and automated workflows make it easy to share updates with the right people at the right time, whether that is your engineering team, your PV installation crew, or your customers themselves.
Customizable Project Details and Features
As every solar customer and project is different, a customizable CRM can help account for specific details or unexpected challenges while managing your sales, installation, or service pipelines. While it is easy to set up frameworks for basic residential, commercial, and utility-scale projects, customization is essential to PV fulfillment success at every level when calling out unique property features, hardware inclusions, roof access, or other important things to know about new installations.
Industry-Specific User-Friendliness
PV companies are typically made up of diverse teams, which is why the best solar CRM platforms are intuitive and easy to use for engineers, sales personnel, and project managers alike. Critically, solar project updates can be made anywhere, anytime. Therefore, the best CRM for solar companies can generally run well on both desktop and mobile devices.
External Software Integrations
Wherever a solar CRM is lacking features, external software integrations can create the best possible platform for your company. For example, a solar CRM Google Maps integration helped Roof Diagnostics Solar sales representatives seamlessly retrieve lead property information, accelerating PV system design processes without compromising customer experience.
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Bottom Line: Invest in a CRM Built for Solar
In short, a customizable solar CRM can help PV businesses stay competitive by managing leads, projects, and operations more effectively. With a solid CRM platform that centralizes data, makes collaboration easy, and streamlines workflows, solar companies can simplify everything from sales to installation and beyond. Most importantly, a great solar CRM can help track project progress, improve customer relationships, and uncover opportunities for greater efficiency and growth. It’s basically the game-changer that can take your solar business to the next level.
