Johannesburg, 22 Jan 2002
In order to maximise a customer relationship management (CRM) system, a single, integrated view of individual customers are needed. This was the motivation behind Dell South Africa`s implementation of an enhanced CRM system with the help of information systems company, IS Partners.
"We already had a central data warehouse in Ireland, namely the Dell Data Warehouse (DDW). However, despite the valuable information gleaned from this system, we felt it necessary to invest in a more focused system, in order for it to fully meet our local CRM needs," says Brendan McAravey, marketing manager at Dell SA.
In line with this objective, Dell SA acquired a CRM system developed in the UK, dubbed the Phoenix system. "When Dell first went to the UK to investigate the Phoenix system, we wanted to ascertain what could be done with the system as is, as well as what we could develop around this structure to ensure that Dell SA got what they needed," comments Caron Mooney, executive director at IS Partners.
According to McAravey, what Dell had in mind was a programme that could break the DDW information down into segments, while providing an integrated view of individual sales people.
Mooney explains that a Microsoft SQL server together with ProClarity - a front-end tool - was used to ensure that this CRM system delivers what Dell needed. "ProClarity offers in-depth analytical abilities, resulting in positive and negative areas of business being clearly highlighted. Sales are also broken down by region, with an overview of each sales team, enabling Dell to measure trends and successes."
The new system benefits the sales, marketing, financial and management segments of Dell. It has also changed the way the salespeople operate. All customer and company contacts are recorded centrally, nullifying the need to maintain these in multiple formats like spreadsheets and Outlook.
"In a nutshell, Dell staff have at their disposal detailed demographic information about customers, customer sales history and trade relationships. It is available within a user-friendly and intuitive environment where browsing and maintaining customer information is easy," comments McAravey.
Mooney says sales management also benefits from the new system. Activity within accounts can be tracked, total values of quotes can be gathered and lapsed quotes can be acted on. In addition, there is central access to entire team`s information.
Marketing is yet another department that reaps the benefits of this system. A truer reflection of the market is available, customer activity can be tracked, segmentation information is readily available and aids in marketing campaigns. Information is available for market segmentation, and product sales and marketing mixes can be tracked.
Phoenix was modified to suit local priorities. Mooney explains that the original Phoenix system lacked forecasting ability, so IS Partners built a new system that integrated with the CRM system. "In a company where forecasting is part of the day-to-day lives of sales people, this tool has enabled sales personnel to forecast accurately and fast."
eCRM is something that is definitely on the table for future development at Dell SA. "To be able to profile customers, target them using their medium of preference, then also to measure the results of the campaign is vital," adds McAravey.
"These days CRM is a buzz word and millions are spent on hype. IS Partners, however, specialises in bringing bottom line value to CRM systems. Not only does the new system benefit Dell, it directly impacts its customer base, ensuring that better service is offered," concludes Mooney.
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