HVAC and plumbing distributor gains ground with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement

May 16, 2019 Allie

HVAC and plumbing distributor gains ground with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement

The Client

A heating, ventilation, air conditioning and plumbing distributor headquartered in Southeast Michigan.

The Challenge

The company contacted The TM Group with the intention of implementing an all-encompassing application that would support and streamline project management operations for multiple functions, including field service, procurement, document management and estimate configuration. While the client leveraged Microsoft Access to monitor these and other mission-critical activities, the system did not facilitate coordination or planning, and merely acted as an online repository for project updates. The business was, therefore, forced to supplement Access with various disparate solutions, including Microsoft Excel and a file-sharing platform. To top it all off, neither Access nor the ancillary systems integrated with its enterprise resource planning software, Prophet 21. This approach created significant back-end dysfunction. The organization realized that change was necessary and requested that we help them pinpoint an alternative strategy.    

The Solution

The client had communicated early in the relationship that it was interested in implementing the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (CRM) system. The TM Group’s consultants drafted a proposal centered on this solution and its robust field services and sales modules, which was also enhanced with editable grid functionality. We recommended that the company keep Prophet 21, which it had been using with great success for some time, and insteady utilize  a custom ERP-CRM integration through Scribe. The client reviewed the proposal and approved implementation, at which point our team went to work.

The TM Group began with the procurement operation, deploying Dynamics features that facilitated efficient quoting and order creation. This was surprisingly sophisticated work, as the client leveraged detailed quote documents with product categories and groupings with disparate pricing structures. With these workflows in place, the implementation team moved onto the field service side of the company, developing internal project management systems that allowed stakeholders from every applicable department to engage with the execution of their sales and projects. They also rolled out robust CRM dashboards that facilitated project management and bidding transparency. The client displayed these visual workflows on televisions in their facilities to give visibility to all employees, including those without direct system access.

The Scribe-supported ERP-CRM integration underpinned both functions, offering operational insights key to project and company success. 

The Outcome

Ultimately, the project concluded after three years of close collaboration and was an immense success. Microsoft Dynamics Customer Engagement transformed the client’s field management and procurement operations, facilitating never-before-seen efficiency and lending the business an advantage over less coordinated, data-minded competitors. Field technicians gained the ability to pull up equipment information on their mobile devices from any location, while procurement personnel tapped into accelerated purchasing workflows that allowed for quick bid distribution and optimal transparency. The system even benefited the company’s information technology department, a one-man operation, drastically easing the troubleshooting and system optimization process by enabling backend centralization.

These improvements were tremendous, which is why the client has re-engaged us for two additional projects related to their new Microsoft Dynamics Customer Engagement installation. First, the company wants to get the sales team involved and swap their manual workflows for Dynamics-driven alternatives. The client is also intent on moving to the cloud in an effort to take full advantage of the Office 365 suite and its related applications. 

Is your business interested in achieving quick results through Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement? Consider reaching out to The TM Group. They have been managing Dynamics implementations for decades, providing entities of all sizes, in numerous industries, tailored services designed to help them find marketing and sales success now and in the future. Contact them today to learn more.

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