A neat solution: Selligent at Kreussler
Kreussler is a modern chemical company. It is European leader in cleaning agents for textiles and aims to become technology leader in detergent chemistry and laundry technology. Kreussler is an innovative family-owned enterprise that was looking for a future-oriented CRM solution to bring enhanced support to its sales force and its customer service department. Selligent’s CRM system soon proved to be the right tool, and around three months later, Kreussler had a working CRM solution based on the Selligent Xi application. It is a solution that clearly enhances services to clients and quality levels. It also makes knowledge management that much easier.
Kurt VogelCRM project manager
“Kreussler can now enhance its customer service and hike its market share. Clients receive better service and tangible benefits for their own business.”
“Hardly three months had gone by and the new CRM solution was up and running – with a clearly future-oriented ambition.”
“We succeeded in enhancing customer care simply because we know clients and prospects better. Being able to pinpoint customer needs faster and to then transpose them into product improvements gives us a significant edge over our competitors.”
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On the look-out for opportunities
For the past 20 years or so, Wiesbaden-based chemical company Kreussler has been European leader in dry cleaning. Since its foundation in 1912, the family-owned company has innovated time and again. Kreussler was originally a manufacturer of dye-stuffs but has constantly explored new avenues – for example, industrial cleaning which, in less than 15 years, has become the pillar of its textile chemistry division. Kreussler keeps a close eye on the market and an ear to customer needs. And dialogue with customers is a permanent source of new ideas. With such entrepreneurial stimulus, it is hardly surprising that international expansion plays a key role – Kreussler has locations in France, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as a network of commercial partners in a number of other countries.
From 0 to Selligent in three months
One of the major tasks of the field force is to uncover sales opportunities and put together tailored offerings to meet the need. But apart from that, Kreussler has set its sights on continuously improving the quality of service to current clients. More, Kreussler wants to be considered as a true partner by its clients and actively looks for solutions to the problems they come up against. That is exactly why Kreussler’s field staff and the technical experts collect feedback from clients – to share their experience and consequently provide customers with efficient support. It has been quite a while since Kreussler implemented a CRM system to help its more than 20 people in the field to hunt down new opportunities. But in 2002, their CRM supplier discontinued development of the system, meaning that it would no longer meet Kreussler’s current and future needs. So the company quickly made up its mind to install a modern, future-oriented CRM system. It was quite unthinkable to carry on without the benefits of a CRM solution.
Extra tight links between the field force and customer ser- vice
Kreussler decided to dispense with a complex process of assessment. “It very soon became clear that Selligent Xi was the best solution for us”, recalls Kurt Vogel, CRM project manager and member of the quality management department. “Selligent was much less expensive than the alternatives, and the only product that came close price-wise was not in the same league in terms of functionality and ease of integration.” The decision to install Selligent Xi was taken in October 2002, and implementation started the following month. Hardly three months had gone by and the new CRM solution was up and running – with a clearly future-oriented ambition. “Naturally, the attractive price was an important element for us. But the ease of integration into our Microsoft SQL Server infrastructure was another key selection criterion.” Vogel admits to being pleasantly surprised at the speed of implementation, which was done in co-operation with Selligent’s local partner, OSG GmbH. User adoption, and particularly that of the field force, was much smoother thanks to the new solution’s ease of use. “Selligent is no more complicated to use than a simple schedule and contact management system such as Outlook”, Vogel points out. Staff simply received new notebook PCs with the system pre-installed and ready to run. After a brief training programme they were operational.
A new outlook
ution is build up around a central database available to all field staff. Kreussler decided that data duplication “on demand” was the best way to ensure that everyone was always up to date. The new solution streamlines collaboration between the field force and their colleagues in customer service and product development – and that is no mean advantage. It ensures that client feedback, and their demands, are acted on as fast as possible when enhancing existing products and developing new ones. Vogel points to the prime advantage of the new CRM solution: “We succeeded in enhancing customer service simply because we know clients and prospects better. Being able to pinpoint customer needs faster and to then transpose them into product improvements gives us a significant edge over our competitors.” But Kreussler’s clients also profit directly from the improved sales processes that emanate from the use of the new CRM system. “By accumulating, applying and sharing know-how, for example concerning processes that have proved their worth, we are also able to leverage it in other areas”, explains Vogel. Offers made to clients and prospects are perfectly tailored to their specific situation. And this is the case at international level, because the agile field force takes care of Kreussler clients worldwide. At the end of the day, everyone wins, thanks to the Selligent CRM solution: Kreussler can enhance customer service and grow its market share; and clients get better service and tangible benefits for their business.
