Better Position for Competing in a Demanding Media Market

Implementation

In 2011, the company began evaluating different solutions, including SAP. Review of available solutions has shown that Microsoft offers the most comprehensive and cost-efficient solution, so the final decision settled on Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics CRM, offered by Microsoft partner BE-terna. The implementation required creating a number of interfaces to connect individual systems together. Delo kept its subscription management system in place, so Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP functionalities had to be integrated with it and other systems, such as advertising space invoicing, document management system and distribution.

Improved Budget Control

Dynamics AX covers account management and automates debt recovery processes, which includes charging late payment interest and enforcement. The solution also covers the entire journalist payment process from ordering to payment as well as the entire procurement process that includes budget planning, approval and management. Additional modules include manufacturing (printing) and payroll management.

Procurement and budget controls in the AX 2012 are of great help when structuring the purchase business function and controlling operational costs and on a daily basis. Clear visibility of budgeted amounts and automated controls integrated into the purchase process functionality don't leave any room for uncontrolled extra spending. The CRM solution was used to create a unified view of subscribers and potential subscribers and to provide a history of customer interactions. The solution was also used to automate the calculation of agents’ fees and to implement e-mail marketing.

Microsoft Dynamics AX enabled us to consolidate all accounting data, including about 100,000 accounts receivable, production orders for newspaper printing and wholesale distribution orders, in a modern ERP application with streamlined business processes and well accessible data

explains Robert Marijan, CIO, Delo d.d.

Benefits

One of the main benefits of the new solution is the ability to automate debt collection, which enables the company to maintain better control over unpaid invoices and automated issuing of late payment notices and requests for court enforcement.

1. Improved Phone Campaigns and E-mail Support

By implementing Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Delo was able to create a unified database of existing and potential subscribers. The complete history of interactions enables call center agents to easily view past calls and results of previous campaigns. The company was also able to roll out e-mail marketing initiatives to communicate with their customer base.

Implementation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM has allowed our company to better understand our customers and make our campaigns more effective while simplifying our business processes

explains Barbara Ocvirk, Direct Marketing Manager.

2. Simplified Work in the Call Center

Delo runs complex call-center campaigns that involve up to nine concurrent phone campaigns with 45 agents. Microsoft Dynamics CRM enabled the company to run better targeted efforts with improved productivity as the agents can now use integrated tools for capturing orders, which are then automatically transferred to the ERP system and the subscription management system, a process that used to be performed manually.
The new system also enables the company to implement a new agent reward system that uses a number of variables, including the new subscribers’ loyalty, productivity, efficiency and other factors.

3. From Partial Solutions to a Comprehensive System

Delo started its journey with a set of unconnected and disparate solutions by different vendors. By standardizing on a single vendor’s products, they’ve created a comprehensive solution that enables the company to easily manage and automate all aspects of their business and prepare it to compete agressively on a difficult and highly competitive market.

Results of the Implementation:

• Consolidated accounting and operational data
• Reduction of manual processes
• Improved budgeting and control over expenses
• Improved campaigns and better understanding of customers
• Improved cash flow from streamlined and automated debt collection processes

About

Delo, d. d. is a leading Slovenian publisher with more than 50 years of history with two daily newspapers and a number of popular editions targeted at all reader groups. The company is also a leader in the digital space with successful online operations and strong presence in the tablet PC space. The company was using a number of disparate and disconnected solutions to support various aspects of its operations. The lack of integration meant that the company lacked a comprehensive overview of its business, customers and sales potentials. The result was a lot of manual work, lack of advanced reporting capabilities and inefficient call center efforts.