shipping truck packed full with shipping boxes

A Major Packing Solutions Manufacturer Opens New Revenue Streams with Centralized Data

Client Success Snapshot

Client Profile:

  • Overview: A major provider of sustainable shipping solutions in North America
  • Industry: Manufacturing (Shipping)
  • Team Size: 51-200 employees
  • Annual Revenue: N/A
  • Headquarters: VA, USA
  • Markets: North America, Europe

The Challenge

A packaging firm based out of Virginia has grown exponentially in the four years since its inception. Unfortunately, the client didn’t have the infrastructure to support that expansion or make the most of the opportunities afforded by its success. 

Lacking any kind of CRM, the client used inefficient tools to organize data, with its fragmented approach resulting in missed opportunities for further growth. 

Gerent’s Approach

Gerent performed a Quick Start implementation to get the client’s new CRM up and running within seven days, addressing the immediate pain points while providing options for future customization.

Gerent provided the client with a new way of gathering and organizing information to address those pain points, creating a custom template. In addition, Gerent also implemented Salesforce Enterprise Edition and Sales Cloud, optimizing the client’s practices.

Key Outcomes

Within seven days, the packaging company was set up with a complete, fully scalable 360-degree view of its customers. With the new custom template, Gerent resolved the client’s problems with data organization. 

Post-implementation, the client now has the infrastructure it needs to support its expansion, track leads, and continue its upward trajectory.


Client Success Story

Innovation is fueling a revolution in shipping containers, spurred on by consumer demand to deliver goods quickly in containers that don’t harm the environment. This demand drove two friends to launch a company dedicated to recyclable specialty containers that are 100% environmentally friendly.

Four years later, the start-up’s product line and customer base had significantly expanded, along with sales and revenue. However, with the company’s rapid growth came the need to centralize its scattered data.

Fragmented data leads to missed opportunities

Before partnering with Gerent, the packaging firm had no efficient way of collecting and organizing data. Relying on Excel spreadsheets and emails to track data and follow up on leads, the company didn’t have the infrastructure to support the growth that had already occurred, let alone plans for growth in the future.

This strategy worked at the company's outset when it focused on only pursuing larger contracts. However, after the packaging firm grew, it wanted to follow up on smaller contracts that it could not chase down due to its fragmented approach. Anxious to track and seize those opportunities, the packaging firm recognized that a top-of-the-line CRM would patch the holes in its infrastructure.

In January 2019,  the packaging firm reached out to Salesforce, who connected it with Account Executive Emma McCrossan.

“The client didn’t have any kind of CRM, working off Excel spreadsheets and emails instead.” Emma explained. “None of its customer history or interactions were tracked anywhere, and there was no concrete application or process within the organization.”

McCrossan recognized the packaging firm’s need for a top-of-the-line CRM and referred its leaders to Gerent’s team.

Addressing the client’s pain points 

Seeking to address the client’s pain points quickly, Gerent performed a Quick Start implementation. This method was curated to address immediate concerns within seven days and provide options for future customization. The Gerent implementation team began the process on April 2nd, and the client’s immediate pain points were addressed by April 9th.

The team used the Enterprise Edition of Salesforce, which includes Salesforce APIs, to connect the CRM with a client’s back-office operations. This implementation set up the packaging company with a complete 360 view of its customers and is fully scalable as the company grows. 

Gerent also implemented Sales Cloud, giving the client a centralized hub to organize and collect data. Through Sales Cloud, the client can also gain social media insights, communicate with customers easily, optimize lead generation efforts, and get a comprehensive view of opportunities and sales campaigns.

However, it is always Gerent's custom to go a step further than the contract stipulates to address the client’s pain points. In this instance, Gerent recognized that, along with Salesforce implementations, the client needed a custom element.


A custom-made asset streamlines client data acquisition

In addition to implementing Salesforce CRM, Gerent created a custom template. With this template, salespeople could input important information from client and prospect meetings into a standardized format. After reviewing the client’s discovery process, Gerent built a custom template with a list of standardized questions supplied by the client and inserted it into Sales Cloud.

Now each salesperson can go to a meeting, gather information, and record it immediately in a consistent manner, uploading it to Sales Cloud. With the custom template, the client can access critical information efficiently and prevent data loss in transition. Key details like client meeting outcomes and solution proposals can be accessed across departments at any time.

Gerent provides the client with the infrastructure needed for future growth

Post-implementation, the client finally has the infrastructure needed to support the expansion that has already occurred and act on opportunities for further growth. Powered by Salesforce solutions, the packaging firm is well-positioned for the immediate future and is currently seeking other ways Salesforce can optimize its processes. 

Emma McCrossan said the Salesforce project was the first one she’d worked on with Gerent.

“The experience has been great. Gerent had a very tight-knit team. Our client was in a hurry to get the Salesforce solution up and running, and Gerent implemented a Quick Start that was smooth and problem-free.”

McCrossan says that the packaging firm plans to move its email platform to Inbox in the next few months. After that, she says, she’ll be talking to the client about a quotation system, a current weak link for forecasting and generating quotes.

By using Salesforce solutions to centralize and optimize its processes, this business has taken steps to allow future growth, stabilize operations at its current size, and has made pursuing myriad leads possible.

Contact Gerent

Gerent provides consulting and implementation services for digital transformation. Stay in touch with us for more information about these services, and please feel free to contact us with any questions or inquiries.

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