How Barenbrug New Zealand Nurtured Growth with Zoho CRM and Arise Business Solutions.
Barenbrug New Zealand, a seed company with a rich history of innovation and research, has been at the forefront of the agricultural sector for over 30 years. Recognising the inherent business risk of lacking visibility into customer data and the absence of a centralised information storage system for marketing and customer service purposes, the Sales and Marketing team took a proactive approach. In 2016, they decided to enhance their operations by transitioning from manual spreadsheets to a modern customer relationship management (CRM) system, thereby giving them a single source to store and use customer information.
After extensive research, Graham Kerr, Barenbrug's Commercial Manager, and his team selected Zoho CRM as a solution that aligned well with their requirements and budget. Their primary requirement was a system that offered easy accessibility, whether on a laptop or phone, in the office or while visiting customers on the farm. It was crucial for them that the system was user-friendly. Simplifying the user experience while ensuring practicality and functionality were their key objectives. In this regard, Zoho proved to be an ideal fit, meeting all their requirements seamlessly.
"Arise Business Solutions have been great in the CRM system implementation and ongoing support. They have also actively identified areas for development, and provided implementation assistance. The field team's ability to directly book training with Arise was a huge help. It was tailored to their computer skills and scheduled at their convenience," says Graham.
Over the past 5 years, Barenbrug have worked with Arise to build their CRM capabilities and have made great progress in the way they store, access and use their customer data.
They have successfully implemented various modules for additional functionality, such as cases and complaints management and automation of on-farm bookings and feedback. Overall, the implementation of various modules within Zoho CRM provides the sales and marketing teams with a range of benefits, including centralised information, reliable data, automated reporting, increased efficiency, improved customer service, and streamlined ordering and inventory management.
The cases and complaints module has meant Barenbrug can handle customer issues more effectively, manage them efficiently, to help ensure customer satisfaction. The automated on-farm bookings and feedback system has eliminated manual processes, leading to enhanced operational efficiency and smoother customer communication.
Moreover, the integration of seed and merchandise ordering systems with inventory management functionality has optimised stock levels, mitigating the risks of stock-outs. The implementation of automated email nurturing sequences has enabled Barenbrug to engage with customers in a personalised and timely manner, fostering stronger relationships.
And the automated reporting provides a good oversight, that a range of procedures we need to get right with customers are on track.
These enhancements have reduced business risk by enhancing visibility of information and minimising manual tasks. By leveraging Zoho CRM and the expertise of Arise, Barenbrug has streamlined their business processes, facilitating easy access to crucial information and driving greater efficiency.
"We are extremely satisfied with the services provided by Arise Business Solutions," says Graham. "Partnering with them and the Zoho CRM has reduced our business risk, and boosted our operational efficiency and streamlined core business processes across several areas of our business."
“As to the future, we see opportunities for continued developments and improvements in how we use the Zoho CRM, and what it will deliver for us."
"We are extremely satisfied with the services provided by Arise Business Solutions," says Graham. "Partnering with them and the Zoho CRM has reduced our business risk, and boosted our operational efficiency and streamlined core business processes across several areas of our business."
“As to the future, we see opportunities for continued developments and improvements in how we use the Zoho CRM, and what it will deliver for us."
- Graham Kerr, Commercial Manager at Barenbrug New Zealand.
