Open Text Integrates Salesforce with Multiple Endpoints Including SAP to Unify Information on a Global Scale

“Salesforce was the first platform we’ve implemented on a global scale, and it went off without a hitch. We were able to consolidate disparate customer information and integrate it with our financial and accounting systems to achieve a unified view of the customer. And we were able to do it with multilingual support. Anyone in upper management would tell you that Salesforce has proven to be our most successful deployment to date.”


Challenge
  • Open Text—the world's largest independent provider of enterprise content management software—needed to quickly consolidate customer information on one system for centralized access and forecasting
  • A bevy of disparate systems such as Microsoft Outlook, Cognos, Clarify, Dun and Bradstreet, GoldMine, ACT!, and homegrown apps created too many separate repositories of information, preventing consistent processes across multiple sales groups
  • Because Open Text actively acquires other companies, it had to be able to effectively integrate Salesforce to many different ERP applications, including SAP, Microsoft Great Plains, and a legacy forecasting application as part of its service-oriented architecture technology strategy

Solution
  • In a head-to-head match-up between Salesforce and SAP CRM, Salesforce came out on top in the areas of cost-effectiveness, integration, speed-to-market, and mitigating the need for additional IT resources to support the implementation
  • In six months, the company rolled out Salesforce Enterprise Edition to 418 users in the U.S., Europe, and Asia-Pacific with Microsoft Outlook integration and multilingual support
  • Salesforce touches users in all aspects of the sales cycle: from the initial marketing campaign and lead generation process, through sales executive forecasting, and concluding at the point of invoicing
  • Using an integration appliance from Salesforce AppConnect partner Cast Iron, Open Text data flows seamlessly from SAP, Great Plains, Changepoint, and a global customer support system into Salesforce
  • Two-way, real-time integration between a standard forecasting system allows the company to leverage the more powerful forecasting capabilities in Salesforce, while maintaining proper SEC reporting practices
  • Integration between Open Text's SAP financial system and Salesforce ensures Sarbanes-Oxley compliance; plans to push detailed product information to Salesforce will allow reps to create sales order forms from within Salesforce
  • Dun and Bradstreet integration gives Salesforce users access to a consistent source of master customer information across multiple customer data stores
  • Open Text launched Salesforce PRM--a Web portal-based channel management solution--with five partners and continues to build out the program
  • Salesforce Marketing fuels the generation of leads, which are then routed--based on predefined workflows--to the appropriate reps
  • An "Account Management Philosophy" custom tab drives account management processes in a structured, consistent, and detail-oriented manner
  • Open Text installed pre-integrated solutions from the AppExchange such as VerticalResponse, Spoke Sales Prospecting, Account Intelligence, and Access Hoover's to solve specific business issues

Results
  • With quicker access to centralized customer information, reps enjoy boosts in productivity
  • Advanced forecasting functionality--as the result of integrated customer information--gives upper management greater control over the business
  • Integration with accounting and financial systems drives continuity, accelerates the sales process, and streamlines practices companywide
  • Smooth implementation with multilingual functionality and ease-of-use stimulate user adoption
 
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