Armstrong International

Helping Sales Reps Sell Better

With Open as App, the multinational company Armstrong launched a full app portfolio with 52 no-code apps in just four months – without the help from developers or learning to code.

Challenge

Armstrong is a leading multinational energy management company serving a vast range of industries from locations all over the world. The company helps customers in a wide range of industrial and institutional markets operate their thermal utility systems efficiently and safely. Some of the served markets include Healthcare, Hospitality, Higher Education, Hydrocarbon and Chemical Processing, Food, and Pharmaceutical.

As a global leader in steam and condensate products, Armstrong is at the forefront of technology and innovation. The Steam and Condensate Division sells to customers through an independent representative network. Mitchell Bingaman is an Application Engineer. His job is to help support sales reps in several ways, including quoting, troubleshooting, and teaching about Armstrong products.

“Open as App allows us to quickly develop, distribute, and update apps that we’d otherwise need a third party to do for us.”

Mitchell Bingaman, Application Engineer, Armstrong International

Armstrong wanted to give its reps and employees a way to make everyday calculations while in the field quickly and found an easy-to-use solution with the no-code app platform Open as App.

Solution

Before building mobile no-code apps, Armstrong already used web calculators. The team already had a few calculators on the website and even more as data in Excel sheets. However, those were hard to use when talking to clients. Sales reps lost time and sometimes couldn’t complete orders straight away. So, Armstrong needed a new way for its representatives to access real-time calculators in the field quickly.

As Mitchell and his teams searched for partners and platforms to develop Armstrong apps, they came across Open as App. They built their first app in minutes and realized that they could create professional calculation apps without costly external developers.

“I learned to create the apps on my own. It’s pretty simple once you’ve done it a couple of times.”

Mitchell Bingaman, Application Engineer, Armstrong International

Within the next four months, they created and launched 52 apps for the Armstrong team and their sales reps all over the world. The Armstrong team likes the apps’ clean and professional look and found it easy to customize it to their needs.

“I think the apps look clean and professional. It’s easy to customize them to suit your needs.”

Mitchell Bingaman, Application Engineer, Armstrong International

Result

The apps Armstrong created are simple and easy to use and provide useful information. They keep all the data and logic of the Excel file that is used as a data source.

Almost all Armstrong apps are calculator tools. Some apps are used for sizing products, while others compare solutions and find how much money and/or energy can be saved. You can switch between imperial and metric units.  Also, some sizing calculators have warnings built into them to prevent sizing something that could cause damage. 

“Our apps save time by quickly making calculations. They’re also a tool that allows our reps to accomplish more without needing to contact Armstrong.”

Mitchell Bingaman, Application Engineer, Armstrong International

The whole process took around 4-5 months.  A lot of that time was spent modifying Excel sheets, getting images for the apps, and setting up distribution.

The roll-out was managed using the Open as App platform. Armstrong compiled a list of their sales reps and notified them that they were launching the apps. Then each person was given access. Armstrong also made an instruction sheet that walked the sales reps through the process of registration and the Open as App set-up on their phone.  New hirings or additional users apply for the apps in a web form that asks for some basic info. Once the form is submitted, they will receive the instruction sheet and are given access.

App updates are rolled out automatically. When Armstrong initially launched the calculator apps, they only had imperial units due to time constraints.  After the launch, the team received many requests for adding in metric units.

The Armstrong team uses the apps, but mostly they’re used by the sales reps in the field. By doing calculations on-site while talking to the customer, sales reps save time and provide a better customer experience. They also have tools that help them accomplish more and close deals without talking to Armstrong first. This approach saves time on both sides and leads to a good result. So, everyone wins – the sales rep, the customer, and Armstrong.