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itmX virtual Xperience: The online trade fair – Dialogues instead of webinars

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Inhaltsverzeichnis

itmX virtual Experience, the new CRM online trade fair

itmX virtual Experience, the new CRM online trade fair, opened its doors on 14.05.2020 – dialogues instead of webinars. We put together the most important things for this opening day.

In times of Corona, everyone was forced to adapt their communication offers and sales measures. All congresses and trade fairs were cancelled. Everyone has decided to share know-how through webinars. Almost all of them. itmX does not. As was the case with the founding of ITML GmbH, the predecessor company of itmX GmbH, they decided to go their own way. The young company with an experienced team, which consists largely of ex-ITML employees, organized a small virtual trade fair in barely 6 weeks. On 14.05. itmX presented its first online trade fair. 3D animations show a communication area with discussion islands, presentation stage and partner stands. Everything for a pleasant, ongoing dialogue.

If you want to click in and take a look, you can do so here.

A little digression right at the beginning:

As an older semester in dialogue and digital marketing, I immediately had to think of Second Life when I came to the itmX idea. Who knows this first big idea to perform “Meet & Greet with Avatars” in the new virtual worlds? Brand manufacturers such as adidas, Nike or STABILO have developed special products for this purpose. Today, the project with its own currency, which started in 2003, still exists.  According to Wikipedia, a complete relaunch is imminent.

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That’s why I find this idea of the online trade fair visionary and courageous.

Not just one day, now available 24/7 around the clock

The program for 14.05.2020 was only the first gallop. Afterwards, the virtual trade fair, which will be successively expanded over the next few months on various topics relating to customer relationship management and filled with more and more examples, offers and, above all, interesting content, will open its doors 24 hours a day for interested parties.

Robin Hartmann welcomed the participants, moderated the almost 5 h session, in which there were two smaller and one longer break, until about 14:30 o’clock.

This agenda provided a lot of content and variety:

  • Welcome & Intro: Stefan Eller & Michael Stump
  • The way to your lead management strategy: Daniel Hertneck, Managing Director SiteBoosters
  • Marketing automation made easy! Michael Stump Managing Director itmX & Stefan Rottmann Sales & Channel Manager SC-Networks
  • CRM meets S/4HANA – simple & integrated: Torsten Bruker, Head of Consulting
  • With mindfulness to success: Christiane Marcos, Expert Human Resources & Dominik Lutz, Senior Expert Sales
  • Customer portals in sales and service: Felix Höll, Expert Consultant
  • CRM 202X – Insights into our Innovation Labs: Stefan Eller

At the start, the two managing directors Stefan Eller and Michel Stump welcomed the more than 200 online trade fair visitors

In a lively dialogue, the two brought all visitors to the daily topic of Customer Relationship Management at operating temperature. An example: The machines of a machine builder are now full of sensors. Each sensor or the measuring points lead to an incredible amount of data. A company can use this via the CRM software: triggering processes, ordering important wear parts in good time, informing the right people in case of problems.

What can a well-positioned company with exceptional customer relationship management do?

Offering the best service, Michael Stump (who has also been on board with itml for many years) summarizes the possibilities. In addition, he said, “preferably not just a service, but a whole bouquet of services”. This is what makes a company special, the USP is wonderfully sharpened.

And we, added itmX boss Eller, we at itmX want to use our system to support our users in offering or organizing the best service for their customers.

What does a company gain from networking machine data and customer relationship management, for example? Wear or abrasion is displayed in real time in the CRM software. Downtime and set-up times are minimized. The service technicians are optimally controlled. The whole spectrum of advantages also shows that the service technician is a very important sales employee.

What did the audience take away from the first session?

  • First, nowadays every company needs well-trained employees.
  • Secondly, the CRM software should have the highest possible integration – without annoying interfaces.
  • Third, the company needs well-thought-out processes (both internal and external). In this way, the expectations of the target groups (customer experience) and employees (user experience) are met.

All this creates customer satisfaction!

itmX virtual Experience the new CRM online trade fair

2. Lecture: How to build a lead acquisition roadmap?

In the second presentation, Daniel Hertneck, Managing Director of siteboosters, showed the participants how every company can successfully build its lead management roadmap. Due to Corona, all attendance appointments for lead acquisition are cancelled until further notice. Therefore, each of us is called upon to rethink. Logically, a look at Google Trends shows that the topic of “online trade fairs” or “virtual trade fairs” has been searched for much more since February.

Although customer relationship management means customer loyalty, (digital) new customer acquisition or lead generation is important as an operational CRM. In times of frozen or reduced budget, it is particularly important to define: Who do you want to address and how? Scattering losses must be reduced to the maximum. For this purpose, a company defines buyer personas or buying center personas for its target groups. This is the only way to spend advertising money in a targeted and accurate manner.

The goal of every lead generation campaign is to get into the “relevant set” of the decision-makers.

These are usually about 4 brands or companies per product category. If you are still at the top of the list of the “Relevant Set”, then you are usually invited first.

Digression:

From various studies we know the following statistics: 25% of leads want to buy immediately, 25% are scrap. 50% of interesting leads remain. It is important to concentrate on them or to dedicate one’s affection and competence. The lead scoring in the CRM system helps to distribute the prio of affection better. This leads to further budget efficiency. Not all of them, but focus on the leads with the highest opportunity.

Yes, Mr. Hertneck is absolutely right when he remarks: “It’s marketing AND sales processes. Silo thinking does not lead to success.” Both functions should act together. Therefore, a concerted campaign is important from a marketing and sales point of view and more successful anyway.

Despite all the creativity, Mr. Hertneck gives an important tip:

The bait must taste good to the fish (the potential customer), not the angler (managing director)

How long does it take to set up a lead management track?

Approx. 6 months. How do you construct a lead management roadmap? D. Hertneck demonstrated this by means of content development up to content use and success monitoring. A success criterion is to set up the possible buyer and reader questions based on the persona definition. Anyone who has suitable content or offers for the questions is clearly successful than before.

What’s the point?

Finally, Mr. Hertneck shows a wonderful chart of “What does the whole thing bring?” Ne quite a lot, as the chart shows. Especially at the beginning, there is usually a lot of potential to be leveraged quickly. Such prospects are fun. For example, 9 times more participants in web demos, ROI of lead management investment within 9 months of 1,500%, and a few more examples.

Interim conclusion on the itmX virtual Experience the new CRM online trade fair

After 2 of the 6 lectures by 10 speakers, a lot of “system”-relevant content was already delivered. The participants asked with interest. Robin Hartmann (who was also there during ITML times) was able to integrate more than 200 participant questions or comments into his moderation and questions to the speakers in the chat protocol.

Time for a first virtual coffee break and a visit to the itmX stands and the cooperation partners

  • aprofoss
  • itelligence
  • morewerk
  • neptune Software
  • smenso
  • 1A Relations

How does marketing automation work with itmX and Evalanche?

Stefan Rottmann from SC Networks presented highlights of Evalanche, one of the best email marketing products on the market. What is special about Evalanche, the e-mail program? Evalanche offers features for customizing and personalizing campaigns. This promotes engagement and interaction with the reader or customer.

What other features can the user look forward to?

The campaigns can be built up in Evalanche in great detail and branching. Variants of customer care and approach can be thought of. For example, if a recipient clicked or reacted, it is treated differently than one who did not click. If a person has participated in the webinar, they will be informed differently than a person who did not participate. A lead score calculation is possible. In this way, the leads are also treated individually depending on their value. As a result, marketing and sales focus on those leads that have a high closing potential. This is very effective.

Due to the full integration into the itmX crm Suite, enrichments from the CRM data pool are possible. This means that in addition to the click history, information about the customer, location, country, time of reaction influence the content that is played. In this way, the CRM system gains in functions and the user a lot of fun. Customer first!

Evalanche – A software for beginners and advanced:

The beginner can, for example, quickly create the individual e-mail on the basis of an e-mail template. There is no need for programming, but everything runs via drag and drop. The use of content modules also simplifies your work. Evalanche offers a great additional feature for internationally operating companies: The content is translated into different languages by an AI module.

Everything is tracked cleanly according to GDPR specifications. Everything is compatible with the SAP standard.

Despite a wide range of possibilities, Stefan Rottman gives a special tip:

According to his information, it is important to include waiting times in the campaign. These are waiting times in which the interested party or customer does not receive any communication. The target group should not be under a communicative constant fire.

Important information: What happens between Evalanche and itmX, the two CRM tools?

Further ideas are already on itmX’s development roadmap: e.g. a lead cockpit, process automation (a) new company is created completely, b) people to well-known companies are created as contact persons or c) leads that have now reached a potential (high score value) are assigned directly to sales. With Evalanche, itmX has chosen one of the most powerful tools for sales and marketing campaigns in this area.

itmX virtual Experience the new CRM online trade fair – a short coffee break and visit to the exhibition.

What’s new in the field of commerce and service?

The example of commerce and service was very exciting. Spare parts can be connected and sold directly in the B2B webshop. Spare parts orders are triggered via wear info or consumption measurement. All activities are either controlled from the CRM system or consolidated in the CRM system. The CRM system thus networks the entire company, consolidates and distributes important information in the right place.

itmX CRM Suite connects the value chain throughout the company

The Commerce and Service modules are an important step towards cooperation and mapping of the value chain: The system not only serves sales and marketing, but also helps in all corners of the company: after-sales service, cross-selling and classic e-commerce. Of course, depending on the occasion, campaigns from Evalanche could also be triggered directly from the CRM. Quite extraordinary is: The itmX crm Suite as an alternative to SAP CRM also supports in many other areas of the company: logistics, production, technical service, etc. The itmX crm Suite connects and supplies the entire company.

The integration of PIM data (exploded views, product data sheets) or information and notes on e.g. delivery status, delivery capability make the ordering process easier. The itmX crm Suite has no interface to SAP, but works fully integrated with SAP. This means, for example, that you can see updates of a machine temperature measurement directly in the CRM in real time. This complete integration of the modules leads to business excellence within IT systems.

The remarkable result: processes at the highest quality level

Using an example, Robin Hartmann describes that a first solution could be introduced within barely 6 days.  This is the service that Michael Stump talked about at the very beginning of the day.

Mindfulness mindfulness – One of the values of itmX GmbH

The itmX virtual Xperience offered a wide range of live lectures and interviews. This is also the case with the interview that HR expert Christiane Marcos conducted with her sales colleague Dominik Lutz on the subject of “mindfulness”. We gained insight into his personal experiences and learned how mindfulness can be integrated into everyday working life. A dialogue without ANY CRM tools.

Mindfulness makes sense and is especially important in stressful times. But how do we manage to be mindful in our everyday lives? Work, worries, family needs and obligations make us feel constantly active and in action. When should we still practice mindfulness? No time. Let’s postpone it until later, as Scarlett O’Hara said.

But what does mindfulness or mindfulness actually mean? It means,

  • To have presence in the here and now
  • To differentiate perception
  • To practice inner attitude, acceptance, respect and appreciation towards myself and my environment

In everyday life, it means

  • Reduce stress
  • to slow down
  • To find contact to his inner strength

A simple exercise will help in a hurry:

Close your eyes. No cell phone, PC, radio, people nearby (door closed). 5 minutes just breathe. On and off. Just pay attention to the breath that flows into and out of the body. On and off … Eyes open again – stretch and stretch – take a deep breath and exhale heartily – shake your body and continue with what you stopped before.

Unfrugal? Maybe. Because it helps the most where it is most difficult, Dominik Lutz knows.

Finally, there was a tip for everyday work:

The next time you go to a colleague in his office to ask him something, apply the 3 A:

  1. A first A – like addressing
  2. The second A – like breathing
  3. And the third A – like watching

Concrete:

  1. Stefan? (Address)
  2. Waiting for reaction (breathing)
  3. He looks up and looks at you (Watch)

Only then say or ask him something.

What’s different?

Stefan has the opportunity to notice that someone wants something from him, he can decide if it suits him and he really listens to you. You are sure of his attention and can be sure to be noticed by him.

Finally, a nice idea that anyone can implement immediately. In the evening, answer the following 3 questions:

  1. What did I learn today? (Insight)
  2. What good have I done today? (me or others)
  3. What am I grateful for? (there is always something)

By the way, following the conversation attentively was also a mindfulness exercise. Just like having read this text up to this point. Congratulation. ?

How does the connection of the itmX Suite to S/4HANA – the successor product of SAP ERP – work?

With the presentation on S/4HANA, the successor product of the classic SAP ERP solution, Torsten Bruker showed what itmX is capable of. He answers the provocative prospective customer or customer question “Can you S/4HANA?” with a convinced smile. Of course itmX can. His arguments are simple. Not everyone knows about the history of itmX. The current 50-strong team benefits from over 20 years of experience in SAP ERP connection. And this knowledge of the ITML GmbH successor company itmX has become much greater in the meantime. Within the parent company itelligence, itmX has access to a huge SAP expertise. In recent years alone, around 600 person-days have been invested in the development of the connection of S/4HANA.

itmX has carried out the necessary conversions for business partners, activities or opportunities, as SAP has changed the data models here.

With the switch to S/4HANA, itmX customers can use the integrated CRM system for marketing, sales and service on Windows 10 and iOS devices. Mobile or desktop, online and offline.

Conclusion: itmX CRM Suite is fit for customer relationship with S/4 HANA

Anyone who currently wants to switch from classic SAP ERP to S/4HANA will be professionally accompanied and will receive a great customer relationship management system from Pforzheim.

An exciting outlook – itmX CEO Eller closes the multifaceted day with insights – itmX virtual Experience the new CRM online trade fair.

Finally, he showed what bouquet of innovations itmX has already prepared. The itmX crm Suite stands for integration and user-friendliness. Whether add-on or third-party product integrations, a lot of products from the Microsoft world increase the user experience within the CRM system: Office 365, Teams, One Note, SharePoint, Graph as well as forms for surveys and forms. Processing prospects and customers with itmX’s CRM solutions becomes even easier and more efficient. More cloud, your great digital experience – for the user and the customer.

Siri, Alexa, Cortana and the SAP DMS are also or are integrated into the CRM system or the app of itmX. The support of customer relationship management tasks through artificial intelligence or machine learning is also on the agenda.

At the end of this chapter a relevant information:

With Power Automate, the key user can work on his tasks for process optimization and workflow control.

The strength of the itmX crm Suite is and remains the adaptability and adaptation …

… to the needs of the company. Role-based concepts for each individual customer and not a “one size fits all”. Depending on the role and task, different devices are used. These are available online and offline. With PIM and catalog integration, the user gets the opportunity to create offers or customer orders offline at the customer’s site. All necessary data are available. This is the “single source of truth” approach in the SAP environment. All information from a single source. Just “Customer First!”

Using a typical example from industry, S. Eller shows how sensor data on equipment is read out in real time and displayed in the customer relationship management system. Power Automate defines alert values, e.g. for temperature or humidity. If the value exceeds the set limit, the corresponding processes and documents such as the service message are triggered in CRM.  Of course, everything is fully integrated into the SAP world.

With itmX Commerce, itmX sharpens its offer profile:

Sales processes, customer portal, webshop and service portals. In these solutions for collaborative CRM, the customer is the user and acts via so-called self-services. After logging in via the browser-based solution, the customer can

  1. Search in catalogs
  2. Place orders
  3. Start processes such as service requests
  4. Download documentation
  5. Search for SAP documents such as orders, deliveries, invoices

This means that the entire customer journey is mapped in the itmX crm Suite.

All data is in a consolidated pot and the user gets an interface that is fun.

Finally, Mr. Eller once again asks the important question for his potential customers:

Can itmX compete against Salesforce, Microsoft, SAP CRM and other CRM players?

His convincing answer: Yes, because with NTT DATA and itelligence we have a strong mother behind us. This means that the innovative speedboat itmX has all the necessary resources to work successfully in medium-sized companies. Thus, itmX is able to handle projects for small companies as well as international corporate projects. itmX can therefore also take on very large projects for new and existing customers.

Premiere of itmX virtual Experience the new CRM online trade fair succeeded: Thank you and goodbye!

Stefan Eller’s thanks go to all over 200 visitors and participants.

He praises the itmX team for his great commitment. After all, with this unique trade fair platform, it has shown courage and spirit to successfully follow this path even with a slightly smaller budget.

Finally, he would like to thank all partners:

  • aprofoss
  • itelligence
  • mehrwerk
  • neptune Software
  • smenso
  • 1A Relations

S. Eller ends the day and closes the doors of the virtual fair only symbolically. It stays open 24/7. Check https://virtualitmx.de/ regularly. In the coming weeks, various departments will intensify their work on further ideas and further develop the appearance. A lot is communicated via the virtual Xperience in social media or social networks. itmX wants to strengthen its position in the market in this way.

PS for the itmX virtual Experience the new CRM online trade fair:

A historical account of how itml has become the itmX will soon be published here. The headquarters are still in Pforzheim but a lot has changed in the last 3 years. As an alternative to SAP CRM, itmX offers almost everything to support customer relationship management with its suite: communicative CRM, operational CRM, analytical CRM and strategic CRM. Everything that needs good customer relationship management.

S. Eller, one of the three itml founders, has gathered an experienced team around him. In the market of CRM solutions, itmX is not afraid of such big fish as Salesforce, SAP, Marketo, Oracle or Dynamics CRM. In our CRM provider landscape, itmX plays in the same league as Salesforce, SAP CRM, Dynamics CRM or Oracle. All CRM solutions from the cloud.

A brief outline of the history of itmX GmbH

itmX is a subsidiary of itelligence AG in Bielefeld. After itelligence AG had taken over 100% of itML on 01.06.2016, thus representing a branch in southern Germany, itmX was relaunched as an independent company with the itmX CRM Suite on 01.01.2020. As already mentioned above, more than 80% of the employees of itmX used to be itml.

The team of itelligence CEO Norbert Rotter thus has two excellent cards for customer relationship management in hand: itmX CRM Suite and SAP CRM. Depending on what the new customers prefer, it integrates with SAP S/4HANA or the older SAP Business Suite.

itmX Suite is the alternative to SAP CRM or SAP CRM 7.0. The previous version of itmX Suite was written by ITML for SAP ERP. ITML CRM was the original product name as a customer relationship management system for SAP ERP users. That was something special even then.

Early on, ITML relied on mobile CRM with its own mobile app with the product ITML Mobile Sales. This application has now been optimized by itmX with further functionalities and deeper integration for processing customers.

Short digression on SAP CRM:

With CRM 7.0, SAP was behind the market leader Salesforce in the CRM segment for many years. Then the functions of SAP CRM were overhauled.

Salesforce’s CRM strategy has been a cloud-based solution from the start. Offers on-premise are therefore hardly available for new customers. Cloud solutions are now the standard. SAP does not only have to expand its cloud business with its ERP system. Christian Klein, CEO of SAP, is increasingly issuing the motto: Cloud contracts increase profitability. The lead of AWS, Google and Microsoft is already very large. This gap must be reduced.

The SAP ERP customer is faced with the choice when it comes to CRM: Which CRM solution does he use? itmX is developed on dotnet, but is 100% integrated into SAP solutions. I.e. no interfaces. The Sales Cloud, in addition to the SAP applications, would be the alternative.

It’s hard to believe, but now almost all major vendors offer open source solutions, including SAP.

Image credit: itmX GmbH

 

Note: This is a machine translation. It is neither 100% complete nor 100% correct. We can therefore not guarantee the result.

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