| | November 201619CIOReviewGone are the days when CRM, or customer relationship management, was perceived as a standalone product­perhaps even a simple email support for customer service. Today, it is a powerful tool that is integrated deep within ERP systems, and a growingly potent driver of business. Which is why, Kristian af Sandeberg, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Dri-Nordic, CRM is all about delivering 360-degree views and support to customers. "Simply put, we need to do more than just CRM," says Af Sandeberg, an industry veteran who has previously worked at Dell. "We need to incorporate more technologies, add customer intelligence and data analytics, and offer more touch points."In the spirit of CRM, Dri-Nordic has placed customer satisfaction at the center of its universe. A leading Nordic provider of SugarCRM, the industry-leading platform, the company differentiates itself with a simple customer focus­walking the talk, and carrying clients along."Of all the challenges CIOs face in the CRM landscape, user adoption is the single biggest one," informs Af Sandeberg. Enterprises are well aware of the importance of CRM­86 percent of customers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience and 65 percent leave a brand because of bad customer service. Still, adoption poses inordinate technical and other challenges. So much so, most clients need at least some hand-holding, and strategic assistance, to embark on implementation of advanced CRM systems.Dri-Nordic's evangelistic process begins with Customer Journey, a plug-in developed by a group company, AddOptify, of which Af Sandeberg is a cofounder. It guides clients through a meticulous process, exploring a wide range of options available today­cloud versus in-premise installation, to cite a common and simple example­and eventually identify the optimal path toward adoption of CRM systems in a way that holistically engages the enterprise."We adopt workshop-based implementations with our clients, starting in a small way but also providing the big picture," says Af Sandeberg. The company not only examines internal processes, but also considers the customer's decision process, mapping the two, and filling the blanks while framing a strategic plan. "This process helps us to find the winning formula for each and every client," he adds.Dri-Nordic says it has engaged with SugarCRM because it is simply the best platform in the market. It is the most flexible­both as a product and as a deployment, says Af Sandeberg. It is also easy to integrate with ERP and other back office systems.True to its mantra of providing 360-degree views, Dri-Nordic increasingly adds other systems too. It works with vendors like Act-On, whose systems are highly intuitive and reliable, besides being competitively priced; and Kmine, a data-mining tool and software analytics program."We never lose clients, we have long relationships," asserts Af Sandeberg, who describes himself as highly driven and competitive, from the sporting arena to the marketplace."We are the underdog, we are not Accenture or Capgemini. We don't have a large sales force. We succeed because we are competitive. It's in our DNA," he says. "We do so with faster, more robust and often cheaper solutions."Dri-Nordic has experienced steady, even big, growth. It plans to expand further-especially in Germany, notably because many clients in that country seek data to be hosted within its borders. Many clients in other European countries too seek more control over their data, which is why Dri-Nordic offers several options ranging from private clouds to in-premise installations. Dri-NordicCustomer Agenda into your Value ChainSimply put, we need to do more than just CRMCRM20 MOST PROMISING2016Kristian af Sandeberg
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