How Fearless Leader Mobile CRM Drives Mentos Sales
Challenges
- Need for a modern cloud based ERP solution
- Improvement of customer experience
- Being able to be futureproof for any innovation projects
Results
- Accelerated digitization
- Improved customer experience
- Higher working efficiency
Solution & technology
Business
From the vibrant Mentos, Chupa Chups, and Fruittella candies to refreshers like Frisk and Stimorol: every day, the most delightful treats roll off the production lines in Perfetti Van Melle's 33 factories. These are clearly a hit, as the company continues to grow. But how do you, as a rapidly expanding company, strengthen your connection with customers, work efficiently, and make the smartest decisions? The Benelux team of the confectionery maker equips its sales team with the Fearless Leader Mobile CRM app.Confectionery Giant
Since their founding, now a century ago, Van Melle (Netherlands) and Perfetti (Italy) have grown into global players. Or rather: one global player, as they joined forces in 2001. Under the banner of Perfetti Van Melle, more and more strong brands are thriving. Chupa Chups lollipops, Stimorol gum, they are found alongside Mentos rolls and Smint mints on shelves in over 150 countries.
Sales and Marketing Take Center Stage
Growth demands professionalization. For Perfetti Van Melle, this means automating and digitizing. Wherever possible, processes and systems, such as the ERP package, are centralized. However, the focus on local presence remains strong. Despite having 18,000 employees, Perfetti Van Melle is still a family business, with a warm heart for employees, customers, and consumers. Therefore, sales and marketing remain locally organized, with collaboration and close contact with the customer as key.
Valuable Guidance
In the Benelux region, the field service conducts over 45,000 visits annually.
“In Belgium, there are many independent supermarket owners,” explains Aster Schepens, Regional Field Sales Manager. “For them, purchasing advice and tips on things like presentation are extremely valuable. How do you set up the ideal shelf? How do you enhance product visibility? Which products sell well and which newcomers fit into the assortment? Our field staff assist customers in boosting their sales.”
“The Dutch market is slightly different,” adds Willemijn Tolsma, Regional Field Sales Manager in the Netherlands. “Our field service works closely with major retailers. We visit stores mainly to gain insight into presentation and out-of-stocks. However, our goal is exactly the same as in Belgium: ensuring growth for our customers.”
Solution
A reliable CRM system can enhance collaboration with customers. However, the tool the candy manufacturer had been using for years was outdated, explains Willemijn: “During a supermarket visit, our team collects and uses a vast amount of data. The existing system was too limited to store all that information and exchange it with other systems, such as Microsoft Dynamics 365, Outlook, and reporting tools like Power BI.”
Numerous features + customization options
After a brief market study, Perfetti Van Melle opted for Fearless Leader as an alternative. "The app offers an impressive range of functionalities that fit within the available budget," says Willemijn. "However, what truly convinced us was the platform's openness. Fearless Leader integrates with other platforms and provides ample room for customization. For instance, our candies, mints, and gum are available both on store shelves and at the checkout, which means the app must support dual measurements. No other supplier could promise that functionality."
Additionally, the platform needs to support the sales teams in both the Netherlands and Belgium, despite their slightly different approaches. Cegeka provided a technical solution for this. "The local team was also important to us," adds Aster. "With Cegeka, we received a dedicated team that is always ready for us and conveniently located nearby."
Time Savings before, during and after
Every day, 49 employees use Fearless Leader. The app provides them with all the necessary information: schedule, email, planning, customer data, sales details, as well as a route planner, store images, and presentations.
"I've had the chance to work with the app myself, and it's incredibly user-friendly," confirms Willemijn. "The features save everyone time, not just during visits but also before and after. For instance, because the route planner calculates the route so precisely, our merchandisers can schedule one extra visit each day. Thanks to the email integration, everyone confirms their orders after the visit directly from Fearless Leader."
Data Driven Insights
Perfetti Van Melle is particularly pleased with the insights provided by Fearless Leader. "Our representatives report promptly after each visit, giving us insights into KPIs such as the number of visits, the duration of a visit, customer coverage, revenue, and more. Additionally, we observe how customers arrange their stores and whether they adhere to our product presentation agreements. During the visit, our representatives assess how our products are displayed on the shelves, how the supermarket communicates, and so on. Each store then receives a score in Fearless Leader."
The result? More insights for management as well as satisfied customers; "Thanks to all the data collected by Fearless Leader, we learn a great deal about in-store performance, sales, customers, and more. These insights, in turn, help us advise supermarket owners."
Approach
In close cooperation
Perfetti Van Melle has been using the CRM app for several years now and continues to refine and expand the tool in collaboration with Cegeka. "We started with a long list of functionalities," says Steven De Backer, Business Application Consultant at Cegeka. "Based on the budget and urgency, we determined the priorities together."
"The solution architect, the technical team, and the project leader from Cegeka were completely aligned with Perfetti Van Melle's project team. We met regularly in person, engaged in extensive discussions, and shared online work documents, which ensured a very smooth collaboration."
A project among a thousand
"Yet, an IT implementation is always intensive and challenging," says Willemijn. "No matter how well you test and prepare, there are always surprises. For instance, we revised the budget to add functionalities that were initially not planned. That was a bit tense, but we learned a lot from it. Since then, we have been monitoring the costs more closely."
"But our goals were always aligned with those of Cegeka. We all wanted to deliver a successful project. If there was an obstacle, they actively helped in finding solutions."
Willemijn and Aster agree: "We would collaborate again in a heartbeat. In fact, we already are: the app continues to evolve and expand, and the team remains the same." Steven nods in agreement: "This was a partnership of 1 in 1000, which we are happy to continue."
Do you have questions about this case or are you curious about Fearless Leader Mobile CRM?
Don't hesitate to contact us! We are ready to think along with you and discover how we can take your business to the next level.
Don't hesitate to contact us! We are ready to think along with you and discover how we can take your business to the next level.
Maud D'Havé