Strensall Merchants / BG-Demo – Onboarding
Callcompleted
Strensall Merchants · 11 Apr 2025 09:15
First onboarding call with Neil Craven and Ashok Patel. They want one trade account across all branches, reports that match the ledger, and single sign-on before wider rollout. Tone is positive and practical.
What was said
What this says
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026First onboarding call with Neil Craven and Ashok Patel. They want one trade account across all branches, reports that match the ledger, and single sign-on before wider rollout. Tone is positive and practical.
What happened: Laura agreed the connector order with Ashok, who put deliveries ahead of orders to prove the account mapping. Success was set as one builder resolving to one account, and a sample of balances matching the ledger.
Customer view: Neil wants branches, key accounts and credit looking at the same trade account. Ashok will not trust a green light and wants every number explained.
Commercial: Laura confirmed Enterprise, one hundred and sixty licensed users and £114k a year, matching the order form. Neil said there was nothing to discuss on price and would involve a colleague if there were.
Watch: The mapping table has duplicates, the credit file lands late once or twice a month, and single sign-on is not yet arranged. Stale data would hit trust quickly.
Themes
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Theme
Enterprise onboarding plan
Importance
neutral
Sentiment
positive
Voice
champion
Who was there
BG-Demo
CRMmade from
Them
CRMmade from
Follow-up
Next steps
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Laura Penhaligon to send the revised plan with deliveries first, the nightly timing note and the IT security call request.
- Neil Craven to introduce Laura to the head of credit control and chase the mapping export.
- Ashok Patel to confirm his analyst as second admin and send the mapping export request.
Risks
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- The credit mapping table has duplicates, so account numbers may not resolve cleanly until checked against the ledger.
- Single sign-on is not yet arranged and IT wants a security call first, which could hold up the wider rollout.
- The credit export lands late once or twice a month, so that source can go stale.
Opportunities
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Neil wants to show the board once the one-builder test works, which gives a value story for the Enterprise subscription.
- Ashok wants a second admin, which reduces key-person risk and deepens use of the account.
Transcript
Laura PenhaligonMorning, Neil, morning Ashok. Can you both hear me alright?
Neil CravenMorning, Laura. Aye, loud and clear. Ashok's just sorting his screen.
Ashok PatelMorning. Sorry, I'm here. Give me a second, the share is being awkward.- Laura PenhaligonNo rush at all. Dreadful weather down here this week. I hope York's been kinder to you.
- Neil CravenDry, which is a miracle. Mind, I've had a builder on the phone since seven. One of our big housebuilder accounts. Three different branches had delivered to the same site in the same week and nobody had told the site manager. So he rings me, not the branches. Which is rather why we're doing all this.
- Laura PenhaligonWell, that's a better opening for an onboarding call than anything I'd written down. What was the builder actually seeing, in the end?
- Neil CravenThree invoices, three drivers, three different people saying they were his contact. That's what he's seeing. Let's sort it, not talk about it.
- Laura PenhaligonUnderstood. Right, Ashok, are you with us?
- Ashok PatelYes, got it. Can you see my screen? It's the admin page.
- Laura PenhaligonI can. A little small. Could you zoom in once?
- Ashok PatelBetter? Good. Before we start, I'll tell you what I've changed since our last conversation, because it affects the plan. I've created a service account for the connectors inside our Snowflake, and I've given it read access only on a test schema. Nothing is switched on yet. I never switch on a source without testing it.
- Laura PenhaligonThat's exactly the right order, thank you. Read-only on a test schema means we can prove each load before anything touches live data. And you've kept it separate from your reporting schemas?
- Ashok PatelYes, completely separate. If something goes wrong I can drop the schema and nobody's reports move. Although I never delete what I can't restore, so there's a snapshot first.
- Laura PenhaligonLovely. Let me give you the shape of today, and tell me if it's wrong. We've got about forty-seven minutes. I'd like to agree which sources come in and in what order, who owns each one on your side, what you want to see working in the early weeks, and then what I send you afterwards. Does that cover it?
- Neil CravenSounds right. I'd add one thing. I want somebody to be able to type a trade account in and see everything about it. Orders, deliveries, calls, credit. All of it, one place. If that works for a single account I'll be happy.
- Ashok PatelWhich account number is that, though? That's my worry, Neil. Our branches don't all key a trade account the same way. Some have the group number, some have a local one, some have both.
- Neil CravenAye, that's the mess. That's the builder this morning. Which branch, which account, who knows.
- Laura PenhaligonRight, so that's the first thing to settle, because every connector depends on it. Ashok, is there a master list that ties local numbers to the group number, or is it spread about?
- Ashok PatelThere's a mapping table in the credit system. It's mostly right. I'd say mostly. I've seen duplicates where a builder trades under two company names. I can export it and check it against the ledger before we load anything.
- Laura PenhaligonPlease do. Because the data says otherwise sometimes, doesn't it, when you put the ledger next to the branch figures.
- Ashok PatelIt does. That's one of my pet worries. I'd like the reports from B-Viz to match the ledger, otherwise nobody in credit will trust them.
- Neil CravenAnd if credit don't trust it, the branches won't either. They'll go back to ringing each other.
- Laura PenhaligonAgreed. So here's what I'd suggest for sequence. We start with the credit system, since that's your anchor for the account numbers. Then the branch ordering system, then deliveries. After that, the call recorder and the mailboxes, and your CRM if you want it in. Does that match what you had in mind?
- Ashok PatelMostly. I'd put deliveries before the branch orders, actually. The delivery system has the cleanest account references because the drivers need them. Orders are messier.
- Laura PenhaligonInteresting. Say more. If deliveries are cleaner, we could use them to prove the mapping.
- Ashok PatelExactly that. Load deliveries, check the account numbers against the mapping table, find where they disagree. Then the orders come in with a cleaner key.
- Laura PenhaligonI like that. Fine, credit mapping first as a file check, deliveries as the first live connector, then orders. I'll rewrite the plan that way.
- Neil CravenCan I ask something daft? How many sources can we have? I don't want to get halfway and find we've hit a wall.
- Laura PenhaligonNot daft at all. You're on Enterprise, and the connector allowance on that tier is generous. Your plan is nowhere near it, so you've room to grow. I'll put the exact figures in the follow-up note so there's no guessing.
- Neil CravenGrand. And the people? We've got a hundred and sixty seats, haven't we? Is that all of them live from day one?
- Laura PenhaligonOne hundred and sixty licensed users, yes. But I wouldn't switch everyone on at once. Most customers start with a small group, get the questions right, then widen it. Who would you want in the first group?
- Neil CravenKey account managers for the housebuilders. A couple of people from trade credit. Maybe three or four branch managers who'll tell me honestly if it's rubbish.
- Ashok PatelAnd me, obviously, and somebody from my team as a second admin. I don't want to be the only person who knows how it's wired.
- Laura PenhaligonGood instinct. A second admin is worth having from the start, because if you're on leave and a connector needs a nudge, you don't want that waiting. Who did you have in mind?
- Ashok PatelOne of my analysts. She knows the credit data better than I do. I'll confirm with her this afternoon and send you the name.
- Laura PenhaligonPerfect. Now, owners. For each source I'd like a named person on your side who can answer questions about it. Ashok, you'll be the technical owner of all of them, I assume. But the business owner is different. Who decides what a customer record should look like in credit?
- Neil CravenThat'd be the head of credit control. She'll want to see it before anybody else does, mind. She's protective of her numbers.
- Laura PenhaligonThat's sensible. Could you introduce us, or would you rather I wrote to her directly?
- Neil CravenI'll do it. Better coming from me. Send me a few lines and I'll pass them on with a note.
- Laura PenhaligonWill do. And for deliveries?
- Ashok PatelLogistics manager. He's very practical, he'll be fine. He mainly needs to know I'm not going to slow the system down by pulling data in the middle of the day.
- Laura PenhaligonThat's a fair worry and the answer is the loads run overnight. The refresh should be complete before seven in the morning on business days, so the branches start the day on fresh data and nobody's competing with the depot.
- Ashok PatelGood. I'll tell him that. Can you put that in writing as well? He'll want to forward it.
- Laura PenhaligonOf course. Now, Ashok, would you mind walking me through the test schema? I'd like to see what you've set up, then I can tell you what we'll add.
- Ashok PatelYes. Sharing again. So this is the schema, and here's the role. It can read the three staging tables I've copied over, nothing else. I did it on one branch first, as a test, so the volumes are small.
- Laura PenhaligonMm. That's tidy. Can you scroll to the account column? Yes, that one. So that's the local number, and it's in a different format from the group one.
- Ashok PatelRight. The local ones have a branch prefix. The group ones don't. You can see on this row it's the same builder, two numbers.
- Neil CravenThat's him. That's my builder from this morning, I'd put money on it. Well, not literally.
- Laura PenhaligonHa. Well, it's a good test case. If we can get that one builder resolving to a single account, that's a proper success measure for the first weeks. Shall we write it down as one?
- Neil CravenAye, do that. One builder, one account, every branch. That's what I'll judge it on.
- Ashok PatelI'd add a second one if I may. Credit balance in B-Viz matches the ledger for a sample of accounts. Say a sample of ten, I'll choose them. If it doesn't match, we stop and find out why.
- Laura PenhaligonI'd write that exactly as you've said it. Match the ledger on a sample you choose, stop if it doesn't. That protects you.
- Laura PenhaligonSorry, I was just noting that down. Right. Let me ask about access. Enterprise includes single sign-on. Is your identity team ready for that, or is it a later step?
- Ashok PatelLater, I think. I've spoken to a colleague in IT and they want to see the security details first. They've asked for a call with someone on your side.
- Laura PenhaligonThat's normal. I'll ask our security contact to set that up. I'd rather not have people logging in with separate passwords for long, so let's aim for single sign-on before the wider rollout, not after.
- Neil CravenAye, I'm not rolling out to branch managers with passwords on sticky notes. Do it properly.
- Laura PenhaligonThen that's a dependency. Small group on temporary access in the early weeks, single sign-on agreed before we widen. I'll mark it on the plan.
- Ashok PatelThat works. Can I ask about stale data? If a source stops loading, will I know? We had a reporting tool once that just carried on showing last month and nobody noticed for a week.
- Laura PenhaligonGood question. You'll see in the admin page how many records each connector has indexed and when it last ran. If the count goes flat for days, that's your warning. I'll show you where to look when we do the first load. And raise a ticket if it looks wrong, though we'd rather you spotted it before it bit anyone.
- Ashok PatelGood. I'll check it every morning at first. The data says otherwise often enough that I don't trust a green light.
- Neil CravenSpeaking of tickets, you've had a couple from us already, haven't you, Ashok?
- Ashok PatelTwo. Both small. One was how to invite a user and one was a question about the test schema. Both answered, nothing urgent.
- Laura PenhaligonYes, I saw those. Nothing there to worry about. That's what I'd expect at this stage.
- Laura PenhaligonLet me move on to timing. Your contract started on Friday 28 February 2025, so you're about six weeks in. We're now at Friday 11 April 2025, and I'd like the first live connector working in the next couple of weeks, if your side can manage it.
- Ashok PatelCouple of weeks for deliveries is realistic. The mapping check is the slow bit, because I need credit to look at the duplicates. If they respond quickly, fine. If not, I'd rather wait than load rubbish.
- Neil CravenI'll lean on credit. Give me the list of what you need from them and I'll chase it. Which accounts, which export, by when.
- Ashok PatelI'll write it up today. It's really one export and a review of the duplicates. Maybe half a day of their time.
- Laura PenhaligonLovely. So actions so far. Ashok sends the mapping export request to Neil today. Neil introduces me to the head of credit control. I send the revised plan with deliveries first. Ashok confirms the second admin. Anything I've missed?
- Ashok PatelThe IT security call. And I'd like the nightly timing in writing for logistics.
- Laura PenhaligonYes, both. Thank you. Right, a few minutes on what the people will actually do with it. Neil, give me an example of a question you'd ask on a Monday morning.
- Neil CravenEasy. Which of my top housebuilder accounts have had a late delivery this week and are close to their credit limit. Because those are the ones that ring up cross, and then credit puts a stop on them and it all goes sideways.
- Laura PenhaligonThat's a good one, because it needs deliveries and credit together, which is exactly what you're connecting. Once both are in, you can ask it in plain words and it comes back with the accounts and the reasons.
- Neil CravenAnd would it say where it got that from? I don't want to quote something to a builder that I can't back up.
- Laura PenhaligonIt shows the records it used, so you can check before you say anything. I'd still tell people to check, especially early on.
- Ashok PatelAnd I'd tell them not to treat it as gospel until we've matched the sample to the ledger. I'd rather people were a bit sceptical to start with.
- Neil CravenFair enough. Sceptical but not scared. That's about right for branch managers.
- Laura PenhaligonThen training. I'd suggest a short session for the first group once deliveries are live, maybe an hour, using your own accounts. People learn faster on data they recognise.
- Neil CravenAn hour's fine. Not a minute more, mind, or the branch managers will have drifted off. Mornings, before the yards get busy.
- Laura PenhaligonMornings it is. I'll suggest a couple of slots when I send the plan.
- Ashok PatelOne more technical thing, if there's time. The credit system exports overnight but the file lands late some days. If it's not there when B-Viz runs, what happens?
- Laura PenhaligonThat source simply keeps yesterday's data until the next successful load, and the admin page shows the last good run. So it won't break, but it'll be stale. Is the lateness frequent?
- Ashok PatelOnce or twice a month. Month end is the worst. I can move our export earlier, I just need to ask the team that owns the job. I'll test it on one branch first.
- Laura PenhaligonPlease. If you can bring it earlier, the whole thing runs cleaner. Neil, this might need your weight too, if the other team push back.
- Neil CravenTell me who and I'll ring them. It's usually a quick conversation if I ask nicely and mention builders.
- Laura PenhaligonHa, that tends to work. Now, last area before we wrap: what does success look like at the end of the onboarding? Not the first couple of weeks, the whole thing.
- Neil CravenBranches, key accounts and credit all looking at the same trade account and agreeing on it. If the three of them can look at the same screen and nobody says, that's not what I've got, we've done it.
- Ashok PatelFrom my side, clean loads, no surprises, and I can explain every number if someone asks me. If I can't explain it, it's not ready.
- Laura PenhaligonThose are good, plain measures, and I'll put them at the top of the plan in your words. Daniel, our customer success manager, will pick up the regular reviews with you once I've handed over, and Lewis stays your point of contact for anything commercial. Neil, I know you'd route anything on price through your colleague anyway.
- Neil CravenAye, I'd not go into that without her in the room. But so far there's nothing to discuss on that front.
- Laura PenhaligonQuite right. Just so we're clear on the paperwork, the contract records you as Enterprise, with one hundred and sixty licensed users, and the invoicing matches the order form at one hundred and thirteen thousand five hundred pounds a year. So no surprises there for anyone in finance.
- Ashok PatelThat's the same figure I've seen. Good.
- Laura PenhaligonGreat. Then let me read back the plan. Ashok sends the mapping export request today. Neil introduces me to credit control and chases that export. Ashok confirms his analyst as second admin this afternoon. I send the revised plan, with deliveries first, the nightly timing note for logistics, and a request for the IT security call. We aim for deliveries live in a couple of weeks, with a one hour session for the first group after that.
- Ashok PatelThat's right. I'd add that I'll test the earlier export on one branch before touching the rest.
- Laura PenhaligonAdded. Anything else on your minds? Neil?
- Neil CravenJust one. If it all goes well, I'd like to show the board before long. Not yet, but eventually. What would you want me to have ready for that?
- Laura PenhaligonLet's get that one builder resolved first. Then you'll have a real story: before, after, and what the branch sees. I'd rather you showed them that than a promise.
- Neil CravenGood. That's what I'll do. One builder, one account.
- Ashok PatelAnd I'll make sure the numbers hold up when someone checks them.
- Laura PenhaligonPerfect. Thank you both. I'll send everything this afternoon. Have a good weekend, and I hope that builder calms down.
- Neil CravenCheers, Laura. He will once he's got one invoice. Speak soon.
- Ashok PatelThanks, Laura. Speak soon.
- Laura PenhaligonBye both.
Callsmade from