Well-thought CRM implementation: SMARTCRM at ERO-Führungen GmbH

ERO-Führungen GmbH:

• Guiding systems and linear technology

SMARTCRM at ERO:

• CRM introduction
• Interface to abas ERP
• Connection to abas DMS
• Deployed in sales field and in-house as well as in purchasing
• 10 licenses 

Requirements and project goals:

• Partner at eye-level: as a mid-sized enterprise for a mid-sized enterprise
• Central information pool
• Bidirectional standard interface to abas ERP
• Extensive up-to-date BI evaluations
• Standard connection to abas DMS
• Improved integration of field staff
• Optimized quotation tracking with resubmissions

We are pleased to welcome another new customer from the abas environment: SMARTCRM will support the processes in sales and purchasing of ERO-Führungen GmbH in the future. The mid-sized company located in Löffingen-Unadingen, Germany, is one of the internationally leading specialists for the design and production of guiding systems and linear technology.

ERO decided to introduce a CRM system since previous data maintenance in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets was very time-consuming and became confusing with the growing amount of data. Instead of local data storage and isolated applications, the new CRM solution was to make all customer-related information available centrally for all employees in one system.

In the CRM selection process, we convinced as an abas cooperation partner with our preconfigured standard connection to abas ERP and our fund of experience. Thus, we were also able to connect our CRM solution to the ERP software at ERO in no time. Via the bidirectional interface, prospects, customers, products, quotations as well as the figures for sales and purchasing are transferred from abas to our CRM solution and in turn new addresses and address type changes are transferred to abas. SMARTCRM prepares the figures such as sales and order backlog items as well as open items in various BI evaluations and makes them available to all employees at any time. This also benefits the field staff, who previously had to make time-consuming inquiries to the office staff for analyses. From now on, they can access the sales trends of their customers, the products sold or their sales area themselves. The entire CRM database is available to them anywhere and at any time on their notebooks – thanks to the offline capability, even if there is no Internet connection.

The recording of target agreements in SMARTCRM will also ensure optimized, targeted sales work. ERO sales staff will then be able to see at any time which targets they have already achieved or even exceeded and where they still need to make adjustments.

A second interface connects the CRM system with abas DMS. Thanks to it, documents can be called up directly from SMARTCRM in the document management system by means of a button. Conversely, files that ERO stores in the CRM solution can also be transferred to abas at the press of a button.

Another requirement in the context of the CRM selection process was the optimization of quotation follow-up, as it was previously not possible to use resubmissions. This changes with SMARTCRM: In the future, all project steps will be documented there in an electronic file. The quotations are imported from abas ERP and automatically stored in the project file including the individual items. Overviews of due quotations as well as resubmissions ensure that the quotations are followed up in a timely manner. Another advantage of the project file is its complete activity history, which includes all communication with the customer. For example, if a customer calls, the CTI function displays the most important customer information as soon as the phone rings. With one click, the sales employee can then create an activity and document the conversation. SMARTCRM automatically imports the corresponding e-mails from Microsoft Outlook via Microsoft Exchange. In addition, visit reports are now recorded directly in SMARTCRM immediately after the customer visit.

In addition to sales, purchasing will also work with SMARTCRM and benefit from the numerous SRM functionalities. The supplier file in the CRM system includes all relevant information, allows for extensive classification and bundles all activities with the supplier. Purchase order and invoice items as well as open invoices are imported from abas ERP and prepared analogously to the sales figures in various evaluations. Thus, SMARTCRM offers a central overview of suppliers and purchasing processes.