Authority found CRM efficiency under its nose
Success in any business is a two-way thing. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) was well aware of that. But, in order to achieve its objectives, it also realised it had to improve its own efficiency in dealing with customers, clients and partners. And it found the CRM solution for the job was right under its nose...
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The task of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) is to promote and support energy efficiency, energy conservation, and the use of renewable energy sources. A large part of the Authority’s work involves liaison with outside organisations and an internal review identified the need for a more external focus. “Our goals were also New Zealand’s, and to meet the challenge we were going to have to better manage relationships with other organisations,” says Bill Boyd, EECA’s manager of marketing and communications. To do this effectively, EECA’s staff – which are divided into eight separate teams and spread across offices in the three main centres – needed to have a company-wide system to record and share information. “There are often multiple points of contact between EECA and the groups we deal with,” explains Boyd. “This means that it’s crucial for people to review all possible data, not least so they’re always aware what others are doing.” Ironically, the perfect solution was already sitting on EECA’s servers. Since 1997, the organisation had been using the SalesLogix (SLX) Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, provided by specialist implementation partners Adexio. Its usage, however, was limited to one team managing databases and mail merging. “The system had been here for some time,” says Boyd, “but, as a result of the review, we knew we could get more out of it. We knew its proper usage would be an important tool in the smooth and effective management of business relationships.” This realisation was what EECA describes as the “great leap forward” and subsequently involved the roll-out of the SLX tool to all staff – there was even a catchy acronym for the project: CAKE (Customers Are Key Every time). The result was that everyone in the organisation was now dealing with the same customer / client / partner data, and could see how other teams were working with the same data. However, it wasn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. The process also included a degree of customisation, which meant that each team also had its own specific process requirements built into their view of SalesLogix. This meant no compromises with the front-end view, but all the benefits of working with the same flexible and easy-to-use database – maximising usability and productivity across the whole organisation. “The aim was to try to maximise the use, not only by as wide a section of the organisation as possible but also on a more regular basis.” The roll-out took place in February 2004 and by year end all 66 staff were successfully using SalesLogix. “There was an immediate and significant increase in usage, both in the number of entries and the number of participants,” says Boyd. “We’re all working from the same page.” “But it’s not just about effectively using knowledge it’s about sharing knowledge as well. Previously, just the time taken to find information could be quite wasteful.” Recommendations for further enhancements are now being considered, including an upgrade to the next version of SalesLogix. “The support and flexibility around the solution mean we will continue to fine tune and make it more user-friendly, enabling us to make better progress to meet our own goals,” says Boyd. For more information |
June 2005
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