Hager & Meisinger GmbH

Since 2020, field and office sales employees of Hager & Meisinger GmbH have been working with SMARTCRM. Previously, the company was already using another CRM solution. However, this solution could no longer meet the company’s requirements. Thus, as part of the optimization of direct sales, the decision was made to introduce a new CRM system that was to be connected to the ERP solution proALPHA Business Cloud already in use. In the CRM selection process, our interface expertise and the standard connection to proALPHA were highly convincing. In addition, we scored with our mobile CRM solution SMARTCRM.App.

Standard interface to the proALPHA Business Cloud

Using the interface to proALPHA, SMARTCRM automatically imports, among others, customers, contacts, products and product groups, quotations as PDF files including items as well as the figures such as sales or order backlog items and open items. Frank Zobel, Head of Internal Sales at Hager & Meisinger, praises the ERP connection: “The desired tasks were all fulfilled. We have had complex customer-specific adjustments made in the proALPHA Business Cloud, which provide us with extended options for viewing sales. These could also be mapped in SMARTCRM without any problems.”

Optimized sales work thanks to BI evaluations

SMARTCRM prepares the figures in a variety of BI analyses at different levels. Before the introduction of our CRM system, employees may have had to contact the controlling department to request certain analyses or Excel spreadsheets. This belongs now to the past. Because in SMARTCRM, all current figures are available at any time with a click. For example, field staff can immediately see which products a customer has already ordered and how sales and order cycles are developing. In the event of changes, they can react at an early stage. Depending on whether the customer orders directly from Hager & Meisinger or through a dealer, the sales are shown in different evaluations, but can also be viewed cumulatively. Frank Zobel is pleased to say:  “The evaluations can now be carried out independently and much faster with SMARTCRM”.

Demand-oriented customer communication

SMARTCRM enables Hager & Meisinger to manage customer information more transparently and thus also improve internal communication. Customer care has also been simplified since the CRM customer file bundles the complete communication. E-mails, for example, are imported centrally from Microsoft Outlook accounts via Microsoft Exchange into SMARTCRM and archived in the respective contact’s file. The storage of visit reports completes the activity history. This full documentation ensures a fast and comfortable follow-up of a customer’s development at any time, explains Frank Zobel: “The individual customer data, which we store exclusively in SMARTCRM, helps us to know the customer and to communicate with the customer according to his needs.”

Improved field service connection

With SMARTCRM, the connection of the field staff could also be optimized. When working from home, they have access to the entire CRM database on their notebooks, even if the Internet connection is not so stable, thanks to offline capability. As soon as the connection is restored, the data is automatically synchronized between the notebook and the central installation. In this way, the office staff is also informed promptly about new visit reports and appointments, for example. While on the road, field staff can access important CRM information online via the SMARTCRM.App. After the visit, they document it directly via the iPhone using voice recognition in the app.

The acceptance of SMARTCRM among the sales staff in the office and in the field is very high. The company is also very satisfied with the support provided by the SMARTCRM project managers and the hotline team. “The support is provided competently and promptly,” says Frank Zobel.

Planned expansions

Hager & Meisinger already has many plans. In the second step, for example, the tour planning for the field force is to be carried out in the CRM system. Corresponding overviews, automatic generation of appointments and planning activities as well as the visualization of routes in Bing Maps form the optimal basis for this.

In addition, order entry is to be simplified by the fact that it will take place via the SMARTCRM.App. Then, the sales representative can already select the desired products in SMARTCRM with just a few clicks while on the road.

Moreover, the marketing department will work with SMARTCRM. For example, Hager & Meisinger would like to carry out the planning and management of marketing campaigns in the CRM system. With feature assignment, extensive selection options and the Microsoft Outlook connection, the CRM solution offers the appropriate tools for sending mailings. The use of the CRM solution at subsidiaries is also being considered. Because the further development of SMARTCRM at Hager & Meisinger is an on-going process for the company.