The following results and quotations reflect Big Ass Fans’ experience during the period covered by this case study.
About
Through its patented technology for high-volume low-speed (HVLS) airflow, Big Ass Fans offers both stylish interior designs and high-performance fans, coolers, and heaters that lead to comfort, safety, and energy savings. Go to work, hit the gym, or enjoy a night on the town—chances are you’ll see a Big Ass Fan overhead to keep air moving smoothly and silently.
The challenge
Big Ass Fans previously used Microsoft Excel for calculating and managing incentive compensation plans. Data was auto-populated from the company’s data warehouse, Epicor ERP, and Salesforce CRM systems. The sales plans had tiered structures for commission rates based on standard and premium product lines. Spiffs and contests were also important in most plans. Commissions were paid approximately 10 business days following product shipments. While disputes weren’t frequent, many reps, lacking data visibility, had questions about what they were paid on.
The solution
Big Ass Fans chose Performio as its platform to revamp its incentive compensation.
“The Performio Team did a fantastic job of helping us implement the software quickly,” said Nick Deters, Director of Sales, “especially with the many curveballs we threw at them. They came on-site with us and we deployed in less than three days. We signed our contract in November, and we were issuing commission payments by the end of February.”
At the time of the case study, the Big Ass Fans comp plans better reflected the business structure and segments it operated in—e-commerce, residential, new construction, distribution, and services.
The results
For Big Ass Fans, motivation and transparency were keys to success.
“Our leaderboards tapped into the natural competitiveness of our sales reps and improved their accountability,” Deters said. “They drew out the self-motivation of the team because they had a constantly updated ranking, something we could never show before when we used spreadsheets. They had the visibility to see everything, which improved their confidence in the system. With Performio managing our tiered commission structure, we saw a 16% increase in premium product sales.”
Performio significantly improved payment accuracy for Big Ass Fans, eliminating underpayments and uncovering commission payments on certain fees. Although it may not have been a major expense, ensuring precise numbers was of utmost importance.
By increasing visibility into returns and errors, Big Ass Fans gained additional benefits, including the ability to effectively track and adjust commission on non-warranted sales as necessary.
