Challenge

• Leading beverage company wanted to replace its aging field sales contact management software with a more robust CRM solution
• Excel was used to compile reports on more than 50 beverage brands for corporate review; entering data manually detracted from the field’s selling efforts and resulted in a five to six week gap in data output
• Needed a real-time system to track sales performance and benchmark against objectives while retaining historical information
• Required a customizable solution to accommodate its unique business model and ensure field sales adoption

Solution

• Considered SAP and other solutions but chose salesforce.com after a successful pilot for its reporting tools, seamless upgrade path, and cost-effective pricing
• Deployed Salesforce CRM across the entire Fountain Food Service Division (100 employees) in just four months, with above average adoption rates
• A Salesforce.com Certified Administrator led the initial launch effort and continues to participate in Salesforce.com Education & Training programs to ensure long term strategic alignment
• Salesforce CRM serves as the backbone of the division, with cross-functional use by sales, marketing, finance, business development, and upper management
• By providing a real-time, reliable and evolving interface, Salesforce CRM has enabled tracking and measurement of field activities for more than 10,000 accounts
• Automated reports and dashboard summaries help efficiently track KPIs, sales calls, and volume
• A Force.com Certified Developer helped design a custom application to track field sales activities and map performance to goals
• Integration with Microsoft Outlook syncs customer information and communications
• Custom tab options communicate fountain specific business strategies designed to drive volume results
• Premier Support (included with Unlimited Edition) ensures quick responses to inquiries
• Mobile access lets employees view and update records from mobile devices
• A custom contract management application and SAP integration are planned for the near future

Results

• Streamlined data entry, forecasting, and reporting for greater visibility and increased productivity, achieving 56% annual ROI
• Dashboards give fast access to data and business analysis with thorough business summaries across the organization
• Detailed field sales data points give management the measures needed to better address opportunities
• Eliminating the administrative burden involved with manual reporting helped the field re-focus their efforts on generating sales
• Premier Support freed up the administrator to focus on more in-depth business analysis and future design needs