Integrated Solution Improves Manufacturer’s Compliance and Communication with Customers
In order to keep up with industry requirements and demand this medical device manufacturing company realized that they would need a fully integrated software solution to help every department access relevant information while reducing manual processes and increasing efficiencies. With Microsoft Dynamics AX already in place as their accounting and operations solution, they chose to implement Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement to integrate sales and customer relationship data directly with Dynamics AX. With both solutions built on the Microsoft platform and Stoneridge Software as an implementing partner with experience in the full suite of Microsoft solutions, they felt confident the project would be a success, ensuring their data could seamlessly flow between the two systems.
Full Sales Team Functionality
With a diverse sales team that includes direct sellers, distributors, and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), all of which are selling both nationally and internationally, this business needed a solution that could be tailored to fit the three different sales models their business incorporates. Stoneridge Software worked with the business to structure Dynamics 365 around their sales processes and the end result includes a custom view for each user based on their role type and position.
As each lead or prospect moves through the sales cycle, the sales team member automatically is led through the steps specific to their role.
Distributor:
OEM:
Direct Sales:
No matter which sales-type is being visible, all users are able to track leads and convert those to opportunities that are won or lost.
The system also allows for:
- Contact management
- Appointment tracking
- Outlook Integration for email and communication tracking
- Pipeline management
Product Regulations and Notifications
The medical device manufacturing industry comes with a fair amount of rules and regulations around the products they produce, this business was required to carefully track product details and notifications to customers. Product and historical sale information are maintained and tracked by the finance department using Dynamics AX. The end result of this project ensured that information is then automatically linked to each customer record within Dynamics 365, giving the sales and marketing team valuable customer insights.
When products, or components of products, are recalled or expire, the marketing team is automatically alerted through a workflow in the system. They are able to automatically generate marketing lists of affected customers.
With a large range of products, there are often different contacts at each customer that are responsible for ordering specific items. When product updates need to be communicated, its a necessity that the marketing team is able to easily identify which person at the customer organization needs to receive communication. Within Dynamics 365, each product purchased is not only linked to the customer organization as a whole, but also to individual contacts. This information hierarchy assures that the appropriate contact receives the required communication.
These important communication needs also include any applicable distributors or brokers. Within the system, the business has the ability to tie those brokers to as many accounts or customers as necessary, so they receive the same communication as their customers. This allows for a many-to-many relationship with contacts when needed.
Using ClickDimensions, a third-party marketing platform that integrates directly into Dynamics 365, an email is then sent to the appropriate clients regarding a recall or expiration or any relevant message. That communication is tracked within the system, including the number of times the message was opened, links clicked, and more. This keeps the company in compliance with regulations and gives the sales team insights to its customers.
Complex Price Model Management
Like many manufacturers, this company’s customers each have their own negotiated price list based on contract terms, purchase quantities, and other variables. Pricing for specific items can also fluctuate based on the market. Prior to implementing Dynamics 365, finding accurate customer-specific pricing was complex and time-consuming. A key feature of this project was simplifying this process. Now, when a customer calls, a data grid is automatically generated and populated with real-time pricing information based on all variables, and only the approved-to-purchase products are listed as available.
Faster Access to Information
A goal of the project was to introduce time-saving processes. To that end, the team at Stoneridge Software developed a customization to help speed up data entry and provide better visibility at a glance. Implementing flex grids gave users the ability to see more information on one screen and the ability to update that information without having to drill down into a different view. This customization saves countless minutes each day for every user.
Reporting
The challenge with reporting for many companies is that data exists, but it’s not visualized in a way that can be easily consumed. By tapping into Microsoft’s Power BI application, which directly integrates with both Dynamics AX and Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement, the leadership and management teams are able to consolidate information from across the entire organization to analyze data trends and generate visual dashboards. This powerful tool helps users understand sales trends, projections, forecasts, top customers, sales gaps, and more. Not only that, but they can also easily view how marketing and sales touchpoints influence purchases of specific items and gain insights into their upcoming sales pipeline.
With a fully integrated system, the entire team at this medical device manufacturing company is able to take advantage of technology that helps eliminate manual re-entry, reduce time-consuming processes, and better understand their customers and business.
The final solution addressed:
- Integration of client data from accounting to customer relationship management
- Increasing productivity and efficiency across multiple departments
- Visibility into accurate contract terms and pricing
- Automated workflows for product compliance communication
- Management insights into sales pipeline and projections
