Salesforce
How we work with the new CRM system
Everyone has been talking about Salesforce for the last few months: more than 200 colleagues from different divisions and countries are already using this CRM system (Customer Relationship Management) to manage customer relationships and to cooperate transparently with other departments.
During the first six months of 2025, we’ve reached significant milestones: in January, the German Field Sales Force started with more than 100 employees. This was followed by an additional 60 colleagues from Internal Sales and Export in April. The system was gradually rolled out even before that, for example in Marketing, in International Field Sales as well as in Austria and Switzerland.
Thomas Geiger, Regional Director DACH, points out: “Switching to Salesforce requires precision: many processes have to be adapted, technical requirements implemented, and new procedures established. The fact that more than 200 users are now working with this system is an amazing accomplishment of team work.”
What are the benefits of Salesforce? Customer information is centrally available – on-the-go on an iPad or smartphone, or using a PC. No need to switch between different systems: the Field Sales Force and Internal Sales can work together seamlessly, without having to switch between email, phone, and the CRM system, for example. Inquiries and processing statuses can be accessed at any time. The software is designed in particular to prevent duplication of process steps.
A team is closely monitoring this process so that no data from the old system is lost. At the same time, we’re also looking into linking Salesforce with other IT systems in the Bauerfeind environment. Plus, training sessions keep taking place to build up Salesforce expertise in the different divisions.
We asked colleagues from different departments how the new CRM system helps them:
Jerome Bennewitz, Orthopedics Sales Manager
“Previously, I had to document my visits at least once a week using a computer. I can now do it on-the-go using the app. It’s very clear and pretty much always ready to use. For example, when I’m waiting for my next appointment with an orthopedist who I’d like to win over with our treatment options.”
Julia Styrnal, Lymphology Customer Service Team
“I really appreciate the quick overview for every customer. I can see, for example, which contacts are important and which processes are incomplete. When a customer phones, I’m sometimes able to sort out several issues – from other divisions as well. When I restart Salesforce, I can continue in the same place where I left it. That’s also really helpful.”
Cornelia Jehn, Salesforce CRM Product Owner
“Salesforce is one of the best CRM systems currently available. It’s very quick and lots of processes can be automated. The plan is that we’ll migrate everything from the old CRM system up to and including 2026. After that, we can look at new features – and because Salesforce is very active when it comes to AI, we’ll really benefit from that in the future.”
Marijke Berghmans, Account Manager BeNeLux
“Salesforce is a modern platform which the BeNeLux Team primarily uses to create reports. Compared with the previous CRM system, it’s much faster. The structured format and the user-friendly interface make our work much more pleasant and efficient. I’m looking forward to further improvements and I’m absolutely convinced that this project is incredibly valuable for managing business information.”