KLN Family Brands Unifies Sales Across Divisions with a Mobile CRM Built for the Field
From Family Roots to National Reach—Why Better Visibility Matters
KLN Family Brands has built a legacy on quality, community, and innovation. Based in Perham, Minnesota, this third-generation, family-owned business manufactures both premium pet food and confectionery products through divisions like Tuffy’s Pet Foods, Tuffy’s Treat Company, and Kenny’s Candy & Confections. With a growing footprint in retail locations across the country, from major grocery chains to local stores, KLN needed better visibility into what was happening on the ground with their sales team.
As their business expanded, so did the complexity of tracking customer interactions. Like many fast-moving sales organizations, KLN’s representatives were saving contact details on personal phones and logging visit notes inconsistently, if at all. These informal systems are common, especially when teams are focused on relationships and results, but they can make it difficult for managers to get a clear view of progress in the field or ensure that products are being properly represented in stores.
“Communication is a key component for growth. In the beginning it was simple, we had three sales representatives that worked together to grow the business. A simple email, text message or phone call would keep everyone informed.
The complexities set in as our sales team grew. Dividing territories and transitioning accounts to new sales reps became challenging as customer records were inconsistent or nonexistent. Forecasting new business accurately became impossible to manage in excel spreadsheets,” says Lance Schultz, IT Director at KLN Family Brands.
“Working with Stoneridge to develop a CRM that fits our unique business needs has helped stabilize our business by improving customer records, streamlining communication and removing uncertainty from the equation for future growth.”
Business Challenges: Disconnected Data, Invisible Pipelines, and the Need for Consistency
KLN’s sales teams in both the pet treats and candy divisions were highly mobile, often spending most of their day visiting stores. That mobility, while essential, created real barriers to traditional CRM adoption. The challenges included:
- Lack of centralized data: Customer details and visit notes weren’t consistently captured or accessible across the team.
- Limited visibility for managers: Leadership struggled to understand the state of the pipeline or the effectiveness of field activities.
- Inconsistent processes: Without standardized workflows, newer reps lacked structure to guide their interactions.
- Difficulty scaling: As the company grew, so did the need for a system that could evolve with them.
Solution: Tailored Technology That Matches the Way Sales Teams Actually Work
KLN partnered with Stoneridge Software to implement a tailored CRM solution built on Microsoft Dynamics 365. The project focused not just on solving the immediate challenges, but on designing a system that would support long-term growth, usability in the field, and alignment across divisions.
A Dual Approach
To reflect the unique sales strategies of Kenny’s Candy & Confections and Tuffy’s Treat Company, Stoneridge delivered two custom Model-Driven Apps, each shaped to fit the workflows and product sets of its respective team.
- Mobile-Optimized Dynamics 365 Power Apps: Field reps can now log visits, view account details, and enter product notes directly from their phones.
- Custom Business Process Flows: Tailored workflows guide sales reps step by step, even through complex or varied scenarios.
- Automated Activity Capture with Power Automate: Tasks like visit logging and follow-up reminders are streamlined, minimizing manual entry and improving accuracy.
- Outlook Integration and Copilot for Sales: Email and CRM are now connected, enabling smoother handoffs and better preparation.
- Dashboards for Managers: Real-time insights into store visits, product pushes, and rep activity help managers coach more effectively and plan strategically.
“At Stoneridge, leading with experience design means we start by really getting to know the people we’re building for,” says Jenny Harer, Team Manager and Senior Consultant at Stoneridge.
“We understand their needs, challenges, and goals so we can build solutions that truly work for them. Partnering with KLN has been a great example of that in action. Together, we’ve created tools that feel intuitive, make a real impactful, and are built to support their future.”
Results: Stronger Execution in the Field, Smarter Planning in the Office
The move to Dynamics 365 has transformed the way KLN manages sales operations and field engagement. Rather than relying on fragmented tools or memory-based reporting, teams now operate from a shared, modern platform that supports both strategy and execution.
By aligning technology with how sales reps actually work—on the road, in stores, and in quick conversations—KLN has improved both day-to-day operations and long-term planning. Teams have better tools to work efficiently, and leadership finally has the visibility they need to make informed, forward-looking decisions.
Key outcomes include:
- Improved Field Execution: Sales reps can capture and access data on the spot, reducing administrative overhead and enhancing accountability.
- Stronger Manager Oversight: Dashboards deliver clear, actionable views into team performance and sales activity.
- Standardized Processes Across Divisions: Custom workflows ensure every rep, regardless of experience level, follows a consistent approach.
- Better Planning and Growth Readiness: With centralized, high-quality data, KLN can evaluate performance and confidently scale operations.
“Utilizing the system created with Stoneridge has delivered consistency in reporting and accuracy in data for our teams to utilize at KLN Family Brands,” says Schultz.
“We have a better understanding of what is happening in the field, which gives us greater insight into future product demand and allows us to plan efficiencies in procurement and production. The system that we created for sales is driving efficiencies across all departments at KLN and positioning us for stable growth in the future”
A Unified Microsoft Stack to Support KLN’s Sales Evolution
Technologies Used:
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales
- Custom Model-Driven Apps (x2)
- Dynamics 365 Power Apps (mobile)
- Power Automate
- Outlook Integration
- Copilot for Sales
