Ingredients for Quality CRM at Harlan Bakeries
Sage SalesLogix Implemented by Camisa Technologies Inc.

Founded by brothers Doug and Hugh Harlan and their father, Hal, in 1991, Harlan Bakeries Inc. initially was known throughout parts of the Midwest for its “Bigger Better Bagels” in the freezer case. The company added to its regional retail business and began a path of rapid, double-digit growth by producing products for some of the nation’s largest retail grocers, foodservice chains, and retail shops.

Harlan Bakeries is a recognized leader in their industry, earning such awards as:

• “2006 Wholesale Baker of the Year” by Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery magazine

• “2006-2007 Food Plant of the Year” for the Bakery Foods category by Refrigerated & Frozen Foods magazine (April 2007)

• Twelve first-place blue ribbons in the 2007 American Pie Council/Crisco National Pie Championships

• The American Institute of Baking awarded Harlan Bakeries a “ Superior” rating for the ninth consecutive year (November 2006).

Adding to Harlan Bakeries’ great success, the company recently added a formal customer relationship management (CRM) technology strategy to its operations with Sage SalesLogix, a CRM software implemented by Camisa Technologies Inc. of Tempe, Arizona.

According to Doug H. Harlan, executive vice president and co-founder of Harlan Bakeries, adding a CRM system to the company’s manufacturing processes has made a world of difference. “The benefits we are receiving from our CRM system are beginning to pay off and come to light. One of the key factors we’ve found in implementing SalesLogix with Camisa Technologies is that it made us think through our business processes.”

Harlan Bakeries is using the CRM system to consolidate and improve its processes. The company is also using the system to become better organized because all of its client information is now located in a single centralized database. The company is able to better manage its three distribution models by tracking sales opportunity status and the management of those opportunities. Doug Harlan says that he sees the technology as “an enabler because it allows us to understand and know where our customer touch points are.”

Harlan also uses the CRM system to improve its contract management by monitoring compliance and renewals. Working with Camisa, Harlan has customized the SalesLogix contracts module so that all contractual relationships can be documented, understood, and managed proactively in the centralized database. By tracking start and end dates, and having the ability to monitor automatic renewals, Harlan can run reports based on expiration dates, and have information accessible to team members on the type of contract for each account. The company also uses business-process alerting software, recommended by Camisa, that sends out alerts when trigger events require attention.

Efficiency is another benefit that Harlan Bakeries is finding from having a formal CRM technology strategy. “Having our products consolidated into one main view ensures that everyone who needs to have access to this information can get to it and find it quicker,” says Harlan. By having all of the information in one location, it’s easier for our employees to find what they need in one central location.”

The future of CRM is bright for Harlan Bakeries as it continues to expand its use and become more aware of ways to leverage the technology. One area that the company envisions the CRM system improving is customer service. The company is working to convert from a manual tracking system to a formal ticketing system that will enable it to track date-and-time stamps for
customer-response issues, and use SalesLogix to capture and consolidate this information in one place.

Another area for CRM technology is in the traditional sales force automation facet of CRM. Harlan Bakeries expects to roll out tactical sales processes, activity management, and pipeline and forecast review in the near future.

“When we started our CRM initiative,” says Harlan, “we thought it would help us in one way, and as we become more involved with the reality of customer relationship management technology, we are finding more ways that it can improve our business.”

Sage SalesLogix CRM Software Implemented by Camisa Technologies Inc.

Benefits:

• Centralized database consolidates processes and information
• Manages all customer touch points
• Improves customer service, sales management, and business process alerting

www.camisatech.com