SAP SOLUTION MODELS: PART II

VORWERK TEPPICHWERKE

As one of the successful, independent divisions of a family-run business from Wuppertal, Germany, Vorwerk & Co. Teppichwerke GmbH & Co. KG began a mission to improve its sales processes – in line with the group's overall focus on maximising quality.

To do that, though, the Hameln, Germany-based carpet manufacturer needed to enhance communication between its in-house staff and sales team. mySAP TM Customer Relationship Management (mySAP TM CRM) and its mobile sales capabilities provided the solution.

Vorwerk's carpets are manufactured in its factory in Hameln, and, as the company's advertising slogan suggests, last longer “than Vorwerk would like.” The lion's share of its wide range of products is taken up by velour carpeting, which appeals to both private customers and the contract market. The carpet factory has a 500-strong workforce. In 2001, the company achieved a turnover of approximately 80 million euros.

Linking sales reps and head office
One of the ways Vorwerk sells its products is via retail outlets. The company's in-house staff members take charge of processing business transactions with the retail organisation – accepting deliveries and processing orders – while the sales representatives function as consultants, working in conjunction with official Vorwerk dealers to set targets and make decisions regarding improvements in product presentation or marketing campaigns. However, not too long ago – and regardless of teamwork – the communication between these two factions was often inadequate, and there was a lack of shared information. “The separation of tasks meant that our sales representatives often had to make do with outdated information,” says Harald Taufall, IT manager at Vorwerk.

To resolve these issues, the company went looking for a state-of-the-art IT system. “We needed a solution that would allow a direct link between sales representatives and head office whenever required,” says Taufall. “No other system on the market offered the multi-functionality of mySAP CRM, while simultaneously enabling direct linkage to the SAP® R/3® System.”

Up and running in nine months
Vorwerk was able to integrate mySAP CRM and its mobile sales capabilities smoothly into its existing SAP business system. The company used its own resources to implement the solution, but was actively supported by SAP Consulting. Those in charge of the project attribute the widespread acceptance of the solution to the early involvement of users. “Nobody is as familiar with the situation on site as the sales representatives, so we staffed our project team with sales representatives and could thus take advantage of their know-how to design the processes. They proved to be the best advertisement for the system, spreading the word about its efficiency,” says Taufall.

The IT manager also cites the solution's user-friendliness as a reason for positive user feedback. “We couldn't expect sales representatives to spend time inputting masses of data, so it was important to us that the system was easy to use.”

“ mySAP CRM has allowed us to considerably improve communication between in-house staff and the sales team and provides a basis for perfect customer service.” Harald Taufall, IT Manager at Vorwerk

Thorough processing of sales visits
At Vorwerk, outdated statistics and integration gaps are history, thanks to mySAP CRM. In-house staff, sales representatives, and service engineers now access a single database that houses a comprehensive range of dealer information. A state-of-the-art infrastructure consisting of laptops and browser-based technology allows sales representatives direct access to data and, with access to daily updates, monthly evaluations on paper are a thing of the past.

Detailed customer information allows thorough pre- and post-processing of sales visits. Once a day, sales representatives log on to the central Vorwerk computer via the telephone line in their “home office” or hotel room. This allows up-to-the-minute exchange of information in both directions. The sales representative can provide information on all manner of questions and offer accurate information regarding deliveries or individual orders. Two or three mouse clicks is all it takes to produce detailed sales statistics. This enables the sales reps to make comparisons with specified sales targets and highlight any deviations from the plan. They can easily consult with the dealers to determine the most suitable short-term measures and log the results after the visit.

Vorwerk also uses mySAP CRM mobile sales capabilities to manage complaints. Information on any problems that might arise with a customer order, for example, only needs to be entered into the system once, irrespective of the contact channel. Relevant data is then immediately available to all departments for further processing or follow-up.

A vast improvement in customer service
For Vorwerk, the benefits of implementing the SAP solution have been great. “mySAP CRM has allowed us to considerably improve communication between in-house staff and the sales team, and provides a basis for perfect customer service,” says Taufall.

There are currently 30 users working with mySAP CRM in the company's German operation. Vorwerk next plans to introduce the system in its contract sales department. Following a trial phase in Germany, the company intends to launch the system in Austria, Switzerland and France.