Optimera – CRM has created transparency and knowledge sharing in the company’s project sale

From ’nice to have’ to ’need to have’

Transparancy and knowledge sharing

Optimera use the CRM solution Microsoft Dynamics 365 to create transparency and to share knowledge in the company’s project sale. Moving from ‘nice to have’ to ‘need to have’ created a new CRM culture and partnering with MicroPartner is an important part of the story.

‘I though it would be hell, but the expanded CRM solution was received incredibly.’

Finn Thomsen, Project Director, Optimera

The chain with 200 employees, 15 large hardware stores, and 45.000 item numbers delivers over 1,000 projects on a yearly basis. Optimera’s employees survey and calculate the material needs of the project in the best possible quote on everything from extensions to larger buildings. Now, the entire workflow is transparent. From when a salesperson in the hardware store gets the request from the customer to the quote is accepted or rejected. Optimera has united the business process in the CRM solution Microsoft Dynamics 365 and as a result the project director was very excited when the solution went live.

New CRM culture and shared knowledge

Abrupt transition

‘We simply chose to turn off the old way of working with projects, so it was an abrupt transition. There was no criticism, no problems and just a few questions. I must state that training key employees in the hardware stores and the small nine instructional videos on our intranet, gave the solution a great start.’

Finn Thomsen, Project Director, Optimera

Finn Thomsen oversees Optimera’s two project centers and eight employees, who work with the projects. The CRM solution reaches over 100 salespeople in the hardware stores, as it is usually here Optimera becomes involved in the customer’s project.

Customer profile

Optimera

Optimera has 15 large hardware stores in Denmark and Greenland along with an online hardware store with nationwide delivery. As a professional hardware chain, Optimera’s main customers are professional craftsmen, who work with building and renovation projects. Optimera also has a substantial turnover from DIY customers.

Optimera is owned by Saint-Gobain Distribution Denmark, which is owned by the French group Saint-Gobain (represented in 64 countries with a total of 200,000 employees). Saint-Gobain Distribution Denmark (represented in 3 countries with a total of 1,250 employees) distributes products and solutions of high quality to the construction sector in Denmark, Iceland, and Greenland.

Saint-Gobain Distribution Denmark owns Optimera, Brødrene Dahl, ProTræ, Øland og Zupply.

Solution on the drawing board

Digitalizing of sub processes

The idea for the new solution came when Finn Thomsen became Project Director. In that capacity, he wanted more shared knowledge, better options for analysis, and a better flow in Optimera’s processes in relation to the projects.

The goal was to leave manual and very individual work processes and instead have more transparency in the work by making all sub processes digital.

Alongside Business Controller Jesper Fuglsang, the Project Director spent two days ‘drawing’ the solution and Jesper Fuglsang assessed that the CRM solution from Microsoft would do the job. As a result, Optimera contacted their regular CRM supplier MicroPartner, who also delivers CRM to Brødrene Dahl, which Optimera is grouped with under Saint-Gobain.

The partner challenged

Conversations in the middle of the night

‘At first, we explained why we were different from Brødrene Dahl and MicroPartner’s consultants were great at listening. De have extensive knowledge and were good at challenging us.

In this project, they clearly warned us against diverging to must from standard and making too much own development. The collaboration was great, and I appreciate their product understanding as well as their professional back-and-forth.’

Jesper Fuglsang, Business Controller, Optimera

Jesper Fuglsang was project manager on the successful CRM project. Han even had conversations in the middle of the night with his development partner as the project reached its end, which tells a story of mutual sense of responsibility.

MicroPartner developed the CRM solution for Optimera and after testing and error correction the solution went live, which immediately gave a boost in the use of CRM.

In the first month of new solution, the use of the system was ten doubled from a few hundred to over 2,000 activities.

But more essential, the business processes on all projects are now streamlined and give Optimera the opportunity to learn and be better.

About the solution

Optimera use the CRM solution Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service to create transparency and to share knowledge in the company’s project sale, that on a yearly basis consists of over 1,000 projects.

Optimera’s employees survey and calculate the material needs of the project in the best possible quote on everything from extensions to larger buildings. Now, the entire workflow is transparent. From when a salesperson in the hardware store gets the request from the customer to the quote is accepted or rejected.

Everyone can see everything

Clear overview

’Previously, we depended on the knowledge of each individual and if we had vacation or sick leave. There were also lots of small paper scraps. Now, we experience several operational advantages because everybody has access to correct and current information.

The salespeople in the hardware stores can access the system, and they can tell exactly how far along the process has come in connection with survey and bidding. As director, I can see how we use our resources and I can get a current status.’

Finn Thomsen, Project Director, Optimera

The philosophy of the CRM solution is that everyone can see everything. This means that the salesperson can have the quote and its presumptions with him on his iPad to a customer meeting. The solution also gives an automatic reminder, so that the follow up is not overlooked.

Now, Optimera has a transparent base of knowledge and can make fact-based decisions. Optimera’s advanced CRM solution is a step on the path to optimizing through digitalization. Next step will be that surveying for the projects happens electronically.

From individual knowledge to shared knowledge

Knowledge is worth gold

Overall, Optimera now has more knowledge on the projects. Finn Thomsen also sees several possibilities for optimizing Optimera’s project business because the system reveals patterns in lost and won cases and Optimera can now be better at understanding the reasons why. This kind of knowledge is worth gold in the competition with other hardware stores on the professional market.

‘We have not performed a ROI analysis on this project. But the value is indisputable, as we get both better processes and more knowledge with this solution.

We alter the culture in the direction of more fact-based management and that may prove to be extremely valuable. The main idea is to make individual knowledge shared knowledge. Even if our business by large is about good and trustworthy relations to the customers, we could use further knowledge about the projects.’

Finn Thomsen, Project Director, Optimera

Three CRM wins at Optimera

Unified and transparent bases of knowledge available to all in the process
Better follow up on both lost and won cases
Strong knowledge base for business development

Contact us to learn more or to schedule a free demo

Our team of experienced and dedicated consultants is always ready to help and guide you, so you can make the best decision. Whether you need advice or want to have a personal demonstration, we are ready to assist you.

You are also welcome to contact us directly at Tel.: 70 88 67 83

Optimera – CRM has created transparency and knowledge sharing in the company’s project sale

From ’nice to have’ to ’need to have’

Transparancy and knowledge sharing

New CRM culture and shared knowledge

Abrupt transition

Customer profile

Optimera

Solution on the drawing board

Digitalizing of sub processes

The partner challenged

Conversations in the middle of the night

About the solution

Everyone can see everything

Clear overview

From individual knowledge to shared knowledge

Knowledge is worth gold

Three CRM wins at Optimera

Unified and transparent bases of knowledge available to all in the process

Better follow up on both lost and won cases

Strong knowledge base for business development

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