Absolute Software
CRM Solution Helps Computer Security Firm Boost System Performance, Marketing Efforts
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Company Overview
Even the best software is of little value if it isn’t being used. And the sales representatives at Absolute Software were barely using the company’s previous customer relationship management system. They complained that it was balky and slow and didn’t integrate well with the company’s Microsoft® Office System, according to Risa Zaleski, Director of Operations at Vancouver, British Columbia–based Absolute Software.
Business Challenge
Having an inefficient CRM system created significant challenges for Absolute, whose global software offerings include ComputraceComplete, which is computer and security tracking software that enables companies to protect data on computers, deter theft, delete data on stolen laptops, and recover stolen computers. Absolute’s services are increasingly popular today, especially when considering that a laptop is stolen every 53 seconds and, according to the FBI, 97% are never recovered. Absolute’s business model heavily revolves around superior, efficient customer relations—particularly at times when a customer might be experiencing the stress of attempting to locate stolen computer equipment.
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Solution
Absolute had cycled through a handful of CRM solutions over the last seven years, but all failed to catch on with the company’s employees and sales staff. “They all ultimately became glorified Rolodexes,” Zaleski says. Absolute sought a new CRM system that would be more than just a contact database. Instead, the company wanted one that would allow it to easily share information, help streamline marketing efforts, and integrate closely with its defect management system. In addition, the new solution had to integrate closely with the Microsoft Office Outlook® messaging and collaboration client, which Absolute’s sales representatives use extensively, as well as other Microsoft programs, such as Word and the Microsoft Office Excel® spreadsheet software. Perhaps most important, the new solution needed to provide the robust performance Absolute’s sales representatives sought..
Absolute called on Ideaca Knowledge Services, a Vancouver-based Microsoft Certified Business Solutions Partner with a dedicated focus on Microsoft Dynamics CRM. “When it came to choosing a CRM solution, Absolute had done its homework,” says Tom Amerongen, Ideaca’s Director of Consulting. “The company knew what it wanted: Microsoft Dynamics CRM.”
Ideaca helped Absolute take a fresh look at the company’s sales, service, and marketing processes and determined that Microsoft Dynamics CRM would indeed be an ideal fit for Absolute’s needs. Using its proven Express Track implementation methodology, Ideaca initially deployed Microsoft Dynamics CRM and ensured a smooth migration of data from Absolute’s previous system. More recently, Ideaca helped Absolute upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Business Benefits
Absolute Software is realizing a wealth of benefits from its Microsoft Dynamics CRM system, including:
Rapid Adoption
Unlike Absolute’s previous systems, which suffered from low user adoption, Microsoft Dynamics CRM has been heartily embraced by both the company’s sales representatives and employees. “People here are very, very happy with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and the sales group has quickly adopted it,” Zaleski says. Part of that is attributable to the fact that Microsoft Dynamics CRM is tightly integrated with other Microsoft programs. “Absolute’s sales culture is very fast-paced, and efficiency is key,” says Amerongen. “Microsoft Dynamics CRM is tightly integrated with other Microsoft software, and that has really been an important benefit.”
Easier Information Sharing
With Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Absolute Software has accomplished its goal of having a system that allows for easy information sharing across the organization. “Microsoft Dynamics CRM works the way technology should,” Zaleski says. “Through utilization of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, our Sales and Technical Support departments now share critical information and have forged a closer, more efficient relationship.” For instance, by integrating information from Microsoft Dynamics CRM into the company’s internal defect-tracking system, Absolute’s Technical Support and Sales professionals can see precisely where in development a certain defect is—which wasn’t possible with the company’s previous system.
Streamlined Marketing Efforts
With the arrival of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Absolute’s marketing staff now has the ability to track sales leads and the ROI associated with the company’s marketing campaigns and trade shows, activities that were difficult to quantify using the company’s previous system. This allows for faster follow-up and more-efficient marketing efforts.
Improved System Performance
The performance of Microsoft Dynamics CRM is far superior to that of Absolute’s previous system, Zaleski says. “The performance is great,” she says. “We have probably 50,000 account records and 80,000 contact records in our database, and the Microsoft Dynamics CRM performance is snappy--much better than what we were using before.”
Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics is a line of integrated, adaptable business management solutions that enables you and your people to make business decisions with greater confidence. Microsoft Dynamics works like familiar Microsoft software such as Microsoft Office, which means less of a learning curve for your people, so they can get up and running quickly and focus on what’s most important. And because it is from Microsoft, it easily works with the systems your company already has implemented. By automating and streamlining financial, customer relationship and supply chain processes, Microsoft Dynamics brings together people, processes and technologies, increasing the productivity and effectiveness of your business, and helping you drive business success.
For more information about Microsoft Dynamics, go to:www.microsoft.com/dynamics
For More Information
For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to: www.microsoft.com
For more information about Ideaca Knowledge Services products and services, call (604) 669-6811 or visit the Web site at: www.ideaca.com
For more information about Absolute Software products and services, call (800) 220-0733 or visit the Web site at: www.absolute.com
