Customer story: Implementation

From spreadsheets to smooth roll-out: How Clark Hall implemented XaitCPQ 

For Clark Hall Doors & Windows, moving from Excel to a CPQ system wasn’t just about new software, it was about anchoring change in the sales team, structuring a complex product catalog, and building a tool that reflects both brand and business reality.

With strong support from Xait, the Charlotte-based luxury doormaker turned challenges into lasting value. Plus, they have a few lessons learned that they share with future travelers.

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Region
United States

Company size
50+

Industry
Manufacturing

Solution
XaitCPQ

Starting small: A two-person core team

When Clark Hall signed the deal with Xait, the implementation team was deliberately lean. It was essentially just Kaitlyn Collins, Technical Analyst, and her mother Lyndie Collins, Head of Finance and IT, supported by Xait’s project staff. “It was mostly just us two in the meetings throughout development,” Kaitlyn recalls. “Once the system was live, we trained the sales team ourselves, with support from Jack, our sales director.”

Xait provided onboarding sessions, documentation, and direct training for Kaitlyn, enabling her to become the internal expert.

“They trained me on the system, and I used that to train our sales reps,” she says. “The internal guides and flowcharts I created meant reps didn’t have to come to me for every single question.”

Anchoring change: from resistance to practice

Sales team buy-in was never going to be easy, but Kaitlyn knew how to balance the carrot and the stick. “Honestly, part of it was just forcing them to use it,” Kaitlyn admits with a smile.

Early on, reps were told to price deals in the old Excel sheet while a customer was present, but then recreate the quote in XaitCPQ afterwards. That way they could practice without risk.

“They naturally wanted to revert to the old tool,” Lyndie explains. “So Kaitlyn spent hours sitting with them, guiding them step by step. That hands-on support made the difference.”

Anchoring also required leadership involvement. Jack, the sales director, reinforced adoption in his biweekly meetings, asking directly if the reps were using the system. “That kind of top-down check-in was important,” Kaitlyn notes.

About Clark Hall Doors and Windows

Founded over 50 years ago, Clark Hall Doors & Windows specializes in custom-designed steel and wrought-iron doors, delivering an end-to-end “white glove” experience from design through installation.

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, with design studios across the Southeast, Clark Hall has built its reputation on uncompromising craftsmanship and service.

Every door or window is individually tailored to the client’s vision – reflecting the company’s core value that “every client deserves a unique door… without compromise”.

“The internal guides and flowcharts I created meant reps didn’t have to come to me for every single question.”

– Kaitlyn Collins, Office Manager, Clark Hall Doors & Windows

Tackling a complex product catalog

Before the system could be rolled out, the Clark Hall team had to break down their intricate catalog of doors, hardware, and installation services. With multiple vendors, highly dynamic glass pricing, and regional installation costs, mapping the pricing logic was a huge job.

“Our pricing is ridiculously complex,” says Lyndie. “Glass isn’t quoted per square foot by vendors, so we had to use six-month averages. Installation depends on geography. Some options are flat fees, others are square footage, others per panel. It’s not straightforward.”

Despite the challenge, XaitCPQ gave them more control.

“With XaitCPQ, we can now adjust pricing more regularly to protect our margins,” Lyndie explains.

The implementation was carried out in phases: phase one focused on document design, while phase two introduced rules and configurations. In hindsight, the order could have been different, Lyndie reflects:

“We should have prioritized pricing and configuration accuracy first. Instead, we spent time on proposal visuals early on, and then had to redo them when pricing rules changed.”

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“With XaitCPQ, we can now adjust pricing more regularly to protect our margins.”

– Kaitlyn Collins, Office Manager, Clark Hall Doors & Windows

Low-code flexibility and custom logic

Clark Hall’s needs weren’t off-the-shelf. Custom lookup tables and algorithms were required to combine different pricing elements and enforce dependencies. However, XaitCPQ’s low-code tools proved accessible even for non-technical staff. “It’s very straightforward,” Lyndie says. “Even someone without coding experience can build what they need.”

Kaitlyn, who is comfortable with coding, often bypasses low-code for direct scripting—but appreciated that colleagues could still adapt the system without deep expertise.

Training: gradual, role-based, and hands-on

Rather than one big rollout, training was gradual and role-based. Senior sales reps were involved early, testing features months before launch. Once the system stabilized, Kaitlyn retrained the senior team and then onboarded newer reps.

“We gave them as much notice as possible,” Kaitlyn explains. “But there was still that ‘oh no, we have to use this now’ moment. That’s normal. In the end, a hard cut-off was necessary.”

Within a month of go-live, adoption was high. Kaitlyn tracked which reps were quoting in XaitCPQ and worked with Jack to handle the not-so-early adopters. “Some mispricing issues came up early, but we fixed them quickly with feedback from the reps,” she says.

“The dev team was wonderful. They really understood what we were asking for, even when we didn’t always know how to express it. Sometimes they fixed issues live during our calls.”

– Kaitlyn Collins, Office Manager, Clark Hall Doors & Windows

Early user value

Despite the learning curve, the benefits became obvious:

  • Stronger proposals: “Jack really likes the improved documents compared to Excel,” Kaitlyn notes. “They look far more professional.”
  • More consistent pricing: Guardrails prevent reps from combining incompatible options. “That’s something Excel could never do,” says Lyndie.
  • Confidence in new hires: Quoting is no longer dependent on memorizing a labyrinthine spreadsheet.
  • Quicker updates: Dynamic pricing can be refreshed regularly, avoiding losses from outdated costs.

For Lyndie, the biggest relief is operational: “I no longer dread updating the pricing tool. The stress is gone.”

Support that made the difference

If one theme stands out, it’s Xait’s role as a partner. Weekly check-ins with the development team were critical. “The dev team was wonderful,” Kaitlyn emphasizes. “They really understood what we were asking for, even when we didn’t always know how to express it. Sometimes they fixed issues live during our calls.”

The customization level also impressed the Collins duo. “Other CPQs we looked at were static,” Lyndie says. “This one is fully customizable. We can make it do exactly what we need.”

Xait’s support team continues to play a role post-launch. For small changes, Kaitlyn often makes updates herself. For more complex issues, she raises tickets. “They respond quickly, walk me through fixes, or handle them directly,” she says.

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“Xait will keep growing with us,” Kaitlyn says. “And we know the system will evolve as our business does.”

– Kaitlyn Collins, Office Manager, Clark Hall Doors & Windows

Lessons learned and advice to peers

Looking back, Lyndie and Kaitlyn agree on two lessons. First, focus on pricing and configuration accuracy before polishing documents. Second, push the sales team earlier and harder to adopt.

If asked to recommend XaitCPQ, they highlight three reasons:

  1. The people. “The development team was fantastic, and the support continues to be strong.”
  2. Customization. “It adapts to our business, not the other way around.”
  3. Partnership. “They worked with us as collaborators, not just as a vendor.”

Building for the future

Integration with Clark Hall’s CRM is the next step, enabling data to flow seamlessly. Beyond that, Lyndie and Kaitlyn see opportunities to extend quoting capabilities to external builders and dealers.

“Dealers could pull pricing themselves without waiting for sales,” Lyndie says. “That’s where we want to go.”

The Collins duo are confident Xait will support them along the way.

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