ARNOLD’s legacy CRM was overly customized, inefficient, and required duplicate data entry across SAP and CRM systems, slowing global sales operations.
Dynamics 365 Sales, Customer Insights, and Power Platform tools streamlined lead capture, automated workflows, and unified data across departments.
Lead conversion rose from 19% to 78%, sales cycles shortened, and internal campaign control reduced external costs while boosting agility.
The ARNOLD Group (ARNOLD), headquartered in Forchtenberg, Baden-Württemberg, is a leading German manufacturer specializing in the development and production of complex cold formed fastening solutions, including thread-forming screws, parts made of copper and aluminum, and integrated feeding and processing systems. Founded in 1898, ARNOLD has evolved into a global player, particularly in the automotive industry. The company has been part of the Würth Group since 1994, marking over 30 years of collaboration, creating customized solutions focusing on fastening the challenges of its customers. With approximately 1,500 employees across the world, ARNOLD specializes in another type of valued connection for which it relies on Dynamics 365 Sales and Dynamics 365 Customer Insights—the relationships it builds and maintains with its customers.
“Thanks to our new process, we not only capture and manage leads more efficiently—we truly understand them. With structured capture, intelligent processing, and data-driven analysis, we generate not just more, but the right leads—building the foundation for sustainable success.”
Mario Metzger, CMO, ARNOLD
59% increase in lead conversion rate
ARNOLD had been using Microsoft’s on-premises customer relationship management (CRM) system since 2011, so was already familiar with the platform. However, the solution was highly customized and operated with a bidirectional interface with SAP, the company’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, creating needless complexity and inefficiencies. When it was time for an upgrade, the company knew Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Insights were the right tools to put all the pieces together so that teams worldwide can access data seamlessly.
As a manufacturing company, ARNOLD structures itself in three business fields: fastening elements, functional components, and systems solutions for original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and Tier-suppliers of the automotive industry alike. Most of them are large accounts that have multiple stakeholders—almost always across borders, technical departments, research, and development. The journey to a new business is complex and lengthy. There might be five or more contacts within a single account, and sales reps often must build relationships with several people before an opportunity can even be defined. Additionally, product development cycles are very long, sometimes stretching out over several years, requiring careful nurturing and ongoing engagement.
“We managed our sales pipeline, quotes, and opportunities in our on-premises system but had to input the data twice into both the CRM and ERP,” explains Lisa Hirschlein, Referent CMO at ARNOLD. CRM usage wasn’t standardized or clearly defined, leading to other forms of redundancies as well. Each sales opportunity involves multiple departments—starting with commercial qualification, moving to technical evaluation, and sometimes spanning one to two years if it becomes a full development project. Account information and documentation were spread throughout systems, and the CRM application had too many dropdowns and technical fields, which overwhelmed users.
Guided by partner proMX, implementation of Dynamics 365 spurred process changes at ARNOLD that brought clarity, structure, and speed to sales operations. Now, with the division of tasks between SAP and Dynamics 365, users find the system easier to work with: the process begins in SAP with customer qualification—where the sales representative enters the initial request. Manufacturing costs and sales price are calculated and data like estimated volume and pricing flows one-way into Dynamics 365, so the sales team has visibility.
Once a customer account is created in the ERP, where the Request for Quotation (RFQ) and technical details are managed, the account number is automatically synced to Dynamics 365. When saved, an email is automatically sent to a special CRM inbox, triggering SharePoint to create the necessary document folders. The interface between SAP and Dynamics 365 runs nightly, with new opportunities posted in Dynamics 365 the next day. “Since moving to Dynamics 365 in the cloud, our CRM-ERP integrations are far more stable. We've eliminated many of the interface bugs that troubled our on-prem setup,” says Larissa Wetter, CRM & Sales Process Developer at ARNOLD.
“Since moving to Dynamics 365 in the cloud, our CRM-ERP integrations are far more stable. We've eliminated many of the interface bugs that troubled our on-prem setup.”
Larissa Wetter, CRM & Sales Process Developer, ARNOLD
Power Automate further streamlines communication and transparency with automated workflows that send out notifications when a project is won, lost, or disqualified. Rather than manually alerting each project’s multiple team members, the system automatically sends role assignment notifications pulled from SAP and stored in an Excel file. This ensures that everyone stays informed with minimal effort. "With Power Apps, we can build our own solutions in no time. This keeps us agile, saves valuable time, and lets us create tools that grow with our sales processes,” Hirschlein says.
One of the most valuable changes has been the harmonization of the sales process. Previously, the system was cluttered with overly specific customizations—often tailored to the preferences of just one individual or department. The new approach emphasizes standardization across the organization driven by a change management culture that centers collective benefits and peer-driven learning.
Managing communication has also become much easier. Given the volume of emails sales reps handle across different projects, using the Outlook app to quickly associate emails and calendar activities with the correct opportunity is invaluable. What used to be a time-consuming manual process can now be done in seconds, helping sales reps stay on top of their pipelines and focus more on engaging customers.
Because of the cross-functional collaboration inherent in ARNOLD’s processes, a centralized and structured document repository is critical. Dynamics 365 and SharePoint enable a single, consistent location for all customer-related documents connected to their contacts. This not only keeps things organized but also allows users to work in a familiar interface. Many employees, who previously relied heavily on Windows Explorer, have found that OneDrive functions similarly, enabling them to drag and drop files with ease. These documents are then automatically synchronized with the corresponding opportunity in Dynamics 365, which improves efficiency and ensures everyone is working with the latest information.
Sales teams especially benefit from enhanced visibility and transparency. Managers can track performance and activity through dashboards which provide a clear view of sales activities. And sales reps can easily search and access documents, quotes, and customer information—ensuring continuity without having to dig through old emails or multiple systems. Now sales reps can focus on their customers, not searching.
Though only in the early stages of its journey, Customer Insights has already transformed lead and event management. Previously, sales reps would receive Excel spreadsheets from marketing—disconnected, inconsistent lists with limited insight. It was up to the sales rep to manually filter out contacts, determine relevance, and decide on next steps. Not only was this time-consuming, but it also created gaps in accountability and follow-up.
With Customer Insights, the process is centralized, automated, and trackable. Leads from webinars and trade shows are fed directly into Dynamics 365—often through tools like SnapAddy (which lets sales reps scan business cards and instantly generate leads). QR codes at mobile events streamline lead capture, and sales reps immediately receive their leads via dashboards, pre-assigned based on domain, region, or product area.
Crucially, by leveraging event management and customer journey tracking, sales reps can now see patterns in customer behavior that were previously invisible. Sales reps can now see the entire engagement history of a lead or contact in just one click: Did the contact only register, or did they attend the event? How many events or webinars have they engaged with? Which product categories were they interested in? “Thanks to our new process, we not only capture and manage leads more efficiently—we truly understand them. With structured capture, intelligent processing, and data-driven analysis, we generate not just more, but the right leads—building the foundation for sustainable success,” says Mario Metzger, CMO at ARNOLD.
In general, Customer Insights also supports journey automation: when a prospect downloads a brochure, attends an event, or fills out a form, follow-up emails and lead assignments can be automated based on behavior. This eliminates the need for manual updates and salespeople have a more complete picture of buyer interest, allowing them to prioritize follow-up more intelligently and initiate more personalized outreach. What was previously a disjointed, manual process is now smooth, intuitive, and visible, enabling sales reps to act faster and more confidently.
Lead conversion rate increase
With the implementation of Customer Insights, ARNOLD has significantly improved its ability to identify and engage high-value contacts earlier in the customer journey. This is especially impactful with large enterprises like Continental, where hundreds of contacts may exist, but key decision-makers are not always visible. By centralizing lead data from webinars, trade shows, and digital interactions—and automating lead assignment—sales teams can now act faster and more precisely, resulting in a drastic increase—from 19% to 78%—in lead conversion.
External agency cost savings
By reducing dependency on external agencies for campaign coordination and execution, ARNOLD has gained greater control over its marketing operations. Internal teams can now manage campaigns end-to-end, from planning to performance tracking, resulting in lower outsourcing costs and improved responsiveness.
Sales cycle time reduction
System-wide visibility and streamlined collaboration between sales and marketing have shortened the time it takes to move from initial contact to closed deal. The ability to plan, execute, and measure campaigns internally—supported by automated workflows and better data access—has increased agility and reduced overhead. These efficiencies have directly contributed to faster sales cycles.
Contact consumption rate increase
The integration of Microsoft 365 tools—particularly Copilot, SharePoint, and Outlook—has enhanced productivity and ensured that sales reps can access the right information without switching between systems. This interconnected environment supports better follow-up, more consistent engagement, and improved utilization of existing customer contacts.
“With Power Apps, we can build our own solutions in no time. This keeps us agile, saves valuable time, and lets us create tools that grow with our sales processes.”
Lisa Hirschlein, Referent CMO, ARNOLD
As ARNOLD continues to reduce the number of disconnected systems employees are required to use by consolidating around the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, the team is focused on further streamlining workflows, enhancing automation, and reducing repetitive tasks. Microsoft Copilot for Sales is a key area of interest because of its ability to support sales reps with faster data access, smarter insights, and increased process automation.
For a manufacturing company, streamlined workflows and intelligent automation are critical to the company’s success. This digital transformation ensures that teams stay tightly aligned, data flows seamlessly, and productivity remains securely fastened to business goals.
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