I started by mapping the current state of both systems. The customer portal tracked usage data but existed in isolation. Salesforce held customer contracts and billing information but received no usage data or status of customer subscriptions. This separation meant lost revenue opportunities. Working with the engineering team, we designed an integration using Django. The solution needed to pull usage data from the customer portal, match usage patterns with contract terms, flag accounts for review based on usage trends, push relevant data to Salesforce for sales team action, and finally update customer records automatically.
I created clear requirements for the engineering team which included:
1. Define data models for usage tracking
2. Build API endpoints for system communication
3. Create automated alerts for usage thresholds
4. Design reports for sales team use
5. Implement security measures for data transfer
The development team built the integration while I worked with sales to define the most useful data points. We focused on metrics that would help identify such as customers exceeding their usage limits, accounts due for renewal, inactive users who needed engagement, and opportunities for service upgrades.
Results
The integration launched successfully, connecting the customer portal and Salesforce. Within two months, the sales team secured $250,000 in revenue from previously overlooked opportunities. This revenue primary came from renewed contracts from engaged customers and usage-based upgrades for power users. The system created great leads for the sales team to pursue other accounts such as reactivation accounts through targeted promotions and new service contracts from expanded use.
The sales team now had clear visibility into real-time usage data per customer, contract status aligned with usage patterns, automated alerts for renewal opportunities, and usage trends to guide customer conversations.
Key Learnings
This project revealed how disconnected systems cost companies money. Simple integration between platforms unlocked significant revenue. The sales team didn't need to work harder - they just needed better data to work smarter. Data visibility changed sales conversations. Instead of making blind calls, the team could approach customers with specific insights about their Beam usage. This led to more productive discussions and higher close rates.
The project also showed the value of quick wins. While the technical solution wasn't complex, it solved a critical business problem. Sometimes the highest-impact projects are about connecting existing systems rather than building new ones.
Giving any sales and account management team a data-driven approach to customer engagement enables them to predict renewal likelihood based on usage, identify upsell opportunities early, spot at-risk accounts before contracts expired, and target promotions to specific user segments.
Data integration enables customer conversations through treating usage data as a valuable asset for driving revenue. This shift in customer behavior and account management leads to better customer engagement, more accurate revenue forecasting, higher renewal rates, and increased average contract value.
The success of this project showed how technical product management from a source that also understands how product data can influence buisness bottom lines can directly impact revenue. By connecting systems and enabling data-driven decisions, I helped the company capture revenue that was previously slipping away. This case demonstrates that sometimes the biggest opportunities lie in connecting existing systems rather than building new ones. By making customer usage visible to sales, we turned data into revenue.
