Over the past 225 years, ThiemeMeulenhoff has evolved from an educational publisher into a designer of educational processes. They create learning materials for elementary, secondary, and vocational education, with the goal of helping students learn in a way that suits them and, above all, makes learning more enjoyable. Over the years, it has become increasingly important to have a comprehensive view of customers in the education sector. Why is that? We\u2019ll discuss this with Karin de Beer, Product Owner for Business Operations & Commercial Solutions at ThiemeMeulenhoff in Amersfoort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More than 120,000 people work in education in the Netherlands; for ThiemeMeulenhoff, this is a large target audience, particularly when it comes to promoting new teaching methods. \u201cWe deal not only with teachers, but also with school boards, contract partners involved in bidding processes, the wholesalers where books are ordered, and, of course, we also talk to many teachers. Among all these contacts are decision-makers and influencers who are valuable in strengthening our educational position and proposition. To gain a better understanding of our customers in the education sector, we decided over ten years ago to purchase Dynamics 365\u2014at that time, through Centric,\u201d says Karin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Karin explains that Alistar was already working as a Dynamics 365 knowledge partner on behalf of Centric at the time; it was an indirect collaboration. \u201cThiemeMeulenhoff is a major name in the education sector, but as an organization, we\u2019re classified as a small to medium-sized business. At the end of 2020, our partnership with Alistar was formalized, and we began working together directly. In hindsight, it\u2019s clear we couldn\u2019t have made a better choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Karin explains\u2014using three examples\u2014that Dynamics 365 is about more than just implementing a CRM solution; it\u2019s primarily about active collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Example 1: The Customer Voice module<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n People in the education sector who have contacted the customer service department by phone or email automatically receive a message asking them to provide feedback on the quality of service. \u201cUsing the Customer Voice module, we send an email asking customers in the education sector to provide a brief evaluation. Based on this data, we calculate our NPS (Net Promoter Score) and receive feedback, which helps us further optimize our customer service.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example 2: Setting Up Bidding and Sales Processes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A complete customer view is certainly also important in procurement processes. Here\u2019s what Karin has to say about it: \u201cWe\u2019ll soon have set up the entire procurement process as a workflow in Dynamics 365. That means, for example, that the associated locations of school districts are automatically retrieved. This saves time and provides insight into the hierarchy of the relevant educational institutions. Furthermore, in Dynamics 365, we can see which partnerships exist, which gives us a comprehensive view of the customer. This enables ThiemeMeulenhoff to create even better educational content. We\u2019re also identifying sales opportunities earlier and earlier. For example, if someone requests a sample copy of a particular book, we can assume they\u2019re interested. Our account manager automatically receives a notification about this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Example 3: Setting Up an Event Process<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Karin explains that ThiemeMeulenhoff began hosting more and more online webinars during the COVID-19 pandemic. There\u2019s a lot involved in organizing them, both before and after the event. \u201cFor an online event, for example, you want people who drop out to still be able to watch the recording afterward, but you also want to know whether the target number of participants was met or even exceeded. When setting up all these kinds of processes, they always work proactively with us to find solutions,\u201d says Karin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s the people at Alistar who make all the difference to me. To us, they\u2019re not just a supplier\u2014they\u2019re more than a partner. I see them as colleagues who contribute their insights both operationally and strategically. They may be called Alistar, but it\u2019s really about their minds and hearts. No challenge is too big, and I always sense their passion and drive to help us move forward.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n At ThiemeMeulenhoff, there is a strong focus on giving people the space they need to grow. Karin also mentioned that a colleague from customer service now handles the functional management of Microsoft Dynamics 365. On-the-job training is provided by Maaike Meijer, Manager of Continuous Improvement at Alistar. \u201dIt\u2019s wonderful to see that my own colleagues can also grow through this kind of partnership,\u201d Karin concludes.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTangible results<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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