Hi Marilena, thanks for taking the call and willing to answer some questions. Marilena, it’s a pleasure to have you here.
Thanks for having me, Noel. I’m excited to share the journey—it’s been a transformative year for us along your side.
I’m Noel Delgado, CEO of Big House and Today I’m joined by Marilena Stamate, CEO of Intreprindere De Montaje Si Servicii Industriale SRL (IMSI), a Romanian pipeline construction company in the oil and gas sector, and client of Big House.
So Marilena, for those unfamiliar, what exactly does IMSI do?
We are an industrial installations and services company. We construct pipelines for oil and gas clients. We’re talking high-pressure, high-risk infrastructure, so everything has to meet strict specs like ISO 9001: 2008. Our main work is on Petrobrazi Refinery- Romania
You’re not selling pens and coffee mugs. This is serious B2B infrastructure.
Exactly. It’s not just steel, it's special steel that won’t fail or explode with the gas pressure.
What were the cracks you started seeing in your internal processes?
Well, we were hitting operational friction. Our inventory was tracked in Excel, certifications in Dropbox, orders in email threads, and quotes in Word docs. You can imagine. It worked when we were smaller, but we were growing and the chaos was growing with us.
So your workflows didn’t scale with your business?
Exactly. We were chasing PDFs, looking for missing Purchase Orders, and trying to make decisions with outdated Excels. The decision point was when we lost a deal because we couldn’t deliver the right certification fast enough. That’s when we knew we needed a real internal tool.
You explored off-the-shelf software first. What made you go custom?
We tried, yes. But most ERP systems in our space are either too rigid, super expensive, or take 18 months to implement. We wanted something that mirrored our workflow, not forced us to change it and . Big House gave us a solution in weeks—not years.
That’s our sweet spot. Fast, tailored, and flexible. How did you approach the build?
We sat down with your team and mapped-out the entire order lifecycle—from quote to shipment. That’s when we realized we didn’t need a monolith. We needed a set of smart, connected modules.
What alternatives did you consider before building a custom software solution?
We did our homework.
That’s where no-code really shines—cutting build time without cutting corners.
Let’s dive into the tool we built for IMSI. Which modules have made the biggest difference?
Honestly, all of them. Especially the revenue section, the active orders and the quality rate. Actually, the quality rate was what we really needed customized and ERP wasn’t going to cut it. This is because the oil and gas industry has very particular requirements.
What was the economic impact of the project? How much money were you able to save vs how much did it cost to implement?
It’s one of the best financial decisions we’ve made in the last couple of years. Let me break it down:
And honestly, I would have paid even more to solve this problem. Just the peace of mind alone is worth it.
That’s music to my ears. Good software should pay for itself—and then some.
What surprised you most about building with a no-code agency like Big House?
Honestly, I thought “no-code” meant “lightweight” or “basic.” What surprised me was the depth of functionality and how much business logic we were able to implement. We have approval workflows, permission systems, and custom document generators—all built in a matter of weeks. It’s really enterprise-grade.
Yeah That’s a common misconception. No-code today is like early cloud computing—people underestimate it until they see what’s possible.
How did your internal team respond to the new tool?
At first, they were skeptical. Our engineers had been using Excel for years. But once they saw how intuitive the UI was designed around their workflow—it clicked. We involved them early, so by launch, it felt like their own tool, not something imposed from above.
That early user buy-in is key. Even the most powerful system fails if it doesn’t feel human.
What did the handoff and training process look like?
Your team did a great job breaking it down by role: sales, warehouse, procurement, etc. We had short video tutorials, live demos, and an internal leader for each department. We didn't need a 300-page manual. That was very refreshing.
Yes, we try to make training invisible by making the product intuitive. Usually, the better the UX, the less “training” we need. But we still do some training.
If you could go back, what would you do differently in the build process?
I would have pushed for even earlier prototyping. We saw how powerful the feedback loops were once the first modules went live. If I had to do it again, I’d start with a basic prototype on Day 1 even if it's ugly and improve from there.
That’s great advice. A working prototype does reveal more than 10 strategy sessions.
How has the tool changed your role as CEO?
It gave me visibility. I’m not relying on stories from people anymore. I can see pending orders, stock delays — all in one place. It lets me steer the company instead of react to it. That’s a massive shift in how I spend my time.
Cool, yeah. Pretty much from firefighter to pilot. That’s the goal.
How do you see this tool evolving in the next 12 months?
We want to integrate more stuff:
Oh yes, you have mentioned that before. All of that is feasible. The beauty of no-code is you can evolve quickly without that much of a hassle.
What advice do you have for CEOs considering internal tools?
Don’t delegate it entirely. As CEO, you need to own the problem definition. You don’t need to know how the tool works to perfection—but you need to be clear on the workflows and goals. Once that’s clear, a team like Big House can run with it.
Well said. If the problem is clear, the solution can be elegant.
Finally, what does success look like for you—beyond the software?
It’s not just digital transformation—it’s cultural transformation. We want IMSI to be a company where systems empower people. Where information flows, not stops. Where growth doesn’t mean chaos. This tool is a big step in that direction.
That’s a vision we’re proud to support.
If another industrial company is listening, maybe with a similar pain—what’s your advice?
Don’t wait until chaos becomes normal. You don’t need a 10M$ ERP to be efficient. Find a partner who understands your operations, not just your tech stack. For us, Big House was that partner.
I appreciate that. And you were the perfect client—clear on what mattered, open to iteration, and focused on impact.
Marilena, it’s been a pleasure. That’s the end of my questions. Thanks for trusting us and for sharing your story.
Thank you, Noel. I think the industrial world needs more of this tech that works for people, not against them.
Couldn’t agree more. Until next time—build fast, build smart.