Solvay
The Data-Performance Connection
Imagine it.

Optimizing customer-facing operations, gaining insight into the true drivers of customer loyalty and driving more value from existing resources.

Done.

By applying process and technical best practices, Solvay Pharmaceuticals and Unisys collaborated to create a comprehensive CRM strategy, deploy an integrated data repository and apply advanced business intelligence capabilities.

Maximizing Resources and Increasing Intelligence

Solvay, a mid-sized pharmaceutical company with a strong worldwide market position, competes for physician mindshare against companies with sales forces two to ten times larger. Simply outspending its rivals is not an option for Solvay. Instead, to gain competitive advantage, Solvay seeks to work smarter and more effectively, leveraging current resources. For example, by revamping key processes and deploying business intelligence capabilities, Solvay could better understand its customers and strengthen relationships with them. To meet this objective, the company needed easier access to internal and external customer data, as well as performance data, from multiple sources.

Solvay knew it would be important to track sales and marketing performance with quantitative metrics. In addition, fully automating manual processes would allow it to reduce redundancies and enable more efficient – and therefore more profitable – operations. And, to enhance sales and profitability for long-term success, Solvay needed to better align business intelligence (BI) initiatives to corporate strategies. Lastly, the company wanted to create a stable foundation to accommodate business expansion from partnerships and/or acquisitions.

To get there, Solvay turned to a trusted partner, Unisys. Solvay and Unisys have worked together since 2003. “The simple fact that Unisys has established thought leadership and expertise was an indication they were more than just a consulting organization,” explains Tad Travis, Solvay Senior Business Analyst. “They were interested in collaborating with Solvay to help us become more successful in the long term.”

 

Solution: CRM Strategy, Integrated Data and Advanced Business Intelligence

The Unisys team began by examining Solvay’s sales operations and identifying areas for improvement. Within 12 weeks, the project team documented dozens of processes and identified 81 improvement opportunities, including a list of prioritized “quick hits” that would deliver immediate cost and performance gains. Recommendations included detailed action plans for overcoming the lack of shared customer and sales information, as well as inefficient manual processes.

Unisys then began work on an overarching customer relationship management (CRM) strategy and business intelligence (BI) initiative. The first step was to develop an integrated repository of customer data that could provide full, accurate customer views based on internal and external data sources. The Unisys team designed, tested and deployed the adaptable BI customer repository using strategic, process and technical best practices. The repository links sales activity and customer behavior information to resulting prescription sales data, and houses information from all marketing promotions. Most importantly, it also provides a foundation for advanced analytic capabilities that will enable Solvay to transform raw data into true business intelligence – enabling better, faster and more informed decision-making.

Unisys consultants developed a roadmap to help Solvay gain better visibility into its customer relationships and customer-facing processes. Plus, it gave the company a clear understanding of core satisfaction and loyalty drivers. The roadmap also helped define and evaluate best-of-breed applications – including solutions from StayinFront, Siebel, SAP and others – based on their fit with Solvay’s current IT environment and business goals. Unisys also performed pilot on Solvay’s behalf.


Results Delivered

Solvay has realized incredible ROI from the customer repository. The performance gains include:

Solvay can now share consistent data across applications and functional areas. For instance, performance data and quantitative metrics for marketing, rebate contracting and sample distribution, are now a single click away. The company can perform compliance audits more quickly and efficiently and report more consistently and accurately. And with better insight into actual and potential customer value, Solvay can prioritize sales and marketing efforts. That means shorter development times for marketing campaigns, increased sales force effectiveness and enhanced customer loyalty. Plus, Solvay can see which factors drive the profitability and success of campaigns.

Thanks to its revamped business processes, full embrace of CRM best practices and new integrated repository, Solvay is doing more with fewer resources, executing more efficiently and competing more effectively.

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