Challenge
NHP Electrical Engineering Products (NHP) offers more than 75,000 line items across 24 branches located in Australia and New Zealand. NHP relies on 50 years of electrical and engineering industry experience and works with an extensive network of global partners to offer customised, integrated solutions that focus on making electrical systems smarter, safer, more secure, reliable and efficient.
Of NHP Electrical Engineering Products (NHP)’s 800 employees, approximately 250 are sales representatives who rely on the company’s customer relationship management (CRM) system to give them key information about prospects, opportunities and customer data. While NHP were users of a number of Microsoft tools such as Dynamics AX, their existing solution did not provide the level of integration to meet their growing business needs. In addition, the ageing system didn’t offer employees mobile connectivity. Consequently, it was difficult and time consuming for sales representatives to get the accurate information they needed.
Robbie Attard, Information Technology Manager, NHP, said, “The CRM system we were using prior to Dynamics 365 added tremendous value to our business but was falling behind and didn’t give our sales reps mobile access to data. They had to find a place to log on to access the system, which wasn’t always easy if they were on the road. “Furthermore, we had multiple data inputs that made access to the right information difficult at times. To be more efficient, NHP needed a system that gave us a 360-degree view of the customer and guaranteed that the information reps saw was accurate and timely.”
“DXC was very flexible and accommodating. If we needed to head down a different path at times, then the team simply worked with us to find solutions.”
Robbie Attard Information technology manager, NHP
Solution
As an existing Microsoft user, NHP already had Microsoft Dynamics AX in place as its enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, so it made sense to choose a Microsoft solution to complement the company’s existing environment. Microsoft recommended that NHP work with DXC Technology to implement Dynamics 365 Sales and Dynamics 365 Marketing. Robbie Attard said, “NHP was in the midst of rolling out Office 365 products, so incorporating Dynamics 365 for our new CRM solution was a natural choice. Because of DXC’s expertise with Microsoft solutions, NHP chose to partner with the DXC Practice for Microsoft not just for the Dynamics 365 implementation but also to provide ongoing support around Dynamics AX as well.”
Dynamics 365 ability to work on mobile devices was a key reason NHP chose the solution. The sales force had been equipped with iPads and laptops in the past but hadn’t used the iPads when it came to their CRM tasks as the functionality was not available to them. NHP needed mobility in its CRM solution, which Dynamics 365 delivered. The implementation was relatively smooth due to the decision to adopt an agile-approach without committing to a fully-agile project methodology. Robbie Attard said, “We broke the project down and tried to stick with out-of-the-box functionality where possible. We focused on the key things that we were replacing in the old system such as activity tracking and opportunity logging. That approach meant we completed the initial rollout to the sales team within 18 weeks.
“Migrating many years’ worth of data from the old system posed a challenge but we were able to overcome it and transfer the data successfully. Training was also important - we needed to travel to eight locations to train 250 sales reps and we needed to do it quickly.”
During the implementation process, NHP discovered that sales reps were still using the old system for a reporting function that few people knew about. The team therefore needed to come up with a solution quickly to replace that feature. DXC recommended NHP use Power BI, which would not only enable the reporting that had been possible in the old system, but would also integrate seamlessly across both Dynamics 365 and Dynamics AX, letting sales reps get information easily from both sources.
“Power BI has also been particularly well-received by the team because it gives the reps information that they’ve struggled to get in the past. It puts sales and operational data together and they can access it on their phone, iPad or in the office.”
Robbie Attard Information technology manager, NHP
Outcomes and benefits
After implementing Dynamics 365, NHP achieved the mobility required for its sales staff. The information they need is now available at their fingertips, regardless of their location.
Robbie Attard said, “For the first time, NHP has been able to integrate sales and opportunity data in real-time. This has also let us get insightful analytics out of the system where we used to have people manually crunching numbers in spreadsheets. Previously this would have taken much longer than necessary. Now, reps just click a button and get that information immediately.
“The solution has also enabled better collaboration and workflows. For example, when we get a new lead, we can ensure it’s being tracked through the system properly and, if another department such as finance needs to step in, they receive an automatic alert and are seamlessly brought into the process. It’s much more efficient than the way we used to work and it delivers greater visibility throughout the organisation.
“Power BI has also been particularly well-received by the team because it gives the reps information that they’ve struggled to get in the past. It puts sales and operational data together and they can access it on their phone, iPad or in the office. We never originally intended to use Power BI but now we’re rolling it out more and more because the benefits it provides are just so strong.
“The new Dynamics 365 solution has also empowered NHP’s managers to get the real-time, accurate information they need to make better decisions, faster.”
Based upon the success of the Dynamics 365 implementation, NHP is keen to experience more benefits when it comes to cloud based solutions. Robbie Attard said, “We were a little bit wary about using this application in the cloud but it’s been really easy to manage. If we needed a copy in an environment to do testing it has been really simple; we haven’t had to worry about setting up servers or other infrastructure. Not having infrastructure on site is working really well.
“Because we launched Office 365 at the same time, the sales force is now truly mobile. We will continue to build on this by rolling the solution out to the field service team as well as unlocking additional functionality such as gamification, where dashboards show a graphical representation of the top sales performers. We will incorporate other areas like case management and digital marketing tools to get maximum value out of the solution.”
“Forming a great advantage for our nationwide sales team, NHP has been able to integrate sales and opportunity data in real-time. This has also let us get insightful analytics from the system where we used to have people manually crunching numbers in spreadsheets. This could take hours in the past. Now, reps just click a button and get that information immediately.”
Robbie Attard Information technology manager, NHP
Working with DXC
Working with DXC was a positive experience for NHP due to the team’s deep understanding of the full Microsoft offering and ability to provide strategic advice.
“The team was very flexible and accommodating. If we needed to head down a different path at times, then DXC simply worked with us to find solutions.”