SealesWinslow, embraced new tools and technology to oversee product integrity through systems control. This approach aimed at ensuring product quality throughout various stages, including raw material sourcing, formulations, manufacturing, storage, transportation, and testing. The primary goal is to provide the farmer (customer base) with trustworthy products and dependable advice concerning their animal nutrition needs. However, as time passed, their systems proved inadequate in adapting to the continuously evolving business requirements. The lack of timely upgrades posed significant challenges, affecting numerous critical processes and teams within the organization.

Challenges include the lack of integration between the CRM and legacy Finance ERP Systems which has resulted in a lack of visibility of invoice information for sales personnel. Inability to effectively monitor and report the time spent by sales personnel during customer interactions, both offline and online proved to be a difficulty. Additionally, all contracts were signed manually thereby impacting turnaround time and leading to significant delays. Lack of digitization, led to limited visibility of contract status for key team members as well as leadership.

• 1. In a year-long, multi-phased project, our team focused on developing advanced Management Information Systems (MIS) frameworks. This initiative involved intricately managing information transfer between systems and ensuring the seamless integration of two pivotal system – CRM and Finance. To seamlessly integrate Zoho CRM and the custom modules we formulated functional specifications which highlighted the nature and extent of data capture and also collaborated closely with the client's in-house tech specialists and leaderships to ensure alignment with their strategic vision and business requirements.
• 2. Based on input from business unit heads and leadership the design for a territory planning model was established with a view to specifically track customer interactions by sales personnel, capture available time and also make note of training hours, absence of leave and time devoted to administrative activities. This enabled the sales leads to effectively plan for upcoming months based on time and customer activity recorded across modules in the Zoho Once Suite.
• 3. This model seamlessly integrated with the CRM module, providing a real-time updates to the customer life cycle. Tailored dashboards for Sales Representatives and Managers were meticulously crafted to monitor customer visits and associated action item across zones, industry and customer profiles (new / existing).
• 4. Additionally, the signing of supply agreement contracts which transitioned into a digital format, and complemented by the customized dashboard offering, provided visibility into facets such as sales, revenue, and customer interactions enabling leadership to identify patterns and trends in customer information that enabled them to make effective decisions.
• 5. After establishing the design and architectural framework, the focus was to ensure data migration occurred seamlessly, causing minimal disruption to ongoing operations.
• 6. The upgradation resulted in a substantial reduction in Turnaround Time (TAT). The success of these improvements was driven by effective collaboration with the main client contact, complemented by vigilant supervision from a dedicated project management team and enriched by insightful reporting from a proficient business analytics team.

Training

During the system rollout, Valenta conducted comprehensive training sessions for users across various roles. All training sessions were recorded for quick reference and onboarding of new hires. Throughout the deployment phase, our project team remained readily available to address any potential issues. Thorough testing procedures and effective client communication contributed significantly to the successful adoption of the system.

Business Outcomes & Results

The business outcomes and results of the implemented initiatives include the successful digitization of contract signing process, leading to a substantial reduction in Turnaround Time (TAT) for the contract signing. This digital transformation ensures contracts are signed in a timely manner before order processing, with an effective tracking mechanism for pending contracts and contracts on hold. This also established a systematic contract renewal processes.

A comprehensive invoice history update was also made available in real time empowering the sales team to follow-up in a timely manner. This has resulted in improved payables. Key metrics are now tracked for different sales groups, including managers and team members, across zones and clientele. In addition, customer payment-related information was updated in the finance system on a periodic basis.

Furthermore, the establishment of the territory sales planning model and customised dashboards for each user group allows for the effective monitoring of customer interactions, capturing the sales representatives’ time with clients thereby improving utilization. The system facilitates the allocation of clients based on available time, transcending geographical zones, This approach enables the organization to measure face time with clients, correlating it with revenue and customer retention periods, thereby enhancing overall efficiency and fostering stronger client relationships.