9 questions with Cilio Technologies of Wisconsin
1) What is the most interesting thing about Cilio?
Cilio Technologies: The most interesting thing about the Cilio platform is that for a company managing installation or field service jobs, it significantly impacts the profitability of clients. Whether the client is a large retailer or manufacturer, or small installer or contractor, Cilio allows them to grow. We love being a part of a growing company focused on process improvements through automation and communications. By leveraging digital technology, Cilio clients are able to do more, with less, and that’s exciting!
Our technology powers the process behind home improvement projects. It’s used to ensure a seamless process of estimating, quoting, installing, and billing for “field service” related products and services.
For example, imagine you go to a “big box” home improvement store to purchase carpet. The installation services are typically provided by a local affiliated contractor. Our technology will help that contractor manage and track the whole process, including scheduling appointments, ordering materials, and communicating with customers.
2) What is the most interesting thing about your business itself?
CT: We’ve been in the home improvement industry for 20 years and have pioneered field service management technologies that serve important needs of the whole supply chain, from manufacturers and retailers to fabricators and installers.
We started out working on the manufacturing side, which led to work in the retail space. It was there that we realized installers were underserved in this market. They were required to access retail portals to get their orders, but then they had to manually track and manage those orders every step of the way. So we built our platform to integrate with retail portals and automate time-consuming parts of their jobs. This solution cuts down on customers’ bottom lines, allows them to scale their own businesses more cost-effectively, and facilitates their retail relationships.
3) What are your long-term plans for Cilio?
CT: We are planning some major enhancements to our platform to provide end-to-end capabilities for companies ranging from mom-and-pop installers to enterprise-class manufacturers and distributors. We are improving automation with machine learning technologies - for example, to improve scheduling - and building on data management and analytics capabilities for our users.
Additionally, we are working on organizational changes that will allow our more experienced employees to work more strategically in areas like customer experience and development, while making room to grow our staff in areas such as sales and support.
4) Do you have any plans for next year?
CT: Yes, in fact I recently joined the company as president to build and execute a multi-year growth strategy. One of our key differentiators is the service we provide clients for deploying and running our software to meet their unique business needs. To build on that value, we are increasing investment around sales and marketing, customer service, support and product development.
5) Do you have any notable customers?
CT: People are often surprised at the caliber of our clients. We’ve worked with very well-known national brands, including Lowe’s, Home Depot, Ikea, Caesarstone, Pella Windows, and National Storage Affiliates, just to name a few.
6) Where do you see your business in 5 years?
CT: In five years, I see Cilio Technologies as a top 10 vendor in the field service management space for our target segments.
7) What makes Cilio unique?
CT: As I mentioned before, our service is a key differentiator. There are a lot of companies that offer field service management software on a software-as-a-service (SaaS)/subscription basis. But the companies that use it are using it to manage complex and unique business processes. For example, how can one software meet the needs of a plumber and a carpet installer in the same way? Our business model recognizes that each business is different and we’ve built a robust set of services to support their unique and specific workflows.
8) What do you attribute your success to?
CT: Our success is driven by our employees, who are diligent problem-solvers, many of whom have spent their careers in the building materials industry. Additionally, it’s driven by our loyal clients who provide a constant supply of new ideas for product enhancements and who kindly offer referrals to their networks. When your clients are loyal and refer you to their friends, there is no better vote of confidence.
9) Will you expand your business more?
CT: Absolutely. We consider 2022 an investment year. We are making investments in sales, marketing, and product development. We’ll be adding to our staff and we plan to add hundreds of new accounts to the platform.