IQD Frequency Products Ltd
Backed by a 40-year pedigree, IQD is a recognised leader
in the frequency control market with customers in over 60
countries. From low cost commercial grade products to those used in
high reliability military grade applications, IQD offers one of the
most comprehensive product ranges available.
The challenges
Having emerged profitable from the recession, IQD needed to
maintain its growth momentum. This was being hindered by the
company's existing software, an ageing finance package and a
third-party Configure to Order (CTO) application.
Explaining the key challenges, Group MD Paul Fear starts with
the quote-to-order process. "We needed greater visibility over all
aspects of the sales lifecycle. For example, you'd lose the quote
history when converting to an order. We're often asked to bid
repeatedly on projects, so this doubled up the workload. Not only
that, we had no analysis over deals won and lost."
Speed of response to customers was also an issue. IQD has a huge
product range, including Quartz Crystals, Crystal Clock
Oscillators, Silicon/MEMS Clock Oscillators, VCXOs, TCXOs, OCXOs
and Industrial & Automotive Crystals & Oscillators -
comprising over 370 models and 60,000 part numbers that continue to
increase daily.
"Our existing CTO system couldn't easily handle the level of
complexity our clients demand. On top of this, our existing system
wasn't user-friendly, so people struggled to use it," Paul
comments.
"GoldMine really is at the heart of our business - I can't
imagine life without it"
Paul Fear, Group MD
Finally, data was held in silos, making product information
difficult to maintain and access across various departments.
"Without a central database, people had to go between different
systems to get the information they needed. As well as taking up
valuable time, this also made reporting arduous."
The journey
As a seasoned CRM user with
experience of project implementations, Paul took charge of the
project. During the shortlist process, flexibility and ease of use
became decisive purchase factors. "From experience of other
systems, I know gaining user acceptance is one of the biggest
challenges you have to face. But I knew as soon as I looked at GMEE
that it was the one for us."
The solution
Having looked at various editions of GoldMine, the Access
consultant recommended GMEE. Suitable for medium and large
companies, it offers huge scope for customisation and is scalable
for 20+ users.
Integration with IQD's accounts system
was also a key requirement. "CRM is only half the story - you can
have the most fantastic CRM system in the world, but it's no good
if you've got to re-key the information," says Paul. "We wanted a
solid, back-office solution, and Access Dimensions fitted the
bill."
Implementation
IQD decided to implement GMEE in stages. This approach has
proved very successful, enabling the project to come in close to
budget and timescale. "We didn't try to do everything at once,
which gave us flexibility. The Access consultants' attention to
detail was impressive, as was their ability to work with key
members of our team."
The results
Just four months post-implementation, Paul and IQD have seen
measurable benefits in all areas of the business. These
include:
Increased sales opportunity
With GMEE, IQD now has a full history of opportunities and
quotes along with their status of open, closed, lost and won. "The
potential gains are huge," says Paul. "We're constantly mining this
data to look for ways to help improve conversion rates. For
example, understanding the market pricing in different countries
and market sectors."
The integration between GMEE and Access Dimensions has also
created efficiencies. Existing quotes can be easily retrieved and
re-used, while orders created in GMEE are automatically created in
Dimensions. "All this reduces re-keying and improves accuracy,"
says Paul.
Greater responsiveness
IQD's sales staff can now create opportunities directly in GMEE.
A series of easy-to-use screens simplify the process of gathering
highly detailed technical information - "now, we can get back to
the customer in minutes, not days - which as well as increasing
sales opportunities, has reduced administration by 25 per
cent."
The benefits don't end there. IQD were able to develop a new CTO
module within GMEE, which manages the technical capability of each
model. This recognises when a customer part specification is new
and when it has been manufacturer previously - giving IQD full
history of the part. "GMEE's capability to allow development of
functionality such as CTO provides more value-for-money from the
existing software licence fee without the headache of having to
integrate a third party piece of software," says Paul.
Finally, GMEE is very easy to use. "GMEE's intuitive interface
enables users to quickly get up to speed with using the system; our
user acceptance has been excellent."
Accurate info across the business
A central product repository has brought greater visibility
across the whole business. For sales, this ensures vital
information, such as order status, customer credit history and
stock availability is available live-time in one place.
For marketing, it allows the team to manage campaign information
needed for direct marketing, trade shows, conferences and press
relations.
For production, staff can now communicate effectively with IQD's
factories over the price of materials. It also incorporates an
approval workflow for new products - complete with electronic
signoff. And for QA, GMEE incorporates an RMA process. "GoldMine
really is at the heart of our business - I can't imagine running
our business without it," says Paul.
Better reporting
Analysis is no longer the headache it used to be either.
"Producing the sales board pack used to take two days' preparation,
but now can be done in a couple of hours," says Paul.
Customisation
GMEE's flexibility is Paul's favourite part of the system.
"Every screen has been customised to our needs - and it's so easy
to do much of the work ourselves. In fact, I estimate 70 per cent
of our modifications were completed in-house, which means better
cost control and a quicker solution to new requirements."
Post-implementation
Key users received a single two-hour session on GMEE, which
Paul's team say was 'just right'. "Access gave people the skills
they needed to explore the system comfortably, which in my eyes, is
more beneficial than focusing on just the small area in depth."
With Phase 1 complete, Paul is already looking to the next
projects in the pipeline. "We're keen to develop an online portal
linked to GMEE. This will enable our customers to access key
information - such as product availability - at any time of day or
night. We have total confidence in Access' delivery of this
project."
Summary
IQD wanted an easy-to-use CRM system scalable for many users
with extensive scope for configuration. To complete the picture, it
also needed straightforward integration with back-office accounts
to handle sales orders, stock and shipping - that's why IQD chose
GMEE and Access Dimensions. Following the smooth implementation of
Phase 1, IQD has achieved everything it set out to do and is
looking forward to working with Access to further develop the
system in line with its aggressive growth plans.
This introductory whitepaper explains the many ways that GoldMine CRM can instigate best practices in the areas of customer service, marketing and sales.
Each section contains specific tips that you can implement in your own business to evoke and maintain the strongest possible relationships with prospects and customers.
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