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To drive continued growth, Plante Moran, a leading U.S.-based financial services firm, needed to automate business development efforts. The company sought to replace its IBM Lotus Notes contact management system with an easy-to-use customer relationship management system built on a flexible, scalable platform. After evaluating a number of packaged solutions, Plante Moran chose Microsoft Dynamics® CRM based on its intuitive interface, powerful built-in toolset, and integration with line-of-business systems and productivity applications. Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner Ascentium helped Plante Moran tailor the solution to automate key business functions, such as its client acceptance process. Since deploying the solution to 1,600 consultants, Plante Moran has strengthened its business development efforts and gained the agility to pursue strategic growth initiatives.
By taking advantage of workflows in Microsoft Dynamics CRM to manage key business activities, like notifying our managing partner of key new client wins, we can better track our success and recognize the teams that worked so hard to make the success possible.
Jeffrey Antaya, Chief Marketing Officer, Plante Moran
Business Needs
With 1,600 consultants and annual revenue of around U.S.$260 million, Plante Moran is the 12th-largest accounting firm in the United States. The Southfield, Michigan-based company has 19 offices and serves clients throughout the United States and around the globe. In addition to its locations in the United States, Plante Moran has offices in Shanghai, China; Mumbai, India; and Monterrey, Mexico.
Plante Moran used an application based on IBM Lotus Notes to manage client contact records and track its sales pipeline. However, client contact and sales data were stored in separate databases. Moreover, the system lacked a unified, easy-to-use interface for accessing these different functionalities. Plante Morans consultants could not quickly or easily merge data stored in a variety of formats in the Lotus Notes-based system with the applications they rely on each day, such as Microsoft® Office Excel®.
“Because our old system wasnt easy to use and didnt support the way our people work, adoption was extremely low,” says Jeffrey Antaya, Chief Marketing Officer at Plante Moran. “So, it was difficult for us to track and measure the effectiveness of companywide business development efforts. We realized that it was time to find a new customer relationship management system that all of our people would be excited to use.”
Solution
In conjunction with a firmwide move to the Microsoft platform, Plante Moran reviewed several customer relationship management solutions. The company opted to implement Microsoft Dynamics® CRM based on its ease of use and integration with core line-of-business systems and desktop productivity tools. Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Ascentium helped Plante Moran deploy the solution across its entire operations.
Integration with Line-of-Business Systems and Productivity Applications
The Ascentium team worked with Plante Moran to link its billing system to the database in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Employees now have access to service history within each clients record. This lets consultants quickly determine which additional or related services might benefit clients. “The integration between our billing system and customer relationship management systems means we can efficiently mine our own data to gain intelligence around what new services a client may want or what types of services are most appropriate for various client profiles,” says Antaya.
In addition, consultants take full advantage of the