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J. Vanneste is digitising its operations with Dynamics 365 CRM Kickstart

The flax processing company Jos Vanneste opted for a CRM Kickstart programme as part of its digital transformation. Over a six-week period, they worked with Savaco to build a fully functional CRM system using Microsoft Dynamics 365.

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Situation

Focusing on digitalisation

Jos Vanneste is a family-run business in the flax processing industry. The company processes flax fibres into a refined product used in textiles, among other things, as well as in technical applications. Around 10% of the flax fibre grown in Western Europe is processed or traded by J Vanneste.

With the arrival of a new generation in the family business, the need for digitalisation also grew, explains Managing Director Alex Vanneste: “We realised that they needed data and information that was stored in our heads, so we wanted to make it accessible in a structured way.”

Approach

A fully operational CRM system in 6 weeks

Creative Developer Laura Vanneste also agrees with the need for a central hub for (sales) data: ‘It really did become important for us to centralise our information in one place, because as sales staff we are often on the road and didn’t always have access to the information we needed.’

The company therefore set out to find a regional partner with an established reputation to implement a CRM system, and opted for a Kickstart programme in collaboration with Savaco. Under such a programme, a functional CRM system based on Microsoft 365 is rolled out within six weeks. ‘We opted for a Kickstart programme because we wanted to start small. We wanted to get up and running quickly with Dynamics 365 as our CRM system; we wanted it to be set up simply so that we could have access after just a few weeks.’

Result

Getting more out of your CRM, step by step

The new CRM system was up and running in no time and now offers a whole host of benefits. “Now we have a single point of reference we can always rely on. Not only are our emails linked to opportunities, but WhatsApp messages too, for example. That way, we always have an overview of the projects we’re working on, who’s dealing with which client, and so on. Today, we have a transparent tool that maps out our sales flow,” says Laura.

A key aspect of the process was the step-by-step approach, which enabled J Vanneste to derive added value from their CRM system quite quickly. “It was important that we could get started with CRM, but also that we had continuous support during that initial phase,” adds Thomas Bulckaert, Junior International Sales Manager. "After that, we were able to identify our needs step by step, so that we could use our CRM in a way that was tailored to our company. We communicated these needs step by step with Savaco consultants Glenn and Michael, to see how we could implement these improvements and achieve an optimal system."

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Laura Vanneste, Creative Developer & Sales bij J. Vanneste, over het CRM-Kickstart-traject.

The benefits of having a good partner

Communication is crucial

When looking for a partner, communication was a key factor for J Vanneste. ‘As a layman, you have little experience with the new tool you’re implementing, which is why good communication is absolutely vital,’ explains Alex Vanneste. Thomas Bulckaert agrees: "We’re very satisfied with the communication with Savaco. We can easily reach our contacts, which helps us to tackle our pain points in a concrete and step-by-step manner."

Now that the new CRM system is well established, the digital journey at J Vanneste continues. ‘We have now taken a step in the right direction with CRM and we have noticed that it works,’ concludes Laura Vanneste. "We now also feel the need to do this for other parts of our business, such as our production. That is also why we chose Savaco. They are a partner with many capabilities and, as a Microsoft partner, they offer a wide range of solutions. Savaco can certainly help us to further digitise our systems; not only in terms of Customer Engagement, but also in terms of production. I’m curious to see where we can go in the future."

Kickstart Dynamics 365 CRM

Give your sales a boost

A CRM implementation doesn’t have to be expensive, complex or time-consuming. Discover our Kickstart programme, which guarantees that you and your sales team will be up and running with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales in six weeks.

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