How Spark Industries runs a three-location solar business from one office

The problem: a solar business that had outgrown one man's week

Rajendra Shinde started Spark Industries in 2016. Over the years it grew into a team of more than 20 people working across three locations: Ishwarpur, Vita and the central office, doing both rooftop and commercial installations.

The way the business was run did not grow with it. The one tool Rajendra had for knowing what was happening at each location was going there.

So every week he did the rounds. Finance at one office. Inventory and the store at another. Then the hardest question of all: what had the installation crews actually finished on site? Each visit answered that for one office, on one day. By the time he was back at the central office, the picture was already out of date.

The driving was the visible cost. The hidden one was leads. Enquiries came in at three places, with no single list. Some went quiet. Nobody was ignoring a customer. Nobody could see all of them.

Why Google Sheets stops working for a multi-location solar business

Before Fuzen, Spark ran on Google Sheets: leads, stock and site work. That is where most solar installers start, and for one office with a handful of people it works.

At three locations and 20+ people, the cracks show:

• Every office keeps its own version. Each sheet is right for the person who last edited it, and nobody can say which one is current.
• A sheet does not tell you anything. It waits to be opened. A lead that needs a call back today looks exactly like one from last month.
• Stock, money and site work live in different tabs or different files. Answering "can we start this job on Monday?" means checking three places and phoning two people.
• Rooftop and commercial jobs run on different steps. One sheet layout cannot fit both without someone keeping the rules in their head.

None of this is a people problem. A spreadsheet simply has no idea that it is running a solar business.

How do you manage a solar business with multiple offices?

Rajendra went looking for a CRM that could run the business and all its divisions from one central office. Most of what he found was generic. Fuzen's Solar CRM was already built for solar installers: project tasks, expenses, inventory, marketing, leads and payment tracking, in one place.

What decided it was what happened next. His divisions already had a way of working. Instead of asking his teams to learn a new one, the Fuzen team changed the software to fit how Spark already ran.

What we built for Spark

• Three locations, one screen. The work that lived in Google Sheets and phone calls at each office moved into one system. The central office sees Ishwarpur and Vita as they are now, not as they were at the last visit.
• Every team in one system. Installation, marketing and office staff all work in the same place, so Rajendra can see who is doing what without picking up the phone.
• Planning built around MSEB work. A new section plans each site's MSEB work and installation steps, and sends notifications, so a pending step does not depend on someone remembering it.

From Google Sheets to daily use in 15 days

Switching systems is the part most owners dread, and the reason many stay on spreadsheets longer than they should. For Spark, it took 15 days from the first call with Fuzen to the whole team using the CRM every day.

That speed came from not starting from a blank screen. The Solar CRM already covered the core of a solar business. The Fuzen team's job was the part specific to Spark: fitting it to how the three locations already worked, and adding the MSEB planning section.

How do you track installation teams across sites?

From one place. The installation team's project tasks for every site sit in the same system as the rest of the business. When Rajendra wants to know where a job stands, rooftop or commercial, Ishwarpur or Vita, he opens it instead of driving to it. That is what solar project management software should do for an installer with more than one crew.

What changed

The weekly rounds stopped being how the business ran. Leads from all three locations land in one list, so a new enquiry does not depend on which office picked up the phone. Stock, payments and site work are in the same place as the leads, instead of in separate sheets. And when something needs his attention, the system tells him, instead of him finding out on the next visit.

"The best part of Fuzen is the customer support."

Rajendra Shinde, Spark Industries

Is this you?

• You run more than one office, branch or installation crew.
• Your leads, stock and site work live in Google Sheets, WhatsApp groups and memory.
• You do both rooftop and commercial work, and one sheet layout does not fit both.
• MSEB and subsidy steps are tracked by hand.

Book a demo and we will show you Solar CRM set up for your locations. Or start the 14 day free trial, with sample data and no card.

Solar CRM Pro is Rs 59,000 one time, plus GST. No per user fees. You own your data, we handle hosting.

FAQ

Can one CRM run several branches of a solar business?

Yes. Spark Industries runs three locations, Ishwarpur, Vita and its central office, from one Solar CRM, with each location's leads, projects and stock in the same system.

Is Google Sheets enough for a solar installer?

For one office and a few people, often yes. Spark ran on Google Sheets until it had three locations and 20+ people. At that point every office had its own version, nothing sent reminders, and the owner had to visit each office to see the real picture.

How long does it take to move from spreadsheets to Solar CRM?

Spark went from the first call to daily use across all three locations in 15 days, including the changes made for how it works.

Does it work for both rooftop and commercial solar projects?

Spark runs both rooftop and commercial installations through the same Solar CRM.

Does it handle MSEB work?

For Spark we added a section that plans each site's MSEB work and installation steps, with notifications. Ask for it on the demo.

Do I have to change how my teams work?

No. The Fuzen team changes the software to fit how your business already runs.