Case Study
BioStore
How a leading biometric technology provider transformed their business operations to successfully compete in the education market and achieve strategic acquisition by IRIS Software Group.
The Challenges
Shifting from channel partner supplier to selling directly in the education market meant BioStore had to build their own sales and marketing engine from nothing. They had two strong products (biometric identity systems and cashless catering) and deep technical expertise from years of installations. But they were flying blind on the business side. Sales teams tracked opportunities in spreadsheets instead of a CRM. Marketing ran campaigns with no tracking or attribution. Support knowledge was scattered across email threads. They had no lead generation data, no marketing metrics, no pipeline visibility. After years of relying on partners to handle the selling, BioStore entered the education market directly without any of the business intelligence needed to compete.
The lack of business intelligence created critical blind spots across every department:
Marketing & Business Development
No attribution tracking: Couldn’t trace which campaigns or channels worked
Budget allocation blindness: Marketing spend with zero ROI visibility
Lead information in silos: Enquiries came in but got lost in email threads
Success stories uncaptured: Happy customer feedback buried in support emails
Market intelligence everywhere and nowhere: No structured data to identify patterns or opportunities
Sales & Client Management
Pipeline invisibility: No real-time view of opportunities across sales team
Performance tracking gaps: No visibility into conversion metrics or win rates
Missed opportunities: Couldn’t identify cross-sell or upsell potential
Forecasting impossible: Scattered data led to guesswork instead of data backed predictions
Disconnected sales cycles: Biometric and catering teams operated separately
No competitive intelligence: Didn’t know which schools used competitor systems
No lead generation: Sales created their own leads without marketing support
Financial Operations
Revenue reporting required manual compilation from multiple sources
Client profitability analysis complicated by mixed installation and support revenue streams
Cost per acquisition unclear without attribution visibility
Growth metric tracking inconsistent across different business areas
Technical & Support Operations
Installation project tracking managed through disconnected systems
Support ticket patterns unanalysed, missing proactive maintenance opportunities
Technician productivity and efficiency metrics unavailable
QZM’s Systematic Approach
Applying proven methodology to a unique technology business
Business Intelligence Architecture
Built unified reporting connecting Salesforce, marketing platforms, Zendesk, and financial systems for the first time
Market Segmentation Analytics
Created tracking to understand education vs corporate segments, with specific metrics for schools, colleges, and universities
Operational Integration
Connected Zendesk support data with Salesforce to identify upsell opportunities and product improvement needs
Strategic Dashboards
Implemented dashboards showing pipeline, marketing ROI, support metrics, and cross-product performance by segment
Business Transformation Outcomes
The transformation took BioStore from spreadsheet chaos to data-driven operations. For the first time, they had a real sales pipeline, marketing that could prove ROI, and support insights that drove product decisions. The company that once relied entirely on channel partners now had the intelligence to compete directly in education.
Marketing & Sales Intelligence
Operational & Financial Control
Marketing ROI Discovery
First-time measurement of which campaigns actually drove leads
Unified Revenue Reporting
Automated compilation of installation and recurring support income
Lead Source Attribution
Understanding which channels generated highest-value prospects
Client Profitability Analysis
True cost understanding across different school and business segments
Direct Sales Performance
Tracking success of new direct model with full pipeline visibility
Installation Project Tracking
End-to-end visibility of deployment timelines and resource allocation
Sales Cycle Intelligence
Understanding education buying patterns and decision timelines
Support Intelligence
Pattern recognition for proactive maintenance and client satisfaction
Competitive Intelligence
Systematic win/loss analysis and positioning insights
Usage Analytics Integration
Client system data informing business development and product strategy
Operational & Financial Control
Unified Revenue Reporting
Automated compilation of installation and recurring support income
Client Profitability Analysis
True cost understanding across different school and business segments
Installation Project Tracking
End-to-end visibility of deployment timelines and resource allocation
Support Intelligence
Pattern recognition for proactive maintenance and client satisfaction
Usage Analytics Integration
Client system data informing business development and product strategy
From operational guesswork to strategic precision
The business intelligence infrastructure gave BioStore the visibility they’d never had.
Marketing Precision
Clear ROI visibility enabled reallocation of budget from underperforming channels to those generating qualified education leads. Message testing revealed what resonated with primary schools versus colleges and universities, allowing targeted campaigns for each segment.
Sales Optimisation
Territory analysis identified high-potential regions and product combinations. Cross-selling opportunities became visible through usage pattern analysis, particularly for FasTrak expansions in existing access control clients.
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Financial Clarity
Automated reporting replaced manual compilation, providing real-time profitability insights across different client segments.
Operational Excellence
Support ticket analysis enabled proactive client management, whilst installation tracking improved resource allocation and client satisfaction. Usage analytics informed product development priorities.
“We went from flying blind to having complete visibility. For the first time, we could prove our value with data, not just promises. That intelligence made all the difference when IRIS came calling.”
— Nigel Walker, MD
Strategic Outcome
Successful acquisition by IRIS Software Group
From Internal Chaos to Strategic Asset
The comprehensive business intelligence infrastructure positioned BioStore as an attractive acquisition target, demonstrating not just innovative technology but sophisticated operational management and clear growth potential across education and corporate markets.
Technology Expertise Isn’t Everything
Even companies with deep technical knowledge can struggle with internal data application. The solution required business process understanding, not just technical capability.
Market Segmentation Revelations
Separate analytics for education and corporate segments revealed distinct patterns in sales cycles, product preferences, and support requirements that transformed go-to-market strategy.
Acquisition Readiness Through Data
Comprehensive business intelligence proved invaluable during due diligence, demonstrating operational excellence and strategic potential to IRIS Software Group.
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