Potential Business Improvements when Utilizing CRM Tools: and Challenges in Making It Happen

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to illustrate and discuss — through a case study of Sandvik Corporation — how business practices with focus on sales can improve with regard to effectiveness and efficiency by utilization of IT tools. This approach challenges the traditional view of doing business in big industrial corporations where sales experts known as sales stars have traditionally developed relationships with customers. In order to do this, the chapter initially delineates the traditional business practices and the main issues associated with this approach.

The following section brings up the case of Sandvik Corporation. This part of the chapter first discusses problems with unorganized business practices as a source of business inefficiency. These problems are represented by (1) offer and order management, (2) pricing and value, and (3) customer planning and daily work routines. The consequent part of this section illustrates how the company improved its business by organizing business practices using CRM tools. The discussion of the new efficiencies is supported by elaboration on the Sandvik’s Sales Program that the organization launched in order to address the above mentioned problems of inefficiencies is sales work. The chapter ends with potential new challenges that the implementation of IT tools brought about and a summary of the chapter.

Citation

Osowski, D. (2018), "Potential Business Improvements when Utilizing CRM Tools: and Challenges in Making It Happen", Andersson, P., Axelsson, B. and Rosenqvist, C. (Ed.) Organizing Marketing and Sales, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 177-193. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78754-968-520181011