Product category:
Process Control: SCADA, ERP, MES and networks
News Release from: BASF IT Services | Subject: South American projects
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 26 October 2006
BASF IT Services successful in South
America
BASF IT Services has successfully introduced custom-made CRM (Customer Relationship Management) project solutions for different BASF companies in four South American countries
With a row of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) projects for different BASF companies in South America, BASF IT Services has proved that it has the capability to realise IT projects also on a global scale without difficulty For BASF Chile, BASF IT Services has developed a custom-made SAP Customer Interaction Center (CIC), a complex integrated platform for the inter-active processing of business processes
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 14 Sep 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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Following a six month planning, development and implementation phase, the system went live in June 2006 in Santiago, Chile.
In autumn of this year the solution developed for Chile, will also be introduced at BASF in Peru and - in a modified form - at BASF Argentina.
Already, one and half years ago, BASF in Brazil was the first of the BASF South American companies to become aware of the company-owned full service IT provider, which is mainly active in Europe.
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Despite there being providers locally, those responsible decided to place the task of developing and implementing a Customer Interaction Center for the business areas Agricultural Products and Coatings in the hands of BASF IT Services.
After successfully introducing the new systems at the end of last year, the team is now working on the project second phase, which is to expand the CICs located in Sao Paulo with different marketing functions and a CRM analytics module.
Both tools are scheduled to go live by the latest at the beginning of 2007.
Whilst the two CIS systems implemented in Brazil have been aligned to the exact requirements of the pesticide and coatings areas, the solution for Chile compiles all the company areas into one central environment.
This integrated solution makes it possible for all employees and divisions dealing with the relevant customer and business process, to interact company-wide.
The SAP CIC application is based on mySAP CRM and combines all relevant customer processes, such as contacts, open orders and previous complaints into one single system.
The heart of the application is a comprehensive call centre function.
If an enquiry is received, the appropriate staff member can revert to the entire customer history with the click of a button.
In turn, relevant new information with regard to individual customers can be taken directly from the user interface and transferred to the appropriate contact partner within the company.
The objective of those responsible at BASF, was to offer a quicker and better service through the implementation of the CRM solution, thus continuing to strengthen the bond with the customer both medium and long-term.
"Therefore we sought an experienced partner, which not only brought solid CRM know-how but is also familiar with the branch business processes and customer needs.
We have found all of this with BASF IT Services," explains Luciana Berners, IT Manager of BASF in Brazil.
Moreover, an important success factor was the smooth transfer of know-how between BASF IT Services and the local BASF IT units.
"It is amazing how good the teamwork has functioned over the enormous distance of more than 12,000 kilometers," adds Ricardo Eller, Supply Chain Manager Business Center West at BASF Chile.
Following an intensive joint conception phase on site, the technical development of the system was carried out at the BASF IT Services Munster location.
At the same time, South American IT teams gave the local employees training, organised courses and steered communication with the end users.
The German team was again in attendance for the system go-live.
Via Internet conferences, video and telephone connections, both sides also remained in contact throughout all of the other project phases.
Despite the different time zones and languages, the planning, coordination and implementation ran as smoothly as with projects in Germany and other European countries.
"Our many years of development and implementation experience in the SAP area makes it possible for us to carry out large projects both quickly and reliably", says Wolfgang Erny, Managing Director of BASF IT Services.
"We are at home in the process industry and therefore know exactly what is important to our customers, irrespective of whether they are based in Ludwigshafen, Antwerp or near the Sugar Loaf Mountain in Brazil".
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