Procure Smart was proud to launch brand new comparison and switching site Switch Savvi in November 2024.
The business had previously run a successful service through traditional agent-led switches for the best part of two years; so what made the senior leadership team invest so heavily in innovation for a young business?
We caught up with Adam Brown, Head of Marketing and Digital, to find out more about the new tool and how it can help businesses.
Why did Procure Smart think Switch Savvi was a good idea?
“Our marketing and inbound data was telling us that we were losing out on genuine opportunities because the call back method was not fast enough for the needs of certain market segments.
Businesses seeking quotes outside of office hours, for example, were difficult to get back in touch with. We found that by the time we managed to reach them they had already found a way of transacting direct with a supplier or somewhere else. By then we couldn’t help them, even if our pricing was competitive.
So, Switch Savvi was created by listening to what our customers wanted: fast, competitive quotes.
Forrester suggests 64% of business buyers are now millennial or generation z, bringing with them a greater demand for self-service and higher personalisation expectations around their buyer journey.”
With cost increases persisting for businesses, how does Switch Savvi help?
“When our residential contracts are up, we log onto a CompareTheMarket or a GoCompare and run a comparison across providers. This has been very difficult for businesses up until this point because commercial energy is complicated and providers with the tech capabilities tend to make the results you want difficult to access.
“Switch Savvi is lighter touch and focuses on speed for the user. In a nutshell, it helps by allowing you to address a key business cost, compare prices across the market and securely switch to save money 100 per cent transparently. If you have your details in front of you, it can be achieved in less than five minutes.”
Why is Switch Savvi different to what has come before?
“Features include lookup ability for meters, consumption and addresses, which isn’t really ground breaking. But where it is leaps ahead is the contracting process after you choose your deal. The system will present you with an LOA and a contract to sign on-screen. It’s much easier to complete this step on a desktop computer or tablet, but it works on phone screens too.
From there, your contract is fed into our industry-leading Quality Team, who will check the whole thing over with a fine-tooth comb for maximum security and peace of mind. Contracts are then held on a log-on portal for users, ready to download or keep safe.”
Business energy regulation is in a state of flux, so how have you ensured the platform remains compliant?
“We have kept the customer’s priority as the guide throughout development. Layers Studio have developed the technology and have had to be flexible as we’ve kept up with market changes.
We worked from a full-disclosure starting point, which was the right thing to do and future-proofs the system.”
How did the development team find the process?
“There are so many moving parts within business energy contracting, which held us up considerably. But the knowledge of the industry within Procure Smart made the finished product possible.
If you combine the development team’s years in industry, there are over 100 years of experience. We could not have built the system from a more knowledgeable position.
Coupling that with the development expertise of Layers and their methods of working gave us a real advantage.
It became clear why so many other TPIs have stopped short of closing the loop on an end-to-end sales process online. But we felt that the final product was always worth the work and we’re proud of the system we’ve built.
The pricing is very robust – we’ve had several instances internally where using the system has overcome pricing hurdles. It has been tested more than 600 times and we’re very confident in its capabilities.”
How do you see Switch Savvi within the context of the UK
energy market?
“The platform is fully transparent and discloses all charges
and commissions included in the energy contracts it presents, which has long
been a discussion point around business energy.
The challenge for us will be raising awareness without
unrealistic advertising expenditure.
We’ll be building up carefully, ensuring we improve the platform as we
learn about how businesses are using it.
I hope it’s something businesses try out. There is a lot of support available,
including a user guide, and someone at the end of a phone during office hours
if users get stuck. There is an
industry-leading quality process that each signed contract goes through after
being signed, too. So customers can feel
secure that their business is appropriately protected.
With the constant setbacks and cost increases businesses have dealt with for the last few years, we think Switch Savvi will give them some respite with great deals and potential cost savings accessible in just a few clicks.”
Find out more about how Switch Savvi works here.
