Efficient process management is essential for any company, but especially for manufacturers and distributors. In this Acceleration Case Study, learn how McWane Plant & Industrial, a plumbing infrastructure company, overcame document management issues with a CRM system. By partnering with PowerObjects, the company was able to centralize its information and gain real-time insights with Microsoft Dynamics 365.
Business Challenge – Finding a Centralized Solution for Data
McWane Plant & Industrial (MPI) is a nearly century-old family business with headquarters is Birmingham, Alabama. The company manufactures and distributes hydrants, valves, and waterworks fittings, and provides water distribution solutions across the globe.
MPI had been using Microsoft Office to manage different aspects of its business. It used Microsoft Excel, Outlook, and Word for its sales and marketing operations, including for project management and new business initiatives.
As MPI continued to grow, it determined the Microsoft apps were no longer sufficient for its more demanding business processes.
- For example, it was difficult to market the same products across different locations without a central repository for:
- Customer data
- Rules
- Procedures
- Competitive analysis
- This resulted in:
- Increased errors
- Higher costs
- Customer and employee dissatisfaction
These shortcoming led MPI to pursue an upgrade to an enterprise software platform. Because of its investment and experience with Microsoft products, the company opted for Dynamics 365 CRM. PowerObjects helped make necessary customizations to meet the company’s unique needs while also providing ongoing maintenance.
Software Solution – Implementing a CRM System
The MPI sales team now uses Dynamics 365 to track accounts, contacts, competitor data, quotes, and sales opportunities. By streamlining this information, employees have easy access to data in real-time. With everything located in the CRM system, the company improved its close rate by nearly 10%, thanks to a simplified process for following up on projects and quotes.
In addition, Dynamics 365 enables MPI to create more upsell and cross-sell opportunities. For instance, staff members can communicate and collaborate in new ways, including fast and easy access to the resources they need.
MPI also joined the PowerSuccess program, which offers a dedicated support engineer for updates, customizations, and changes.
Final Results
MPI employees are able to connect with their support engineer for customized solutions. While such requests sometimes require a week or two to complete, improvements can often be made immediately right over the phone. MPI and the PowerSuccess engineer have weekly status calls and biweekly training sessions.
Another advantage of the PowerSuccess program is that experienced support engineers can share best practices used by other customers. By understanding what solutions have worked for other businesses, the support engineers can save MPI time implementing new changes.
Now, the MPI team is considering the mapping technology available as a free add-on for PowerSuccess customers. The company is also planning to integrate its quoting system within Dynamics 365. Soon, products will automatically enter Dynamics from the quoting system, enabling staff members to look at specific products and compare different metrics to discover new sales opportunities.
Furthermore, MPI plans to expand Dynamics 365 to its other business units. Going forward, the new system can potentially be used for integrations, acquisitions, and growth.
