https://www.xperience-group.com/case-study/cova-security-gates/
| Client(s): | Cova Security Gates |
|---|---|
| Key Contact(s): | Jon Trott |
With better customer insight we are able to join the dots, understand and anticipate customer needs. And importantly, deliver products and service that add value. We now know which customers must be contacted and when – which has actually increased our order book!”
Founded in 1987, Cova Security Gates is a leading manufacturer of quality perimeter security equipment. Until 2016, the company was relying on a combination of separate systems and spreadsheets to manage customer insights. As Manufacturing Business of the Year 2017 and with a stellar reputation to uphold, they needed a ‘joined‐up system’ to improve visibility of business performance to track and analyse opportunities at any given time.
Jon Trott, Operations Manager at Cova Security Gates, explained, “We weren’t joined up. We were running three different systems that distorted the customer view, making us less efficient and impacted our sales and service levels. We needed to implement a more consistent way of working to improve performance and transparency.”
Cova Security Gates wanted a cutting-edge solution that would offer high levels of stability to improve internal processes and boost customer satisfaction. Jon explained, “We looked at a few different offerings and we spoke to quite a few different providers but Microsoft came to head and shoulders above the rest, allowing us to mix and match the elements we needed and add more as we grow. People recognise it, so we were sure there wouldn’t be any user adoption problems. “
Xperience implemented the new system in a staged approach to ensure that both the CRM (Dynamics 365 for Sales) and Field Service application (Dynamics 365 for Field Service) were well adopted and all the teething issues were ironed out. Jon said, “The implementation went well and was spread out over two stages, firstly implementing the Sales App and then the Field Service App, which we went live with recently.”
Dynamics 365 has helped Cova Security Gates convert opportunities to sales faster. The company can now base their service on customer needs and preference by delivering a personalised customer experience. What’s more, they’ve taken it a step further and can make value-add recommendations based on customer history via information that’s accessible within seconds!
Jon commented, “We’ve basically gone from nothing to everything in one hit, which we are very pleased about. With better customer insight we are able to join the dots, understand and anticipate customer needs. And importantly, deliver products and service that add value. We now know which customers must be contacted and when – which has actually increased our order book!”
“It’s like night and day between what we could see before versus what we can see now. We’re able to work and carry out our follow-ups anytime and anywhere, for a seamless customer experience. If one of our sales guys is out of the country, we just don’t stop working, which is a major benefit for us.”
Cova Security Gates like the flexibility that comes with Dynamics 365. It provides them with a solution that meets their needs today and can continue to grow and adapt as their requirements change.
“We know the possibilities are endless. The system gives us all of the functionality we need to manage our business today, but also for the years ahead, it gives us a core platform to build upon.”
Jon sees Dynamics 365 as a key part of a larger business transformation that will keep going for years to come and will affect all parts of the company.
“We really like Dynamics 365 – it is a very useful product that stimulated our sales and increased customer loyalty. The company benefits, the customer benefits—it’s a win-win for all.”
Jon concludes, “I’m really glad for the help of Carl who took us through the scoping and implementation – his knowledge was outstanding! Turnaround time was excellent and the support team is very helpful. We’re still working closely with the Xperience Group team because it’s all new, but every day we are learning more and more about the system to utilise it to its fullest.