The business
Founded in 1975 in South Africa, Minus 40 is a provider of refrigeration technology throughout the African continent. With offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg, the company's network reaches as far as Namibia, Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria and beyond. Specialising in refrigeration solutions, Minus 40's cold-saving technology has had an enormous impact on homes and businesses across the continent, particularly in rural areas where access to electricity is intermittent. Following a takeover by managing director Steve Davison in 1990, the company has grown and now provides refrigeration units for many purposes, including vaccine storage, mortuaries, ice making machines and off-road transport.
Minus 40's partnership with Maximizer began following the takeover in 1990 with the implementation of Maximizer CRM 5, which served the company well. Working with Maximizer Certified Business Partner, Camsoft Solutions, it was agreed in 2011 to upgrade to the new, cutting-edge Maximizer CRM Version 12 Group Edition. This had an immediate and positive impact on the provision of customer service and relationship management.
The choice was simple for Minus 40, as Davison comments: "When we thought about upgrading we didn't even consider other systems. We knew Maximizer was a quality product and were confident that the solution would deliver a significant return on investment (ROI). Having used the software for the past 19 years, we were very comfortable with Camsoft Solutions as an advisory partner and Maximizer as the software provider, so upgrading to Maximizer CRM 12 made sense. Before Maximizer, we used a freeware based solution, which was complex and hard to use. It also became very expensive to introduce additional modules which were necessary for the business to run smoothly.
"Once Maximizer CRM 12 was deployed the effect it had on Minus 40's ability to manage customer relations was swift. Switching to Maximizer enabled us to manage customer relationships easily and efficiently, and we've been renewing our software assurance contract ever since. The cost savings have been huge - we would need to employ a full-time sales administrator to provide the real time information which our sales force can access from Maximizer."
Given Minus 40's geographical spread across Africa, on-the-move access to Maximizer CRM 12 is essential. Sales representatives who need to travel and visit sites can now link to the CRM system via the web, while the office in Johannesburg works directly on the central database, hosted online. As Davison explains, mobile access through smartphones, tablets and laptops has been invaluable to continued business growth.
"Being able to access Maximizer anytime and anywhere in addition to its intuitive way of working means that all our people are very comfortable using it," adds Davison.
"The fact that it's so easy to use is important, because if people are happy using it and can access it anywhere, it will remain up-to-date and accurate at all times. Plus, the concise format of Maximizer also helps us to establish a degree of discipline when it comes to populating the knowledge base and ensuring the information we hold is correct. The software provides us with a very simple way of staying in touch with all our customers and delivering first class customer service, which is very important to Minus 40."
Implementing Maximizer CRM 12 has had a significant impact on enhancing Minus 40's ability to generate and manage leads and maintain prosperous relationships with customers. Centrally stored information facilitates the movement of data whereby account details can be called up at the click of a button; queries can be dealt with instantly, and leads followed up without fail.
"Our regional representatives are able to access Maximizer on the go, which makes a big difference to the quality of customer contact. Storing the information centrally means that customer details are not just restricted to the sales people. Sales teams can update accounts remotely, so new information is instantly accessible to everyone in our Johannesburg and Cape Town offices. And likewise, when on the road, my sales team can access information recorded by the office and respond instantly to an issue or opportunity. The quick resolution of issues ensures satisfied and loyal customers, while maximising new business opportunities keeps the company profitable."
Maximizer Software and Minus 40 have been working together prosperously for many years and have enjoyed a beneficial relationship. Future plans include using Maximizer software to manage a supplier database for ISO 9001 by tracking supplier performances and to make further use of the opportunity and case management modules, through which Minus 40 intends to closely monitor repairs and guarantees, as well as order input.
Davison concludes: "Maximizer is helping us bring our product to more and more people, backed by continued after sales service as well. Plus, the instant reporting and multi-platform access has really helped us to show our commitment to customers as a trusted partner, not just a provider of products.
"At the moment, we feel we are only using about a third of what Maximizer has to offer and we are keen to further explore the software's capabilities and are excited about the future improvements the software will bring to the business; especially the potential revenue it will help generate. Our refrigeration technology is state-of-the-art and has made a huge difference to hundreds of homes and businesses across Africa and CamSoft Solution and Maximizer Software have been invaluable in the growth of our business."
Key benefits summary
