OREANDA-NEWS. OAO Severstal, one of the world's largest vertically integrated steel and mining companies, has implemented a new SAP-based CRM system in cooperation with the international management and technology consultancy BearingPoint. Running the new SAP CRM, Severstal is able to create more detailed sales plans, narrowing them down to a specific client, automate the performance monitoring of customer visits, and streamline event management, even correlating events with customer queries. The ability to import data from external sources was also implemented to generate a pool of potential customers and transactions.

The main results of the Severstal CRM project at a glance:

Service quality was enhanced by collecting full customer information in one system and selecting the optimum interaction channel.

Sales were increased by implementing new processes for relations with potential customers and handling potential transactions.

The number of lost transactions was reduced by automating and monitoring customer interaction processes.

The CRM development project has been recognized by Severstal as one of the company's most successful IT projects over the last few years.

The project was developed as a continuation of the Severstal Business Standard Development Program, which included the implementation of a SAP CRM solution to enable the automation of an electronic trading platform. Sales and marketing processes were integrated and contact center operations were automated during the CRM development project.

"This project has helped us collect data from various IT systems and house them in one place. It gives managers all the customer information they need, such as contact information, interaction history and settlement records," said Yury Shekhovtsov, Chief Information Officer of Severstal. "As a result, we have enhanced information support for the sales process, and managers spend less time collecting information."

"By implementing this project, we have been able to introduce new processes for managing relationships with both existing and potential customers and improve sales planning," said Dmitry Goroshkov, Marketing and Sales Director of the Severstal Russian Steel Division, summarizing the project results. "We have also automated marketing event management, which should increase customer satisfaction and identify new opportunities for enhancing our relationships with them. The CRM project will help us strengthen the company's position as a leader in development of IT technologies in the Russian steel industry."