Access Displays

Exhibition Company Boosts Orders by 38 Per Cent with Customer Relationship Management Tool

Access Displays rolls out Microsoft Dynamics CRM to dramatically reduce paper-based processes and streamline customer-focused activity.

Access Displays is one of the largest exhibition and display companies in the United Kingdom. The business was recently restructured: one part builds large exhibition stands—it is an official contractor for the Rugby World Cup, for example—and the other part sells exhibition consumables such as literature stands and showcases. The company has more than 3,000 product lines and about 20,000 customers worldwide. With around 20 staff and a turnover in excess of £2.5 million (U.S.$5.1 million), it is a successful and profitable business.

Founded in 1990, the company is growing rapidly, but until recently, paper-based administration slowed it down. An order for a single item costing just £100 (U.S.$205) required 12 separate pieces of paper to process, including a quotation, an order, a job sheet, an invoice, and a delivery note. And employees had to complete each task manually. The error-prone process took a long time. It was also demoralising—nobody looks forward to a day filling in forms.

An Integrated, Cost-Effective Solution

In April 2007, Peter Bowen, Executive Officer at Access Displays, turned to Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM business management software, and a solution was tailored to suit processes at Access Displays.

Although Access Displays examined alternative CRM packages, it chose Microsoft Dynamics CRM because it was attracted to the value of off-the-shelf software combined with the flexibility of a customized program. Microsoft Dynamics CRM seemed to offer the best of both worlds.

Greater Sales, Better Service

Already, the new technology has made a significant impact on sales for Access Displays. “Microsoft Dynamics CRM has increased our volume of business by 38 per cent,” says Bowen. “Looking at our sales figures, it’s clear that this increase has been constant since the new software was installed earlier this year.”

Due to Microsoft Dynamics CRM, sales people can provide a quotation instantly, e-mailing it directly to the customer before they’ve finished the phone call. This means that enquiries are converted into orders faster and more consistently. The system even lets them attach images of items to the quotations, as well as provide more accurate responses to enquiries. “What differentiates us from our competitors is not price,” says Bowen, “it’s about speed of response and giving customers what they want, when they want it.”

Boosts Marketing Strategy

The software supports marketing as well as sales. For example, the company recently sent direct mail to 20,000 customers. Microsoft Dynamics CRM let Access Displays target the letters to the most appropriate customers, and track the response from different regions and the conversion rate of individual sales people.

In addition, errors are reduced dramatically. Product names are consistent throughout the system and sales people always quote the right price, for the right product, from the right supplier—first time. Paperwork has also been reduced because orders are only entered into the system once.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM has had a positive impact on Access Displays. Sales are up, customer service has improved, and employees, including senior staff, spend less time on paperwork and more time expanding the business. Bowen concludes: “Microsoft Dynamics CRM has been a real winner.”