It all started with a desire for more transparency and user-friendliness. “Instead of having a lot of different sources of information, we wanted to develop a technical platform that would unify all the information needed for customer management and support,” says Martin Ledvinka, who has been involved in the project from the start as an external IT project manager.  

“At VTG Europe, we want to offer everything from a single provider, which is why the CRM tool comprises leasing and logistics,” Anna Vinzelberg adds to provide some background information. Anna, who joined Sales and Marketing Management at the beginning of this year, is technically responsible for Marketing Intelligence. However, she temporarily joined the CRM project team shortly before the go-live – and is excited about the new possibilities. “With the new tool, we’re generating an overview of customer data and inquiries, and we’re doing it across multiple markets – which is a huge advantage.” 

All-round view 

The system provides comprehensive information on each customer – on markets, the VTG services used, inquiries, and contacts on both the VTG and customer sides. More than 200 users had already registered by mid-June, and the number is steadily rising. “So far, the people using the new system have especially been colleagues from Sales, Sales Support, Management and the asset segments,” Martin notes. There are also plans to augment efficient customer management with customer analysis. “The better we know our customers, the more targeted our products can be,” Anna says.  

The program’s development, which was part of the IT Roadmap project headed by CRM Manager Robbin Sander, lasted a bit over two years. “Robbin and his team did an incredible job,” Martin emphasizes, though he adds that they naturally weren’t alone. “All in all, there were a lot of people involved – from VTG IT to the Management.”  

Growing acceptance 

“It’s naturally an adjustment, especially when you’ve been accustomed to using the same system for years,” Anna admits. “But the advantages of the CRM tool are becoming clearer and clearer, which is boosting its acceptance.” Since its launch right before the transport logistic trade fair, use of the CRM tool has been picking up speed. This can be seen from the feedback and questions that the team is receiving, but also from the visit reports in the system – of which there were already 140 by mid-June. 

“In addition to lots of ideas for improvements from all over Europe, we are also receiving grateful messages saying things like: ‘This is exactly what we needed,’” Martin happily notes. Harald Jockisch joined the team as CRM Manager at the beginning of June. He has been working at VTG for 23 years and is also excited about the new tool. “The CRM tool is really self-explanatory – and you can also use it on the go,” Harald continues. “That alone is a huge advantage, such as to record customer visits on the road – immediately and without any intermediate steps.” 

As Robbin’s successor, Harald is responsible for the further development of the CRM tool. For example, he is currently working on a pricing project and on establishing a link with tank container leasing activities. “What’s more, we are constantly incorporating users’ ideas and suggestions for improvement, which are reaching us via multiple channels, such as a specially created one on Teams,” Harald says. “And thanks in part to all the feedback we are getting, we will be continuously improving the CRM tool to make it even more user-friendly and to make the day-to-day work of our Sales colleagues even simpler. The goal is to collaborate even better.”