Schréder: Realizing a personal customer approach with Microsoft Dynamics ERP

"It is not an IT project, but a business transformation project in which IT plays a supporting role. It is first about rethinking our business model and then digitizing it in a second phase."

Schréder, a family owned business headquartered in Brussels, has been the leading independent public lighting solution provider worldwide for over 100 years and exports to more than 70 countries. Schréder is world leader in 'Lightability, bringing light to create safe and warm spaces where people can come together and enjoy beautiful architecture.

Under the influence of

• the increasing variety of products
• the growing demand for customization
• the emerging demand for new smart products under the smart cities trend
• and increasing globalization,

but also to optimize the customer experience, Schréder chose to change its business model. To maintain their strong position, it was crucial to invest in the digital transformation of their business processes. Schréder chose to define a new IT strategy with the cloud at its core and a focus on their 'customer intimate approach'. They chose Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Applications Platform (ERP and CRM) and its ecosystem to realize this.

Jean-Jacques van Gils, Group IT Director of Schréder, explains “We are moving more and more towards the cloud, in a 'Software as a Service' model, where the applications are continuously updated. We wanted to set up our own competence center so that we can maintain that SaaS model ourselves. And so in that context, Dynamics 365 was an obvious choice for us.”

The solution was gradually rolled out in the company and also implemented in the various countries where Schréder is active. About the next steps in the process Jean-Jacques van Gils continues: “Microsoft has a broad ecosystem in which we see many opportunities for the future. Just think of smart cities with the Internet of Things. The technology that Microsoft offers for this will enable integration with our back office.”

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