Microsoft Dynamics CRM as the solution

Tikkurila harmonises its sales of industrial paints with an international CRM solution

Major paint producer Tikkurila Oy is harmonising and enhancing its industrial coatings sales and customer relationship management with a new CRM solution. Microsoft Dynamics CRM was adapted to the needs of this international organisation by Mepco Oy.

Tikkurila was seeking a solution for the sales, marketing, and customer relationship management of its Industrial Coatings business unit. Modes of operation in the sales department had been developed, for instance, via segmentation and management models. To support the new processes, the company needed an up-to-date CRM system.

After a careful specification and competitive bidding process, the company selected Microsoft Dynamics CRM as the solution. Ease of deployment, the familiarity of the Outlook application, ready-to-use features, and flexible support for the processes were factors in favour of the solution. Tikkurila chose Mepco Oy as the supplier.

‘We became convinced of Mepco's certified expertise, good references, and right kind of attitude. The company also demonstrated tremendous activity in driving our project,' describes project manager Kari Aho from Tikkurila Oy.

Phased roll-out

The phased project started in Finland, where the system was deployed in autumn 2008. Deployments in the sales companies in Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania will be completed by summer 2009. Rollout will take place in Poland in autumn 2009 and in Russia in 2010.

A harmonised solution will be used in every country. Local customisation will be limited to provision of appropriate language versions and integration work.

‘Implementation of the system was successful. The project management completed our project in a professional manner, with efficient methods, and we even came in under budget. Money was thus saved for further development,' says Aho.

Customer interface tools

The solution collects industrial customer data in a centralised system, which enables fast and easy access to the appropriate information for everyone. When fully implemented, the software will have more than 150 users, in the sales, marketing, technical service, and product development departments.

Sales and customer relationships can be systematically managed either via Tikkurila's internal organisation or through the Europe-wide resale network.

The system facilitates everyday procedures at the customer interface, such as managing contacts and customer visits, planning and implementing campaigns, and - as a future step - also handling customer feedback and complaints. Efficient creation of sales monitoring data is enabled as a by-product when other tasks are performed without the need for a separate reporting phase.

‘The reporting tools in Dynamics CRM provide an up-to-date overview of the sales situation, offers, and contracts, and in the future they will do the same for customer-specific profitability. The sales management staff can view all the essential information easily,' describes Aho.

The software has been integrated into Tikkurila's ERP system to enable follow-up of information about sales and special offers. The system has also been linked to a document management system based on Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server.

Clear structure for customer processes

The solution has brought a clear structure, consistency, and transparency to customer interface processes and internal communications. In the future, management of global customers will be improved through co-operation among the sales units in different countries.
‘The system provides a clear overview of our customers and makes effective and proactive targeting of sales and marketing efforts easier,' says Aho.

Tikkurila is satisfied with the new CRM system. The company has made a decision in principle to gradually extend the system to use throughout the entire business group. The next areas to be covered are decorative and construction paints.

‘The objectives we set for the solution have been reached for the most part. We are satisfied with Mepco's expertise, the service level, and the attitude that focuses on our needs,' summarises Aho.

Contact points for further information

Mepco Oy: Deputy Managing Director Hannu Kaukonen, tel. +358 (0)400 527 681,
send e-mail
Tikkurila Oy: Project Manager Kari Aho, tel. +358 (0)40 554 1646, send e-mail

Tikkurila is responsible for Kemira's paints and coatings business. It is the leading paints and coatings company in Finland, Sweden, Russia and the Baltic states, providing consumers, professional painters, and industrial users with branded products in approximately 40 countries. The product range consists of decorative paints and coatings for the wood and metal industries. In 2008, the company had a revenue of approximately 648 million euros and a payroll of 4,000 employees. For more information, please visit www.tikkurila.com.

Mepco develops and supplies solutions for customer relationship management, finance management, enterprise resource planning, and human resource management. Mepco combines Microsoft's leading enterprise applications and technologies with solid professional skills, extensive experience, and local customer-oriented support. The company is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and has received various awards. Mepco employs 70 people, in Finland's Helsinki, Tampere, and Turku. For more information, please visit www.mepco.fi.

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