Kirby Risk Modernizes Quoting with Canals to Build a Future-Ready Sales Organization

Kirby Risk, a leading electrical supply distributor headquartered in Lafayette, Indiana, transformed its quoting operations by implementing Canals software. Facing challenges with fragmented workflows, manual processes, and reliance on tribal knowledge, the company adopted Canals to streamline quoting, empower its sales team, and prepare for future workforce transitions. The result: measurable improvements in efficiency, accuracy, and team productivity.

Business Challenges

Kirby Risk's quoting process previously relied on manual entry, legacy systems, and informal knowledge sharing. This created bottlenecks, especially for complex contractor quotes, and placed undue pressure on experienced team members. The lack of automation and integration across tools hindered scalability and slowed response times.

Solution Overview

Kirby Risk implemented Canals software to address these operational inefficiencies. The platform integrated seamlessly with existing systems, automated quote generation from diverse input formats, and reduced the dependency on senior staff for complex quoting tasks. Canals’ responsive support and intuitive interface facilitated rapid adoption across the sales organization.

Implementation and Adoption

The transition to Canals was swift and smooth. Within days, cross-functional teams from sales, operations, and IT were actively testing the system. Younger sales representatives embraced the tool immediately, while seasoned staff recognized its value after hands-on experience. The construction team saw significant time savings, leading to broader adoption across departments.

Brett Turner, Regional Operations Manager, noted:

Honestly, it’s been one of the smoothest transitions I’ve ever been a part of.

Business Impact

The deployment of Canals resulted in substantial operational improvements:

• Time savings: Complex quotes that previously took hours are now completed in minutes.
• Increased win rates: Faster quoting enabled same-day responses, improving customer satisfaction and conversion.
• Cost efficiency: Automation absorbed workloads equivalent to multiple team members, reducing the need for backfills.
• Accelerated onboarding: New hires ramp up faster with less reliance on tribal knowledge.

Turner shared:

One of our automation guys sent over a project with 100+ line items in a spreadsheet. I ran it through Canals and had it back in 20 minutes. He called me and said, ‘How is that even possible?’ That would’ve taken a CSR group all day before.

Strategic Outcomes

With a significant portion of its workforce nearing retirement, Kirby Risk recognized the need for sustainable knowledge transfer and operational resilience. Canals has become a cornerstone of this strategy, enabling the next generation of employees to perform with confidence and efficiency. The company is now focused on leveraging reporting capabilities to further optimize quoting and drive continuous improvement.

Turner emphasized:

You can’t replace experience. You’ve got people who’ve been here 30 years. Tools like Canals help the next generation ramp faster and work more efficiently.

Conclusion

Kirby Risk’s adoption of Canals software exemplifies how distributors can harness AI-driven tools to modernize operations, enhance team performance, and future-proof their business. The success of this initiative underscores the importance of embracing innovation to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving industry.

As Turner concluded:

AI is moving fast. We’re not naive. Everyone’s going to have to jump on the bandwagon—first, not last.

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