Retailing Communications Company Signs On to Microsoft Technology

AccessVia replaces three separate technology systems with Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft Corp. today announced that AccessVia, an industry leader over the past two decades in development of in-store signage, labels and e-commerce applications for retailers, has selected Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 to integrate all its internal data and processes. AccessVia is adopting the Microsoft customer relationship management (CRM) technology to replace its previous system, based on GoldMine software for CRM, an in-house time-tracking application, and flat files for sales processes.

AccessVia, based in Seattle, provides comprehensive communications services that help retailers connect with their customers, including systems, software, consulting, training, hosting and support.

The growing company had been faced with the challenges presented by three separate internal IT systems for customer relations, time tracking and sales. Forecasting and planning were suffering, and the company had outgrown its current software. After examining offerings from FrontRange Solutions USA Inc., SalesForce.com Inc. and SugarCRM Inc., AccessVia chose Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

“Microsoft Dynamics CRM covered all of the bases that AccessVia required and is built on technologies that we currently use, including Microsoft Internet Information Services and SQL Server,” said Scott Hunter, systems administrator for AccessVia. “The integration with Microsoft Outlook was critical, as well as the different options for connectivity, including browser access, the mobile client and offline options. With Microsoft Dynamics CRM, we were able to consolidate several internal processes and tools into a single, easy-to-use offering that brought the whole company onto the same page.”

AccessVia called on Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Madrona Solutions Group, based in Seattle, to implement the Microsoft solution, including software installation, data migration and customization, while a cross-functional AccessVia team helped in mapping the system to the company’s business processes.

AccessVia already has gained significant benefits from its Microsoft Dynamics CRM system:
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Better reporting. Microsoft Dynamics CRM has allowed AccessVia to improve its filtering and reporting by tenfold, compared to its previous software, while making reporting easier to execute and share.
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Time savings. Previous unconnected applications have been replaced by a simpler, integrated, robust and easy-to-use system that enables much faster data retrieval when communicating with customers.
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Data accuracy. AccessVia had found the process of keeping multiple systems current to be exhausting. With Microsoft Dynamics CRM, all customer, account and service data resides in a centralized database for easy, accurate and up-to-date retrieval of client information.
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Support for growth. The company is better poised to see and respond to customer needs because all information about each customer is centralized, enabling the company to maintain a comprehensive view of its customer base as it grows and better manage future sales cycles.
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Integration. Now AccessVia can access customer data from within Microsoft Office Outlook, over the Web or from mobile devices so that it can respond very quickly to customer needs.
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IT support and management. With its integrated system, AccessVia has cut the time needed for support from its IT team by 75 percent. Moreover, training requirements were minimal because the company already was using Microsoft SQL Server and Internet Information Services.

“Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 has allowed our company to centralize our most important data: customer records and communication,” Hunter said. “Instead of several disjointed applications to maintain, AccessVia now uses a single, easy-to-access application — Microsoft Dynamics CRM. The impact is that more employees are using our Microsoft CRM application than ever before, resulting in data that is current and relevant.”

AccessVia also has retired its Microsoft Office Access database for licensing management, incorporating that function into Microsoft Dynamics CRM as well.

“One of the difficulties faced by growing companies of every size is rapid access to accurate customer information, whether in the office, the field or the global network,” said Michael Park, corporate vice president for Microsoft’s U.S. Dynamics business. “Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 provides the integration, ease of use and flexibility that allow businesses to operate on today’s instantaneous-response timeline to meet the needs of their customers.”