Cross Factory Selling

Challenge of Cross-Company

Imagine this: a customer approaches your sales team with an inquiry for products from two different sister companies within your corporate group. The sales team is ready to meet the challenge, but the reality is that each company operates in its own silo. This setup requires separate logins, different quoting systems, and inconsistent terms and conditions, resulting in confusion and delays. Multiple quotes may be issued for a single inquiry, each with varying terms, complicating the process for the customer and the sales team.

Usual Process

Traditionally, the central sales team works on deals for a single company at a time, preparing quotes exclusively for that company's products. This involves logging in to each company’s quoting system separately and issuing quotes for products within that entity's scope. The lack of integration means that the team often faces unnecessary roadblocks when handling cross-company requests.

What the Sales Team Desires

The sales team seeks a unified platform where all essential details—such as customer information, pricing conditions, and product specifics—are readily accessible. For Engineer-to-Order requirements, they need the ability to design on the fly and quickly obtain comprehensive costing details, including raw material expenses, product costs, margins, and overheads. This streamlined approach would enable them to deliver clear, timely quotes and significantly increase the likelihood of closing deals.

A Unified Approach

At LENS, we aim to break down silos and foster collaboration across companies. By integrating vital sales information, ABC Group—which includes ABC Europe, ABC Asia, and ABC America—operates as a cohesive unit. LENS centralizes resources, streamlining the quoting process and enhancing communication among teams. This unified approach empowers sales professionals to respond effectively to customer inquiries, ensuring accurate and timely information is always provided. LENS transforms fragmented operations into a coordinated strategy that boosts customer satisfaction and drives business success.

Cross-Company Collaboration

Let’s look at ABC Group as a prime example of how LENS simplifies the process. Each company under the ABC umbrella specializes in manufacturing different products for each region—like the diverse ingredients in a gourmet dish. When a customer places an order through ABC Europe for a specification produced by ABC Asia, LENS manages the process centrally, ensuring every detail is covered. The customer continues to interact with ABC Europe, maintaining familiarity, while LENS coordinates production and delivery with ABC Asia for timely fulfillment, making the process as smooth as butter.

Centralized Quotation

A key aspect of our approach is the issuance of quotations. Even when products are manufactured and delivered by ABC Asia, the quotation is issued by ABC Europe on behalf of the delivering company. LENS ensures consistency in quotations across companies, whether they follow a standardized format or a customized print layout. This eliminates the need for customers to navigate multiple entities, keeping the process simple and efficient—like following a well-marked path through a dense forest.

Role of Design

Design plays a central role in how ABC Europe manages pricing and quoting through LENS, enabling seamless collaboration with ABC Asia and ABC America. Using LENS, ABC Europe can configure product options and determine pricing instantly, issuing quotes without delays. The system’s design capabilities provide immediate access to accurate pricing, avoiding the need for manual coordination with other companies. This ensures customers receive timely, consistent quotes, enhancing the overall sales experience. By centralizing the quoting process, LENS boosts efficiency while maintaining seamless coordination across all companies.

A Model for Success

With LENS, ABC Group exemplifies how multi-company sales operations can function as a unified system. Here’s how LENS empowers ABC Group's approach:

1. Diverse Product Offerings: ABC Group combines the unique capabilities of ABC Europe, ABC Asia, and ABC America to provide a wide selection of customized products tailored to different regional specifications—like a buffet of tailored solutions.

2. Simplified Customer Interaction: With a centralized quotation process, customers have a single point of contact, eliminating the need for multiple vendor interactions—making it as easy as pie.

3. Optimized Resource Management: By working collaboratively across all companies, LENS helps reduce the risks of excess supply and shortages, enhancing operational efficiency and productivity—like fine-tuning an engine for peak performance.

Power of a Unified System

In a landscape where manufacturing operations span different companies with varied specifications, ABC Group's approach demonstrates how LENS acts as a central hub that brings everything together. It’s more than managing separate companies; it’s about providing a unified customer experience that transcends boundaries. LENS integrates essential details like delivery dates, order numbers, and data from external systems such as SAP, ensuring transparency and reliability at every step—keeping operations running smoothly.

At LENS, we don’t just connect the pieces; we craft the entire picture, allowing companies to navigate a course that leads to efficient operations and satisfied customers. Whether your journey involves multiple companies or stays within a single entity, LENS ensures a smooth ride, steering through the complexities of manufacturing like a seasoned captain at the helm.