GLCommunicator Connects Siemon to its Partners

Siemon is a global leader in the design and manufacture of telecommunications cabling systems. Siemon’s commitment to innovation and quality is reflected by over 300 active patents, and the company’s achievement of ISO 9001, 9002, and 14001 certification. The company’s products are distributed to end-users through a worldwide network of distribution partners. Customers include some of the world’s leading commercial and industrial organisations, including General Electric, Yale University, NASDAQ, Sears, AT&T, and UPS.

To support its distributors, Siemon issues a series of mailings throughout the year with the latest product news, web site updates, pricing details, and more. But as Siemon’s network of partners continued to grow, this became an increasingly costly and time-consuming endeavour.

"Siemon needed a way to reduce its information delivery costs, and manage its relationships with its distribution partners in a more timely and targeted manner," explained Richard Colette, the Lotus Notes Consultant that was brought on to research and find a solution. "To achieve this, we recognised the need to leverage an Internet-powered CRM solution to quickly, easily, and cost-effectively distribute critical, customised information to partners around the world."

Under Collette’s guidance, Siemon selected GLCommunicator, an advanced Internet messaging tool set designed to help simplify customer and partner interactions via email and the web.

"Other systems we looked at required a significant investment in both money and effort," said Collette. "GLCommunicator provided us with the functionality we needed at a reasonable price, without the costs or complexity of other solutions."

The Gordano Solution @ Siemon
With GLCommunicator, Siemon can leverage the Internet to quickly and easily distribute regular mailings and news updates to its partners, offering targeted information to specific partner contacts. As a Web-based solution, GLCommunicator was extremely easy for Siemon to set up, with no client install required.

Siemon already held and maintained its contact details in an Oracle database, so it was important that any system the company deployed should link to its existing database without duplicating data. Installing GLCommunicator and setting up the system’s ODBC connectivity allowed Siemon to create a seamless link to its in-house databases.

One of Siemon’s key requirements was to make sure the emails it delivered using GLCommunicator were fully customised, offering information that was directly relevant to each individual contact - so that a mailing intended for an installer, for example, didn’t arrive in the hands of a consultant or distributor. Leveraging GLCommunicator’s ODBC connectivity, Siemon was able to create SQL VIEWS to drive its mail lists - automatically building targeted user lists, and delivering individually tailored messages to its partners based on specific criteria. GLCommunicator automatically extracts the necessary information from the data source, assembles the job, and delivers the email to the appropriate recipient. Each message contains a summary of updates, along with customised links to areas on Siemon’s Web site, enabling partners to click and view the complete information.

Business Benefits
By leveraging the Internet for its mailings, Siemon has effectively eliminated the need to manually develop and distribute print-based mailings - offering a significant reduction in labour and costs. In addition to saving hours and dollars, GLCommunicator has enabled Siemon to significantly improve the flow of information between the company and its partners. By delivering targeted messages at the individual level, Siemon can be 100% sure that the right recipients are always receiving the right information; rather than hoping that partners will spontaneously log on to the appropriate Web page on their own, or wondering whether a mailer has been lost on their desks. With GLCommunicator, partners are fully aware of news and updates as they occur.

Response times are just as immediate; Siemon will typically receive a sharp increase of hits to its Web site on the following business day. Following an initial distribution to 17,000 contacts, the company garnered an average of over 3000 responses - representing an impressive 18% response rate.

"GLCommunicator’s advanced features and functionality make it so easy for Siemon to maintain personal relationships with its partners in a sophisticated way," said Collette. "By streamlining company communications, GLCommunicator has allowed Siemon to reduce time-to-market for new products and product updates, and solidify its position as a leader in the marketplace."