Deforche Construct wanted to digitize all its business processes. The family-owned company from Izegem, which specializes in building steel and glass structures for agricultural and horticultural businesses, decided to tackle the sales processes first. Implementing a new CRM system was therefore the logical first step. The latest generation of the Microsoft CRM application—Dynamics 365 Sales—proved to be an excellent choice for this.
To store and access all related documents as well, the company linked a SharePoint environment to the system. The engineering firm enlisted the help of Alistar (then known as the GMI Group), which implemented Power BI in addition to Dynamics and SharePoint. Thanks to this high-quality data storage, Deforche Construct is now able to make more accurate sales forecasts.
Initially, we were looking for a system that could bring structure to our processes. This would allow our salespeople to accurately process all project information, from estimation to execution. We needed a kind of project module because what sets us apart from other companies is that a single project can involve multiple clients and price quotes.
Jeroen De Cock, Technical and Commercial Director
Better Project Management and Tracking with Dynamics CRM
Deforche Construct wants to manage its projects starting from the sales phase. High-quality data input is crucial for this. “When a project is put out to bid, we may receive bids from various general contractors. We needed to be able to easily enter that information into the CRM,” explains Jeroen De Cock. “Now, the intake process for each project is streamlined, allowing the sales department to collect the necessary information regarding a request in a structured manner. This ensures that the planning for each project runs smoothly and that all files are thoroughly prepared before they go to the estimators. They no longer waste time on all sorts of administrative tasks and meetings with representatives.”
Precisely because employees create projects in the CRM system, everyone with a specific role must be able to update and approve their project information. They can access CRM dashboards that show them which tasks are still pending in ongoing projects. “This ensures highly targeted and efficient tracking of projects and related tasks within our organization, enabling salespeople and managers to make optimal decisions,” says Jeroen De Cock.
Optimal collaboration and version control thanks to SharePoint
The decision to use SharePoint arose because Deforche Construct receives a large number of documents from its clients. “We need to keep track of those documents in case a project is actually sold. That’s why we needed an efficient document management system,” said Jeroen De Cock.
“Projects that are still in the commercial phase can drag on for a long time. That’s exactly why it’s important for our agents to keep all documents well organized, so they can refer back to them years later. “Our sales representatives are responsible for keeping all documents organized in SharePoint, but all other employees can also access that information at any time.”
We can locate all the documents we send or receive in a standardized way. We also always have the latest versions of these documents on hand. This allows us to communicate with our clients quickly and professionally.
Clear Overview and Accurate Forecasts with Power BI
As the icing on the cake, Deforche Construct also opted to implement Microsoft Power BI, which is primarily used by the management team. CRM already provides a wealth of information to various users through dashboards, and thanks to Power BI, management can make even better forecasts.
Jeroen De Cock: “It allows us to effectively track our salespeople and monitor the generation of projects, leads, contacts, and so on. This enables us to make detailed forecasts of the sales we expect to achieve in the coming months and years. This way, our operations department can adjust and organize accordingly.”
Additional benefits of an integrated all-in-one package
According to Jeroen De Cock, one of the key benefits of the new IT environment is the added flexibility. “Our data and documents are always accessible, no matter where we are. We can also integrate our international partners into existing procedures very quickly, and we can respond very quickly to customer inquiries regarding commercial information, documents, quotes, etc.”
The lines of communication between employees are also much shorter, which allows the company to respond much more quickly.
Our CRM system is linked to all employees' Outlook calendars. This also ensures better planning and optimal communication.
A partner who understands and translates internal processes
After extensive market research, Deforche Construct chose Alistar (then known as the GMI Group). Jeroen De Cock: “It was especially the project module proposed by our IT provider that helped us make the decision. Without that module, it wouldn’t have been possible to efficiently set up the procedures we had in mind. It was also important that we could quickly integrate the various applications—CRM, SharePoint, and Power BI—with one another.”
Along with choosing a CRM package, we took a close look at our various internal processes. The experts at Alistar understood this perfectly and ensured that the software aligned with our procedures—and vice versa. I believe that was the key to the success of our collaboration.
