Planchers Mercier Regains Control of Its Data Through Talan's Support
Planchers Mercier, a specialist in the manufacturing and delivery of hardwood flooring, sought Talan's expertise to centralize its data, save time, and control its prices. Discover how the company successfully achieved their goals through the adoption of Microsoft Dynamics CRM!
A Legacy of Quality
The Quebec-based company Planchers Mercier is a family-owned business founded in 1980, which has been organized around three successive generations. Specializing in the manufacturing of prefinished hardwood floors, they distribute their products through specialized stores in Canada and in the United States.
In 2000, favorable market conditions and organic growth allowed the company to double its revenue. Today, Planchers Mercier employs 275 employees and pushes forward the quality and excellence of their products while maintaining a close relationship with their customers.
"People appreciate our respect; a value that really resonates with us."
The Challenge: Data Centralization
Despite having solid expertise in their field of activity, Planchers Mercier had to centralize and better organize their business information to facilitate their growth. They faced two main issues on a daily basis:
- Scattered data, particularly customer-related data, which led to significant time loss when searching for and updating information, especially during staff transitions.
- A complex and cumbersome price management process.
The company decided to integrate a technological solution that could address these needs. The recent change in their ERP system also seemed like the perfect opportunity to introduce a new tool.
"The trigger was primarily the need to centralize data. Since we submit a large amount of bids, we wanted to centralize them and achieve a better level of approval to control these prices."
To serve their 250 customers throughout the year, Planchers Mercier also needed immediate access to accurate information.
Microsoft and Talan - A Winning Choice
Through the influence of large companies recognizing the benefits of customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, Planchers Mercier quickly chose Microsoft Dynamics CRM, a proven and centralized solution for managing, tracking, and storing customer data.
To support this solution’s integration, Talan emerged as the partner to rely on. During initial video conference exchanges, the sales team identified the company's needs, building trust in this critical project.
"Talan has proven expertise; we had confidence in the brand and the company's reputation."
Some Challenges and a Great Victory
The integration, which took place from March to September 2022, went very smoothly.
"From the beginning, there was a fairly smooth integration, and it didn't take years - it happened in a relatively short timeline."
Talan took charge of some data cleaning, while the company’s preparation significantly facilitated the process. Challenges included employee resistance to change, particularly among those less familiar with computer systems, but training sessions helped reassure the teams.
Significant Improvement in Information Management
The implementation of the CRM solution has brought several favorable results:
- Facilitation of day-to-day processes
- Database integration of products and customers
- Accelerated access to information, simplifying operations
"In the past, it took three times as long to search for information. Today, we can find it in a matter of seconds."
The software contributes to acquiring new functionalities, improving market understanding through opportunity management and approval systems. Submissions are faster, though it's too early to evaluate a return on sales.
"We use it, and we wouldn't go back; we couldn't do without it for our daily tasks."
Moving Toward Business Automation
Microsoft Dynamics CRM, initially integrated for tracking customer-related activities, could be used in the future for sales forecasting, granting customers access to the database for recording and tracking opportunities.
As Planchers Mercier aims to expand into new sales areas, the company is considering modernizing its business to streamline processes:
"With the scarcity of labor, we aim to further automate our computer systems and equipment."
This momentum is made possible with the support of world-class technology and the expertise of Talan, upon which the company can continue to rely.
