polymer distribution | Strategy
and experience of the company as a whole.” The MH2GO CRM system is designed to run primarily
Above: The tablet-based system delivers real-time inventory and pricing data for instant order confirmation
demonstration, he says the feedback was very positive. “Often, in big software rollouts like this, it’s done to meet the company’s needs and not a lot of time is paid on user experience. From the beginning, we were focused on providing value to the user and to the person sitting across from them. That focus really changed the way we did everything,” says Goodrich. As an example, he points to the entry screen for targets, which was designed over a period of weeks by a cross-functional team from across the organisation. It is engineered to maximise value but minimise data entry, devised by the commercial team for the commercial team. “In real life, conversations evolve in many ways, so MH2GO provides various points of access for particular information and functionality based on how transactions really occur.” M Holland sees the MH2GO product as a real
differentiator for it in the market. The system was put together by the company’s five-person in-house IT team with the support of some outside consultants and, for the most part, uses off-the-shelf technology. It is built on the company’s Epicor ERP system and Microsoft’s CRM application. The business intelligence software is off-the-shelf, and it uses spreadsheets to house and manipulate certain data. Only two aspects of the system are proprietary, according to Goodrich. “The hidden magic is the hub of the tool – how we tie our various IT applications together and pull data into a turnkey delivery system,” he says. He says the important element in the MH2GO
development was not the technology but the methodology used to build it. “We didn’t want to install a tool and then make people use it,” says Goodrich. “Our goal was to make something that offered so much value that people were excited to use it. That’s not something that IT can do by itself; you need a marriage of business expertise and technology. So, MH2GO really represents the imagination
72 COMPOUNDING WORLD | December 2015
on iPad tablets (it can also be accessed via regular com- puters, mobile phones and the M Holland corporate intranet). It incorporates a wide range of features: l Account managers and product managers gain access to detailed and live information when interfacing with customers and suppliers. From a customer’s office, for instance, an M Holland account manager can now access real-time pricing and inventory information, generate quotes and confirm orders. l For suppliers, the application enables product managers to track up-to-the-minute sales activity and report on the status of target projects, including the capability to drill down to prior communications and information. l The Dashboard display, which can be customised to the individual user, allows account managers to view schedules, tasks list, messages, sales and profit performance compared with budget, and more. Using GPS positioning technology, the Dashboard can also list customers in the order of proximity, helping to optimise call scheduling. l Dashboard also provides account managers with one-touch access to vital customer information, including credit history, credit limit, order history, sales versus budget, and the like. l MH2GO includes a collaboration tool that allows product managers and technical service engineers to communicate with the account manager on open projects, eliminating the need for long email chains.
Ongoing development The MH2GO development process continues to move ahead. Goodrich says the team spent the first two weeks following the introduction debugging minor glitches and fielding inquiries. Then it was on to further advancing the tool with new features and functionality, mainly based on suggestions and inputs from users. “We have a robust tool in place,” he says. “But it’s really just the beginning. We designed the architecture to allow for great expansion flexibility. Our only limitation will be the needs and imaginations of our customers, suppliers and users. As a platform MH2GO is here for the long haul, but its features and functions will evolve alongside the commercial team.” Holland expects MH2GO to make a big impact on the
company’s business going forward. “It was certainly more expensive than buying a CRM system, but the return on investment is immeasurable. At the end of the day, it justifies my belief that if you do the right thing, only good results will follow,” he says. ❙
www.mholland.com
www.compoundingworld.com
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