From complex customization to a CRM solution that works like a charm

About De Unie

Irene Scheerder is the team manager of back office and member administration at The Union. In that role, she is responsible for, among other things, member administration and the CRM environment. She explains: "As a union, we support our members in the areas of work, income, and social security. We advocate for their interests both individually and collectively. This means we deal with many different types of relationships, processes, and contact moments every day. Therefore, a good CRM system is essential for us."

Stumbling on customization

Over time, De Unie became stuck with the Dynamics 365 CRM system they were using, as it consisted of too much customization. "Our old environment had become complex over the years. Financial processes, relationship management, and specific adjustments were strongly intertwined. As a result, the system became less flexible, and changes and updates were often difficult to implement. Additionally, different teams used supplementary solutions outside the CRM," Irene explains. "What we also missed was a preference center, so members could indicate online what kind of emails they did not want or did want to receive. The only choice they had was everything or nothing."

Patient collaborators

The choice for a new CRM partner was preceded by a significant search. Irene: "We were looking for a partner who understood Microsoft Dynamics 365, but also had experience with member organizations and the processes involved. What stands out about Axelio is the combination of substantive knowledge and pragmatism. They do not think purely from a technical perspective but also consider what works best for an organization. In our case, that turned out not to always be the most complex solution."

Approach builds trust

During the preliminary discussions, it quickly became clear to De Unie that Axelio regularly works for member organizations. "By the questions they ask, you know they have dealt with this before," Irene shares. She appreciates the approach that Axelio proposed. "They aimed for as many standard functionalities as possible and limited customization to ensure a manageable and future-proof system. It was also nice that there was always room for consultation. And if something did not go as desired, they immediately thought in terms of solutions."

Preventing resistance

Axelio completely rebuilt the CRM system for De Unie based on Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Pixelzebra Social Matters. They also helped migrate data and set up processes to ensure everything runs more efficiently. De Unie worked with a multidisciplinary team for the implementation. "There was a key user from each department," Irene explains. "As the system took shape, there were weekly short start-ups, where Axelio was also present. After that, they continued building while we tested. This approach resulted in little resistance to the new system within the organization. People felt heard."

Work-saving setup

The greatest benefit of the new CRM system for De Unie lies in centralizing data and processes. Irene: "Employees now have quicker insight into members, employers, files, and interactions. Furthermore, registrations are now processed fully automatically, and temporary discounts end automatically after a certain period. This saves us an incredible amount of work. Additionally, we can now segment better and thus communicate more effectively with our target groups. And the system offers more possibilities to independently adjust processes."

Undiscovered extras

The implementation of the CRM system is now behind us. Nevertheless, Axelio is still present one day a week at De Unie "With our new CRM, we gained so many possibilities that we still have a lot to discover. We also want to start working on the events part. That will come in handy for the anniversaries we organize."

Practical tip

Looking back on the process, Irene has one tip for other organizations looking to replace their CRM: "Do not see a CRM project as a technical replacement, but as an organization-wide change. Look at how you can organize processes more efficiently and dare to question existing working methods. Axelio really thinks along with you. They showed us the benefits of approaching things differently. They also let you benefit from the experience they gained with other organizations."