Transforming Sales Visibility and Processes with Dynamics 365 Sales
Pragmatiq partnered with Oliver Valves, a global manufacturing organisation, to implement a connected Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales solution. The project introduced a centralised platform for managing sales activity, improving visibility across accounts, and integrating with their existing ERP system to create a more cohesive, end-to-end sales process.
Background & Challenges
Background
Oliver Valves is a manufacturing organisation producing specialist valves used in a wide range of equipment globally. Headquartered in the North West of England, the organisation operates across multiple international entities, each managing its own customers, quotes, and orders.
The business relies on Infor Sightline as its ERP system to manage quoting and order processing. However, this system operates across separate company databases, limiting visibility and restricting the ability to manage sales activity across the wider organisation.
Challenges
- Lack of sales activity tracking: There was no structured way to manage opportunities, tasks, or sales pipelines, with teams relying on spreadsheets and manual processes.
- Fragmented customer data: Customer information and activity were spread across multiple systems and entities, making it difficult to gain a single, consolidated view.
- Limited visibility of communications: There was no central record of emails, calls, or interactions with customers.
- Disconnected sales process: While quoting and order management existed within the ERP system, there was no joined-up process linking sales activity to commercial outcomes.
- Limited visibility of pipeline: Without opportunity tracking, the organisation lacked visibility into pipeline value and customer activity.
The Solution & Implementation
- Centralised CRM with Dynamics 365 Sales: Using Dynamics 365 Sales to provide a single, centralised platform for managing accounts, contacts, and opportunities, providing a consolidated view of customers across all entities.
- Opportunity and pipeline management: Through structured opportunity management, enabling teams to track and manage their sales pipeline more effectively and gain clearer visibility of potential revenue.
- Outlook integration for activity tracking: Integration with Outlook enables users to track emails and communications directly within Dynamics 365, ensuring all customer interactions are captured and stored against the relevant records.
- Integration with Infor Sightline (ERP): Using Azure Logic Apps, integrated Dynamics 365 with Infor Sightline to connect sales activity with quoting and order processes. Opportunities can be pushed into Sightline for quoting, while quotes and orders are synced back into Dynamics 365, providing visibility across the full sales lifecycle.
- Project tracking capabilities: The system has a project tracking module to support larger initiatives, enabling multiple opportunities and orders to be linked to a single project for improved oversight.
- Standard reporting and dashboards: Native Dynamics 365 views and dashboards to support reporting requirements, providing accessible insights aligned to the organisation’s needs.
The Outcomes
- Improved visibility across customers and activity: A centralised CRM system provides a complete view of customers, including communications, opportunities, quotes, and orders across multiple entities.
- More structured and effective sales processes: Teams can now manage opportunities and pipelines consistently, improving visibility and supporting more informed decision-making.
- Connected end-to-end sales journey: Integration between Dynamics 365 and Infor Sightline creates a joined-up process from opportunity through to quote and order.
- Enhanced tracking of customer value: With all sales data linked in one place, Oliver Valves can better understand customer value across the organisation.
- Increased efficiency and reduced reliance on manual tools: Replacing spreadsheets with a centralised system has streamlined processes and improved day-to-day efficiency.
- Foundation for future growth: The platform provides a scalable foundation, with further enhancements planned to expand project tracking and broader functionality over time.
