Implementation of Salesforce as a Cloud-Based CRM

With the help of consultants from CAS AG, the e-procurement specialists at simple system GmbH & Co. KG have created the transparency within their company that they need to support their rapid growth. By implementing Salesforce as a cloud-based CRM, this subsidiary of the Hoffmann Group has succeeded in further digitizing its processes and creating a comprehensive view of all business partners—not only customers but also suppliers.

High double-digit growth over several years had pushed simple system to its limits, beyond which employees could no longer manage the complexity of the platform’s relationships with suppliers and customers through face-to-face interactions alone. A unified view of both suppliers and customers was needed. The Munich-based procurement experts decided to implement the necessary process digitization using Salesforce’s Sales Cloud. They recognized that, given the complexity of the platform’s processes, they needed an experienced partner for the implementation. They found that partner in CAS AG.

The in-depth expertise of CAS AG’s consultants in Salesforce implementations was a decisive factor for the decision-makers at simple system. After all, the challenge was significant and the timeline tight. Not only did both customers and suppliers need to be managed as partners in Salesforce—and procurement naturally involves multi-level role structures within complex corporate groups—but simple system also placed great importance on staying as close as possible to the Salesforce standard.

The Art of Staying Close to the Standard

“The consultants at CAS AG did an excellent job of implementing this requirement,” reports Michael Petri, Managing Director of simple system: “They helped us adapt and optimize our processes. Many people can simply add custom code to Salesforce. The challenge was to stay as close as possible to the Salesforce standard.” Through discussions and workshops with employees, the consultants from CAS AG thoroughly analyzed the specific processes and roles at simple system and helped refine them so that both customer and supplier managers can derive the greatest possible benefit from Salesforce and all processes are transparent.

With the implementation of Salesforce, simple system has not only succeeded in digitizing its own sales processes but also in mapping all interactions with its business partners. It has also succeeded in centralizing the onboarding of new customers and suppliers and making the process significantly more efficient. Whereas previously a separate ticket had to be created for each supplier wishing to start using the platform, this now happens automatically. All information regarding the multi-step registration process is now available to employees in a user-friendly format at a glance.

With the support of consultants from CAS AG, the company successfully integrated the procurement specialists’ processes seamlessly across its e-procurement platform and Salesforce. This allows employees not only to create new customer and supplier relationships in Salesforce, but also to view the relevant transaction data, revenue, and other specific KPIs for each individual business partner there. Data silos were consistently eliminated by, among other measures, synchronizing Microsoft Outlook with Salesforce.

Digitizing Complex Processes

“It was clear to us from the start that this wouldn’t be a typical Salesforce implementation,” says Michael Petri of simple system. “CAS AG took the time to understand the core of our company’s value creation and our specific business model, and to map that into Salesforce.”

Last but not least, the team succeeded in sticking to the ambitious timeline. Just six weeks after the project kicked off, Salesforce had been rolled out to all customer and supplier managers. Michael Petri is pleased that the agile project management approach employed by the consultants at CAS AG actually made it possible to optimize processes during the rollout.

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Procurement Experts: Sebastian Wiese and Michael Petri, managing directors of simple system (from left to right)

More about simple system

For over 20 years, the Munich-based e-procurement provider has been helping customers and suppliers fundamentally digitize their procurement and sales processes. The focus is on B2B commerce for indirect procurement. This is because buying and selling C-parts and services via a digital platform reduces process costs for all parties involved. The experts at simple system also provide support, as needed, in implementing efficient structures. simple system acts as a neutral intermediary and places the trust-based, long-term business relationship between the customer and the supplier at the center of its efforts.

Customers can use the platform to cover 100% of their indirect needs from over 80 million items and connect with their preferred suppliers. Ad-hoc orders from new suppliers are also possible. The product range spans from A for occupational safety to Z for machining technology and also includes services such as translations. www.simplesystem.com