Florida-based digital marketing and web design agency ATILUS knew they needed a better way to manage their client correspondence. So they turned to SaneBox.
At ATILUS, it’s all about email
At ATILUS, there’s no business tool more important than email. The ATILUS team not only uses email to manage communications, but also as a way to keep up-to-date on tasks, hit deadlines, and ensure projects are moving forward.
“Email is an important tool for us at ATILUS because many of us use our email as our ‘task list,’” says Kristen Bachmeier, Director of Operations. “If I have an email in my inbox, it’s something I need to address, reply to, or do something with. My email runs my day-to-day life and I know it’s the same for my colleagues.”
“[It’s] the most used communication tool at Atilus,” says Bachmeier. “We use a combination of other tools, such as Basecamp and TeamGantt, but even those notifications are routed through email.”
Out of control inboxes
Because email is such an integral part of the workflow at ATILUS, streamlining email processes and making sure no important emails slip through the cracks is non-negotiable. But email management was an area where the ATILUS team struggled. The team’s inboxes were constantly flooded with emails—most of which were unimportant. The ATILUS team spent hours each day sorting through unnecessary emails, identifying which needed a response, and deleting emails that were taking up space in their inbox and preventing critical communications from getting immediate attention.
The process of sorting through and filtering emails was time-consuming, hindered team communication and company productivity, and had a direct effect on profits.
SaneBox has helped the Atilus team be more productive because we can spot the emails that matter and take care of them.
“If we are spending 30 minutes to 1 hour per day going through email, marking this and that as junk, etc…. that’s 5 hours per week (or 20 hours per month) sorting through email,” says Bachmeier. “That in and of itself is ridiculous and accounts for a ton of missed profit for us.”
Taking back control with SaneBox
ATILUS CTO, Harry Casimir, knew that in order for ATILUS to take their business to the next level, the team needed to take back control of their inboxes and figure out a way to cut down on the hours they were spending each day sorting through their emails. After some research, he found SaneBox and presented it to the CEO, Zach Katkin, as a possible solution to the company’s email management issues. After trying it himself, Katkin immediately saw how SaneBox could help his team increase productivity and get a better handle on their emails and started recommending the tool to his employees.
At first, the ATILUS team was skeptical.
“I was hesitant because I couldn’t imagine a tool being able to understand my inbox and how I need it to run,” says Bachmeier. But after exploring SaneBox’s features—and seeing the impact it had on her workflow—Bachmeier knew they had found the solution they’d been searching for and rolled it out to the rest of the team.
Today, more than 60% of the ATILUS team uses SaneBox to manage their inboxes—and they’ve seen a massive spike in productivity as a result.
“SaneBox has helped the Atilus team be more productive because we can spot the emails that matter and take care of them,” says Bachmeier.
The ATILUS team is able to better manage their email and ensure they’re staying up-to-date on important communications thanks to the SaneLater feature. The SaneLater feature analyzes each user’s mailbox and email history and pushes important emails (like client communications and task reminders) through to the inbox while filtering less important emails (like social media notifications and pushy marketing messages) to the SaneLater box. This feature ensures that the most critical emails make it to the top of every team member’s inbox—and don’t get lost in a sea of newsletters, sales emails, and other messaging that just isn’t important.
The ATILUS team is also better able to keep up with their workflow and stay on top of deadlines thanks to the SaneNoReplies feature. SaneNoReplies is a folder that automatically tracks every email a user has sent for the past 4 weeks that hasn’t received a reply. This tool has allowed ATILUS to better manage their clients and ensure no necessary responses or approvals fall through the cracks.
“With the SaneNoReplies folder, I can quickly see which emails I haven’t received a response on and can then follow up with the client,” says Bachmeier.
SaneBox (and, in particular, the SaneLater and SaneNoReplies features) gave the control over their inboxes back to the ATILUS team—and they’ve seen a major spike in productivity as a result. “SaneBox helps me take control of my email,” says Bachmeier. “I no longer feel bogged down by my inbox and distracted by emails that shouldn’t take up the most valuable hours of my workday… By implementing this personally, I am sure I save at least 1 hours per day (maybe 2), which gives me 5 extra hours per week to get stuff done.”
“SaneBox has changed the way we interact with email because it lessens the craziness,” says Bachmeier. “My email day-to-day is insane, and I know my team members deal with the same problem, but SaneBox has helped me feel like I’m in control of my inbox (for once!).”
When asked to describe the impact SaneBox had on the day-to-day operations and workflow at ATILUS, Bachmeier summed it up in a single word: “Life-changing.”
Learn more:
Ready to find out how SaneBox can help you take back control of your inbox, skyrocket your productivity, and get more done during the day? Sign up for SaneBox teams and experience firsthand how SaneBox can revolutionize the way you look at your inbox—and ensure you never miss an important email again.