Portal instead of Excel: How Utz digitalizes quotation processes with Microsoft Dynamics 365

ORBIS Schweiz AG from Baar, a branch of the internationally active software and business consulting company ORBIS AG, is introducing a customer portal based on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Online at the Utz Group. With this portal, the Utz Group, a manufacturer of containers, pallets and workpiece carriers made of recyclable plastic for transport, storage and intralogistics based in Bremgarten, Switzerland, is laying the foundation for digital, automated and uniform quotation processing with customers. This simplifies and accelerates the process from the inquiry to the binding offer, on the part of the customer and on the part of the company's own sales department, which saves time and costs.

With the portal, the Utz Group brings the quotation process directly to the desktop PC, notebook, smartphone or tablet of the responsible employees at the customer, who can thus process inquiries efficiently at any time and anywhere. Thanks to responsive design technology, the portal interface automatically adapts to the respective device or operating system. Conversely, customers immediately receive a price quote for requested products and can request a binding offer at the touch of a button. To do this, the sales department at Utz adds the missing data in the CRM, automatically generates the PDF quote using the "Documents Core Pack" (DCP) add-on, and enters it into the portal for approval. A request can be changed at any time and a separate quote obtained for it. All changes are saved and can be retrieved in the portal as a history, which ensures a high level of transparency.

The portal, which is optimized for all common Internet browsers and designed in the Utz Group's corporate design, also takes into account end users' desire for an intuitive user interface. This is a big plus, as is the fact that customers can manage user data via self-service and thus create or deactivate users and change user data at any time. A role concept ensures that each user only has access to the information that is relevant to his or her tasks.

Thanks to the cooperative and goal-oriented collaboration between the internal project team and the experts from ORBIS, the portal solution was introduced in just under four months, on schedule and within budget. Utz's customer Swisslog, a provider of automation solutions for healthcare, warehousing and distribution centers, also played a major role in the success of the project, having been involved in the development of the portal from the very beginning. It has been actively using it since go-live, currently with 60 specialist users in its 17 global companies.

The Utz Group plans to integrate additional customers into the portal, which is being continuously optimized and expanded with the support of ORBIS, in the foreseeable future. The use of sales functions from Microsoft Dynamics 365 in sales is also being considered..

About Utz Group
The Utz Group, based in Bremgarten, Switzerland, is one of the leading manufacturers of innovative containers, bins, open fronted storage bins, trays, pallets and workpiece carriers made of recyclable plastic for transport, storage and intralogistics. Products from Utz bring order to warehouses in many industries and ensure optimum material flow, in the automotive, chemical, pharmaceutical and electronics industries as well as in the food and textile industries or wholesale. For manufacturing, the company uses state-of-the-art machinery and various production processes - injection molding, thermoforming, extrusion. In 2018, the Utz Group, which has eight production sites on three continents and operates worldwide from six sales companies and more than 30 agencies, achieved sales of more than 267 million euros (= 300 million Swiss francs) with around 1,150 employees.
Further information can be found at utzgroup.com

About ORBIS
ORBIS supports medium-sized companies as well as international corporations in the digitalization of their business processes: from the joint development of the customer-specific Big Picture to the practical implementation in the project. The digitization and automation of business processes across the entire value chain ensure the competitiveness of our customers. The in-depth process know-how and innovative strength of our 550 employees combined with the expertise gained from more than 30 years of successful, international project work in various industries make us a competent partner. We rely on the solutions and technologies of our partners SAP and Microsoft, whose portfolios are rounded off by ORBIS solutions. Our focus is on SAP S/4HANA, Customer Engagement and the realization of the Smart Factory. On the basis of smart cloud technologies, such as Machine Learning, Cognitive Services or IoT, we promote the innovative power of our customers in the development of innovative products, services and business models. Our expertise results from more than 2000 customer projects at more than 500 customers in the automotive supply industry, construction supply industry, electrical and electronics industry, mechanical and plant engineering, logistics, metal industry, consumer goods industry and retail. Long-standing customers include the ZF Group, Hörmann, Hager Group, Rittal, Kraftverkehr Nagel, ArcelorMittal, Montblanc, Bahlsen and Sonepar.

Contact for the press
ORBIS AG
Bettina Gassen
Head of Marketing

Nell-Breuning-Allee 3 - 5
66115 Saarbrücken

Tel.: +49 (0)681/99 24-692
Mail: bettina.gassen(at)orbis.de
Web: orbis.de