Strensall Merchants / BG-Demo – Onboarding
Callcompleted
Strensall Merchants · 1 May 2025 14:45
Enterprise onboarding call on 1 May 2025. Pilot branch chosen, a second admin to be named, and account matching flagged as the biggest unknown. Neil Craven has told his board this will align credit and sales.
What was said
What this says
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Enterprise onboarding call on 1 May 2025. Pilot branch chosen, a second admin to be named, and account matching flagged as the biggest unknown. Neil Craven has told his board this will align credit and sales.
What happened: Hamza Akhtar and the customer agreed the connector order and a pilot at one branch. Ashok Patel will run it for a full week, including a weekend and ideally a month-end.
Customer view: Ashok called account matching the biggest unknown and prefers an unmatched account to a wrong merge. Neil accepted that the refresh is a daily picture, not live, and will say so to branches.
Commercial: Neil told his board that B-Viz will get credit and sales on the same page, so he has a visible stake in the outcome. Ashok is the only admin and asked for a second, which is a key-person risk until named.
Watch: The customer is keen, but any delay in account matching or the pilot sign-off will be noticed at board level.
Themes
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026Theme
Pilot branch and account matching
Importance
neutral
Sentiment
positive
Voice
decision-maker
Who was there
BG-Demo
CRMmade from
Them
CRMmade from
Follow-up
Next steps
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Ashok Patel to speak to the pilot branch manager, confirm a second admin by Friday and send the identity team's questions.
- Neil Craven to get names for the first user group and the account details for Mitchell's yard.
- Hamza Akhtar to send the written summary and updated plan, and prepare the branch system connection.
Risks
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Account matching is the biggest unknown and could slow the build, with the board already expecting results.
- Ashok Patel is the only admin until a second one is confirmed.
- Users may expect live updates when the refresh is overnight.
Opportunities
As at Fri 9 Oct 2026- Key accounts, credit and later calls and mail give room to grow usage across the Enterprise licence.
- A successful pilot with a ledger comparison could give a reference case for wider rollout.
Transcript
Hamza AkhtarHello, Ashok, can you hear me all right? I've got you on screen but you're on mute.
Ashok PatelSorry, yes. Hello Hamza. Good afternoon. Can you hear me now?- Hamza AkhtarLoud and clear. Good afternoon. Neil's not here yet, is he?
- Ashok PatelHe's on his way. He had a builder on the phone just before this. He said to start without him, he'll dip in.
- Hamza AkhtarNo problem. Let's give it a minute or two and make a start on the technical side. Is that all right? I'll share the plan once he's here, but the first bit is really yours.
- Ashok PatelThat suits me. Shall I tell you what I've changed since last time?
- Hamza AkhtarPlease. That's exactly where I wanted to begin.
- Ashok PatelRight. Three things. First, I've created the service account in our Microsoft 365 tenant, so the mailbox side has something to authenticate against. Second, I've agreed the Snowflake role with our infrastructure team, so the database for B-Viz sits inside our own account, as we discussed. Third, I've written down every place a trade account number lives. Which turned out to be more places than I thought.
- Hamza AkhtarHa. That's usually the way. How many different places, roughly?
- Ashok PatelNot a number I'd like to say out loud. The branch system has its own account number, the credit system has another, and delivery has a third that's mostly the branch code with the account stuck on the end. Sales calls use whatever the rep typed. So the data says otherwise to what people assume. They think it's one account number. It isn't.
- Hamza AkhtarThat's really useful. It's the thing the whole onboarding hangs on, so I'm glad you've started there. Did you build a mapping, or is it just a list?
- Ashok PatelA list so far. A spreadsheet, with a column for each system and a column for the one I think is the master. I wouldn't call it a mapping until I've tested it.
Neil CravenSorry, sorry, I'm here. Afternoon both. Sorry about that. I had Mitchell's yard on the phone first thing, then again just now. Same question both times: why does one branch show their credit hold and another doesn't.- Hamza AkhtarAfternoon, Neil. No need to apologise. Funnily enough, that's exactly the sort of thing we're here for.
- Neil CravenThat's why I brought it up. Which branch, which account, that's what I always say. A lad at one counter says he's on stop, the lad at the next one serves him. And what's the builder actually seeing? He's seeing two merchants. Not one.
- Ashok PatelWhich is the account number problem again, Neil. I was just telling Hamza. I'm not saying it's the only cause, but it's the likeliest.
- Neil CravenAye, I'd bet it is. Right, go on, don't let me hold you up.
- Hamza AkhtarI'll put the plan on screen, give me a second. Can you both see it? It's a simple page with the order we connect things in, who owns each step, and what we check before moving on.
- Neil CravenI can see it. Bit small, but I can see it.
- Hamza AkhtarI'll make it bigger. Better? So the order I'd suggest is the branch system first, because everything else hangs off the trade account. Then credit. Then delivery. Then the calls and the mailboxes and the helpdesk, which are the softer sources.
- Ashok PatelI'd go along with that. Can I add a condition? I'll test each one on a single branch first. I never switch on a source without trying it small.
- Hamza AkhtarThat's what I'd hoped you'd say. It's how we'd want to do it anyway. Which branch were you thinking of for the pilot?
- Ashok PatelI was going to ask Neil. I'd like one that's busy, but not our busiest. And one where the manager won't mind me poking about.
- Neil CravenHa. Well, I did fifteen years as a branch manager, so I know what you're asking. Don't go near the big one in the city on a Monday. I'd give you the one just outside York. They've got a decent trade counter, a proper mix of small builders and a couple of the bigger housebuilders, and the manager there knows what we're trying to do.
- Ashok PatelThat's fine. I'll message the manager tomorrow, so it doesn't land as a surprise.
- Neil CravenDo. And tell her it's me asking, she'll say yes quicker.
- Hamza AkhtarBrilliant. So pilot branch is the one outside York, and Ashok owns the test. I'll write that into the plan. And for the record, we're on the Enterprise tier, so the connector allowance won't be the thing that stops us. We can bring in all the sources you've listed.
- Ashok PatelGood. I had wondered whether I'd have to leave something out.
- Hamza AkhtarNo. Now, the second half of the page is people. You've got a hundred and sixty licensed users, and the plan is not to switch them all on at once. Does that sit right with you?
- Neil CravenAbsolutely. I don't want a hundred and sixty people logging in on day one and finding it half empty. They'll say it's rubbish and never come back.
- Hamza AkhtarExactly the worry. What I'd suggest is a small group first. Your key-account people, a few from trade credit, a couple of branch managers. Then widen it as the data gets cleaner.
- Neil CravenI'd want the credit controllers in that first lot. If credit and sales don't agree on a customer, nothing else matters. Let's sort it, not talk about it.
- Ashok PatelCan I ask something on that? Who should be an admin besides me? At the moment it's only me, and I'd rather not be the single point of failure.
- Hamza AkhtarGood instinct. I'd recommend a second admin, ideally someone on your team who understands the credit data. Does anyone come to mind?
- Ashok PatelThere's an analyst on my team who knows the credit ledger better than I do. I'd put her forward. I'll confirm by Friday.
- Hamza AkhtarLovely. I'll note that as an action for you. Now, the account matching. Can I see your spreadsheet? Only if you're happy to share it.
- Ashok PatelYes, give me a moment. I'll share my screen. Is that coming through? It's a bit untidy. I haven't cleaned the headings.
- Hamza AkhtarIt's fine, it's clear enough. So column A is the branch account, then credit, then delivery. And this one in yellow?
- Ashok PatelThose are the ones where I'm not sure. Same trade name, different numbers, and I can't tell if it's one customer or two. A few of the housebuilders have separate accounts per site, and some of the sites are billed to head office.
- Neil CravenThat'll be the big housebuilders, aye. Each site has its own account so the site manager can order. But the credit limit's at group level. So if you're asking what the builder sees, it's one customer with lots of sites. We think of them that way. The systems don't.
- Hamza AkhtarThat's a really important distinction. So the model needs a parent, the group, and the site accounts underneath. Ashok, is there a field for the parent anywhere?
- Ashok PatelIn the credit system, yes. It's called something different, but it's the group reference. The branch system doesn't have it. Which account number is that, I keep asking myself, and the answer is it depends who you ask.
- Hamza AkhtarRight. So we use the credit system's group reference as the spine, and join the others to it. For the ones in yellow, you decide, and we won't merge anything we're not sure of. A wrong merge is worse than a missing one.
- Ashok PatelAgreed. I'd rather leave an account unmatched than glue two customers together. I can't easily undo that, and I don't delete what I can't restore.
- Hamza AkhtarNobody wants that. We'll keep the original numbers alongside, so everything can be traced back and reversed.
- Neil CravenCan I ask a daft one? When it's all connected, how quick will I see a change? Say a branch puts someone on stop at ten in the morning. When does everyone else know?
- Hamza AkhtarNot daft at all. The refresh runs overnight, and it's complete by seven in the morning on business days. So it's not live to the minute. If a branch puts someone on stop at ten, it shows up the next morning.
- Neil CravenRight. Next morning's fine for most of it. I just want to be clear what I'm telling the branches. I won't promise something I haven't checked.
- Ashok PatelI'd say that plainly in the briefing. It's a daily picture, not a live one. If someone needs to know right now, they ring credit, same as today.
- Hamza AkhtarThat's the right message. Overpromise at the start and you spend months paying it back.
- Neil CravenAye. Been there.
- Hamza AkhtarLet's talk about sign-in. Enterprise includes single sign-on and automatic user provisioning. Ashok, have you spoken to your identity team?
- Ashok PatelI have. They're happy in principle, but they want to see the details before they touch anything. I'll send you their questions, and you can answer them directly. It'll be quicker than me relaying.
- Hamza AkhtarPlease do. I'd rather talk to them straight. And the security review is already done, so there shouldn't be any surprises there.
- Ashok PatelNo, that went through. I just want it written down who approved what, in case anyone asks later.
- Hamza AkhtarFair. I'll put a short note together after this call with what was agreed, so it's all in one place.
- Neil CravenWhile we're on housekeeping, I should say, I told our board last week that this is the thing that gets credit and sales on the same page. No pressure.
- Hamza AkhtarHa, thanks, Neil. No pressure at all. Honestly, you're in a good position. The early signs are encouraging. A dozen people are already in and poking around, and that's a big jump on where it started.
- Ashok PatelThat's mostly my team and a few of Neil's key-account people. They've been looking at the sample pages. I'd not read too much into it yet.
- Hamza AkhtarSensible. But curiosity is a good start. Any problems so far? I can see there's been only one ticket.
- Ashok PatelYes, the one I raised. It was a login question, not a fault. Your team answered it the same day, so no complaint there.
- Hamza AkhtarGood, I'm glad. If anything else comes up, tell me directly as well as raising it. It helps while we're in the middle of setting up.
- Hamza AkhtarNow the next piece: the call recordings and the mailboxes. Neil, which teams do you want covered first? I don't mean everyone, just where it would help most.
- Neil CravenKey accounts. Without doubt. They're the ones talking to the big housebuilders every week, and half of what they learn never gets written down anywhere. If a builder says he's unhappy with a delivery, I want that sat next to the order and the credit position.
- Ashok PatelI'd hold the mailboxes until the account matching is settled. Otherwise we'll be attaching emails to accounts we can't yet identify.
- Hamza AkhtarI agree. Order stays: branch, credit, delivery, then calls, then mail. I'll leave the mailboxes until you give the word.
- Neil CravenFine by me. You two know the order better than I do. I just want it done properly.
- Hamza AkhtarSo, timing. I won't give a date I can't stand behind. What I can say is the branch system and the pilot come first, and we don't move on until Ashok's happy with the test. After that it's a rhythm: connect, check, widen.
- Ashok PatelThat's what I need. I'd like to run the pilot for a full week before I say yes. A weekend in there, and a month-end if we can. Month-end is when the credit numbers get awkward.
- Hamza AkhtarThat's wise. I'll build that into the plan, so nobody thinks a week is slow. It's a deliberate check.
- Neil CravenI'll back you on that. If anyone upstairs asks why it's taking a bit, I'll tell them it's because we're doing it right.
- Hamza AkhtarThanks, Neil. That helps more than you'd think.
- Ashok PatelOne more technical thing. Reports that match the ledger. Finance will check anything we produce against the ledger. If it's out by even a bit, they'll say the whole thing is wrong.
- Hamza AkhtarUnderstood. So for the pilot branch, I suggest we pick a set of accounts, and you compare the totals against the ledger by hand. If they agree, we have a reference. If they don't, we find out why before it goes any wider.
- Ashok PatelGood. I'll choose a sample of small and large accounts. I'll include a couple of the yellow ones deliberately. Might as well find the awkward cases early.
- Neil CravenTake Mitchell's yard. They've been on at me all week, and I know exactly how that account should look.
- Ashok PatelWhich branch is that, though? Which account number? Because if it's the one I'm thinking of, it's in yellow.
- Neil CravenHa. It would be. I'll find out and message you tonight.
- Hamza AkhtarPerfect, that's a real test case. Right, let me summarise the actions, and tell me if I've got any wrong. Ashok: speak to the pilot branch manager tomorrow, confirm your second admin by Friday, send me the identity team's questions, and put together the comparison sample.
- Ashok PatelYes. And I'll tidy the spreadsheet so you've got a clean copy. I'll send it with the questions.
- Hamza AkhtarLovely. Neil: find out the account details for Mitchell's yard, and help line up the key-account and credit people for the first small group.
- Neil CravenAye. I'll get you names by the end of the week. Short list, not everybody.
- Hamza AkhtarShort is good. And me: I send the written summary and the updated plan, I speak to your identity team once I have their questions, and I prepare the branch system connection for the pilot.
- Ashok PatelThat sounds right. Will Daniel be involved at this stage? I know he's our customer success contact.
- Hamza AkhtarDaniel Okafor, yes. He'll pick up once the implementation settles, and he'll be the one running the check-ins and reviews after that. I'll hand over properly, so you won't need to repeat yourselves. And Lewis Kerr, who looked after the sale, is still your contact for anything commercial.
- Neil CravenGood. I like knowing who to ring. Saves me going round the houses.
- Hamza AkhtarBefore we finish, anything worrying either of you? Better to say now than discover it in a month.
- Ashok PatelOnly the account matching. I think it's manageable, but it's the biggest unknown. I'd rather say that than pretend otherwise.
- Hamza AkhtarHonest, and I'd say the same. It's where most of the effort will go. But you've done a lot of the groundwork already, which is more than most.
- Neil CravenFrom me, nothing really. I'm just keen. Ninety-five branches, and every one of them should see the same builder. If we get that, I'll be a happy man.
- Hamza AkhtarThat's the goal, and we'll get there in stages. Right, I think we've covered it. I'll send the summary this evening if I can, or first thing tomorrow.
- Ashok PatelTomorrow's fine. I'll start on the pilot branch message now, before I forget.
- Neil CravenAnd I'll ring that manager myself, before you message her. Warn her it's coming.
- Ashok PatelThanks, Neil. That'll help.
- Hamza AkhtarBrilliant. Thanks both, this was a really good session. Speak to you soon.
- Neil CravenCheers, Hamza. Cheers, Ashok. Right, I've a builder to ring back.
- Ashok PatelThanks, Hamza. Speak soon. Ashok.
- Hamza AkhtarSorry, one last thing, Ashok, if you're still there. I'll put the Snowflake role details in the summary too, so your infrastructure team can check them. Bye for now.
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