«We are delighted with Abacus CRM.»

What were the reasons for using Abacus CRM at the AIHK?

Sara Montanari: The main reason for switching to Abacus was the lack of further development of our previous ERP system. Important innovations such as QR invoices were not supported. In addition, the lack of integration within the software led to administrative duplication. Thanks to the introduction of Abacus and the decision to also introduce CRM, integration into our key business processes is now optimally guaranteed.

Which Abacus products do you use today?

Marlies Hämmerli: In addition to CRM, we rely on Payroll and Financial Accounting, Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable, Expense Management,  Project Management, Order Processing, and the Data Analyser.

How does Abacus CRM support you in your day-to-day work?

MH: Abacus CRM has made our daily work much easier. Almost all of our processes run via CRM, and it is the central hub for our daily work. Address changes only need to be entered once and are immediately available throughout the system - from member administration and accounting to project and event management. This centralisation not only saves time, but also ensures that all information is always up-to-date and accessible to all employees.

What information do you store in the CRM and how many addresses do you use it to manage?

MH: We manage around 14,000 addresses in CRM, including 2,140 member companies. In addition to members, politicians, customers, private individuals and partner companies are also included. We store data such as contact details, date of joining and industry affiliation for each member. This centralised data storage enables us to manage addresses and their contact persons efficiently and provide a good overview.

What other CRM functions do you use?

SM: For me, Abacus CRM is above all a valuable source of information. It gives me an immediate overview of which people have been associated with the company since when and in which area. The dashboards and the Data Analyser provide valuable data for analyses and statistics. The CRM is also indispensable for member communication: Serial mails, participation confirmations and certificates can be created and sent directly from the system.

MH: Activity Management is also particularly helpful. It supports us greatly in organising events, managing surveys and updating our contacts. Changes from the commercial register (SHAB) are imported directly into Abacus CRM.
 

What feedback have you received from your employees on the use of Abacus CRM?

SM: The employees are very satisfied because they were able to help shape the system from the outset and their needs were taken into account. The automation of processes and the rapid availability of data are particularly appreciated.

Are you planning to expand your product range?

SM: Yes, we are constantly reviewing and optimising our processes. We are currently working on the integration of MailXpert and Microsoft products to further improve communication and collaboration. One exciting project that we are currently examining with our sales partner is Lead Management in Abacus CRM. In this way, potential members could be made directly accessible to the regional group presidents via Lead Management. Another major project is the digitalisation of membership registrations with the DeepSign digital signature. Our aim is to replace the current manual process with a digital one.

How would you describe Abacus CRM Management in three words?

SM: Integrated, transparent and expandable.

Would you recommend Abacus CRM to others?

SM: Yes, we actually actively recommend it to others. A chamber of commerce from another canton contacted us and also implemented Abacus software. We are very satisfied with Abacus and always see potential for development in order to optimise our processes.