CRM Software for Food Distribution Enterprise
Game-changing mobile app for the sales management optimization
Challenge
Lack of business processes clear logic, automation, and analysis.
Solution
Development of a highly-efficient custom mobile CRM app.
Tech stack
Node.js, React, Python, React Native, Big Data.
Client
Our client is a renowned international food distribution company with its headquarters located in Western Europe. Having affiliates in 30+ countries and employing over 15,000 people worldwide, the enterprise turned to Modsen seeking to enhance the existing sales processes using cutting-edge tech.
Challenge
Enterprise-size companies that scaled up their businesses often feel the urgent need for improved automation of internal processes, more effective workflow logic, and quality analytics of the tasks at each stage of the production process to better address and tackle challenges timely and efficiently. Our team was tasked with the development of a custom mobile CRM solution that would:
- ensure order picking through sales representatives for a specific region and making order transfers to distributors;
- collect information on outlets, sales, and balances at outlets;
- provide a comprehensive sales analytics tool;
- facilitate and systemize the process of the entire sales chain, coordinate thousands of sales representatives around the world;
- allow offline access to the app.
Modsen has a proven track record of building highly functional and productive CRM systems for multi-scale businesses, so we got down to work clearly understanding all the pitfalls and challenges of the project and enjoying the necessary expertise to overcome them.
Team
4
Developer engineers
2
UI/UX specialists
3
QA testers
1
Business analyst
1
Project manager
1
Big data engineer
Development process
Requirements gathering and processing
Every project development process at Modsen starts with collecting, systemizing, and processing of the client’s input about the future software product. To avoid any further misunderstandings that might hinder or at least slow down the whole venture, our specialists focus on extracting as much information as possible during several consultations and meetups. At this phase, project BA and PM take the lead and draft up a comprehensive document, outlining the essence of the software product, its features, goals, and specificities.
Planning
The next step, the accuracy of which directly influences the outcome of the complex and lengthy software development process is planning. An accurately designed plan ensures high-quality timely results from the project team members and efficient resource allocation. Our team adheres to Agile methodologies when planning and managing software development projects to ensure their smooth and hustle-free delivery. As soon as the final plan draft is ready, it has to be altered and approved by the partner.
Team assembly
Over the years, we practiced various approaches toward team assembly and figured out that the most effective method is to entrust the selection to the company CTO and allow the client to be a part of it if required. In this case, our partner decided to conduct a series of interviews with potential project developers and test a big data engineer prechosen by the CTO. After the verification process was over, the team of top-tier experts was ready to get the ball rolling.
Design
The development of CRM software requires the implementation of well-thought-through design solutions and a focus on broad functionality, navigability, and convenience. Having dozens of projects under their belts, Modsen Design Studio specialists accounted for the peculiarities of CRM mobile app development and divided the designing process into several stages:
UX researchUX strategy buildingWireframingVisual designTesting
As a result, over 25 wireframes were built to ensure smooth, visually pleasing, and cohesive CRM system navigation for effective implementation of day-to-day tasks and achievement of greater business performance indicators.
Coding
At Modsen we are convinced that it is the technology and their expertised employment that make products stand out and show the greatest results for businesses and their clients. To develop a highly-efficient, robust, and performative CRM application, our team decided to go for NodeJS, React, Python, React Native, and Big Data. The combination of these technologies provided Modsen specialists with the required tools, frameworks, and solutions for the delivery of game-changing business-boosting software.
Comprehensive testing
After the coding part was over and the CRM app was ready to be deployed, QA specialists delved in to ensure smooth, bug-free software operation. Having run a series of automated test scenarios, Modsen experts identified several code inefficiencies reported to the developer team and fixed them on the spot. Being 100% of the code quality and productivity, we informed the client about the completion of the development process ahead of schedule.
Integration
The fresh-out-of-the-oven CRM application had to be transferred to our partner together with the documentation and user guidelines. It always takes time to get used to the new way of operating a business, especially an enterprise-size one, employing a multifunctional software system. To make this shift easier, our team provides full support of the process by advising and educating the company lead specialists about the app capabilities.
Servicing
The performance and durability of the software depend not only on the initial codebase but also on the quality of the post-launch care, support, and servicing an application receives. To ensure the maximum efficiency and further improvement of products, our team continues to service them on a free-of-charge basis during the first 3 months after deployment.
Result
Modsen team managed to outrun the deadlines and complete the project within 7 months. The CRM mobile app was built from scratch based on big data analysis and the expertise of the well-versed team handpicked specifically for completing this challenging yet highly satisfying project.
Taking into account the scale of our client’s company, at first, they conducted a pilot launch of the CRM system in several countries. To date, the app is up and running in all regions of product distribution.
A few of the software features implemented include:
- the ability of the sales representatives to track visit routes, receive up-to-date information about the debts of outlets, and check the balances of distributors’ warehouses;
- collection of orders and data for successful product promotion;
- automated calculation of the employees’ and counterparties’ KPI right after their visits to an outlet;
- demonstration of the planned and relevant results per day or month;
- display of the revenue collected by various sales representatives as additional staff motivation and a possibility to increase the performance of the entire company;
- well-conceived solution architecture and system reliability;
- merging of all sales data into a single database and ensuring its analysis with the help of the BI-system.
With the help of Modsen team, our partner managed to achieve the following tangible results:
> 50%
increase in sales in a number of regions
40%
more successful marketing campaigns
60%
of time saved on routine business processes