The Case for GoCanvas 

VIP Lighting is a retail lighting and electrical maintenance company that services retail chains across Australia and New Zealand.  The business has been operating for 25 years and now services 10,000 retail sites across both countries.  

Prior to joining GoCanvas in 2018, the business had multiple systems running different aspects of their technician and contractor network.  One system dealt with their team of franchisees in major metro locations, while the other system provided work orders to their network of regional contractors.

There was no way to integrate these systems, which made providing updates and reports to customers very difficult and time-consuming.  Because of the multiple systems being used and an outdated accounts package, the company knew it needed a change. 

The business spent 12 months trying to replace their existing systems with an implementation of a new “off the shelf” system that is commonly used by electrical contractors. But with the unique structure of the business and their pricing, this ‘off the shelf’ system became like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

There were some elements of the system that worked and others that didn’t.  They tried other systems as well, but these systems could not provide the service and support they required. In the end, significant time and money were spent on a failed option, and they were ultimately in need of a better solution.

GoCanvas Implementation and Results

Now with GoCanvas, VIP Lighting is able to integrate all different aspects of their business. Here are some of the ways their team is using the platform:

• Their admin team uses the desktop version of GoCanvas to book all jobs for VIP Lighting. 
• Their metro technicians use the GoCanvas mobile app as their main field software for completing assigned jobs.  
• Their regional contractors get an email with PDF work orders that are built using a separate GoCanvas form.  

“Since the GoCanvas system is both simple and flexible we have also used it to create some custom apps and forms that are specific to certain customers.  This customizable ability has become a good selling point to promote VIP Lighting to new, potential customers as a point of difference from our competition,” explained VIP Lighting’s National Marketing Manager, David Kell.

Moving the business processes over to GoCanvas has provided many benefits to their business:  

• Reduced licensing costs for their field software
• Improved customer communication & relationships
• Assisted in gaining new clients for the business
• Reduced administrative work for staff
• Reduced paper usage and improved overall efficiency

Using data as a competitive advantage

One of the main appeals of shifting to GoCanvas was the ability to extract data using the open API.  In an increasingly competitive industry, the business found that its ability to provide reports and data to customers was a major weakness. 

They were processing several hundred jobs each week from a large customer base and they were looking for a way to reduce the number of phone calls and emails from customers asking for job progress updates.  

VIP Lighting engaged a third party to develop an online Client Portal and to assist them with migrating to a new accounting system.  The Client Portal publishes various key customer, job, and invoicing fields, using the data feed collected within GoCanvas. This integration now plays an important part for VIP Lighting’s administration team as well as their field technicians. 

To complete the process, the Client Portal features an invoicing element that sees the completed GoCanvas submissions pushed into their new accounts system for invoicing.  This is the first time in VIP Lighting’s 25-year history that all aspects of the business are using a central system. 

By leveraging the open API of GoCanvas, VIP Lighting is able to use data as a competitive advantage and integrate the data that’s being collected for more efficient business processes.