Thanks to the TIBCO Cloud Integration solution between our ERP and CRM systems, our sales team is excited about getting up to date numbers whenever they want to use their mobile devices. They have instant info on account activity so they can provide better services and drive more sales while also seeing where they're at in meeting their individual sales goals.
Trent Emerson, President
Ben's Paint Supply Covers Information Access and Sales Growth
Mobile access to data for driving sales, improved data quality, better communications
Challenge
Ben's Paint Supply wanted to grow its sales volume, but data accessibility and quality were holding them back. The sales team didn't have visibility into order history. They couldn't see how much each account had purchased through the company's online store or any of its 10 retail locations. Without that knowledge, they could not understand an account's needs, and therefore could not make an effective plan to increase its purchases.
The main cause was that the company's Salesforce CRM platform was not integrated with its Perfection ERP platform. Even though orders from the online store and retail locations were recorded in the ERP system, sales staff only had access to Salesforce.
"We wanted to provide timely data to the sales team on their mobile devices," explains Trent Emerson, President. "The team could not access ERP data and reports unless they visited one of our offices. They typically would only see the data about once a month. They needed an up-to-date, holistic view of their accounts with detailed buying behavior by product."
Ben's Paint Supply also suffered from a lack of data quality. Account information in Salesforce often differed from what was in Perfection. These issues not only affected individual sales representatives, they also impacted the company's ability to manage the sales organization. Sales managers lacked detailed visibility into individual performance, customer accounts, and product lines.
Solution
To determine the best way to connect data between Salesforce and Perfection ERP, the company turned to its trusted implementation partner, Mountain Point, which presented three possible integration solutions, including the TIBCO Cloud™ Integration platform as a service.
"Right out of the gate, the capabilities within TIBCO Cloud Integration impressed us with how easily it was to get information moving between Perfection ERP and Salesforce," says Emerson. "We originally wanted to just move a few fields between the systems, but the integration became much bigger, and TIBCO Cloud Integration allowed us to expand our ambitions. With it, we knew we could provide our sales team with any ERP information they needed, and we could deliver it right to their fingertips."
Ben's Paint Supply selected the TIBCO tool for the integration project, and Mountain Point built a bi-directional data integration between Salesforce and Perfection ERP.
Benefits
Mobile Access to Data for Driving Sales, Improved Data Quality
The sales team gained access to sales history to analyze what customers need through their mobile devices. The integration also helps Ben's Paint Supply keep account lists up-to-date by identifying duplicate entries and cases where the contact information has changed.
"By integrating ERP data with Salesforce, TIBCO Cloud Integration arms our sales team with all the information they need, such as sales that come through stores and online orders," says Emerson. "With complete visibility into account and product information, as well as better quality data, our sales team is now equipped to grow their accounts more efficiently."
Sales reps and sales managers now communicate more easily on account activities as they plan sales strategies.
Consultative Selling and Up-Selling
By seeing customer usage of various paint products over time, the sales reps can better advise customers on managing their paint purchasing strategies.
"By informing our customers as to which products and quantities they have purchased, we can help them plan their future needs," Emerson explains. "It that respect, we now use Salesforce to a much greater degree than we did in the past—while also adding to the value of the services we provide and creating potential up-sell opportunities."
Mountain Point also set up dashboards in Salesforce that depend on TIBCO Cloud Integration to import data from Perfection ERP. The dashboards enable sales managers and reps to quickly see customer purchasing history through direct sales as well as via online and store purchases. This information helps determine when to follow up with customers, and it helps track sales rep targets and bonus numbers.
Future
Dashboards also get the reps and managers to use Salesforce more often. "And that's key for us in terms of fully leveraging all the CRM features that Salesforce has to offer," says Emerson. "The reps are more likely to stay on top of all their accounts and can provide services that maintain loyal customers. They are also more likely to grow the amount of business with each customer."