Covid-19 has led many companies to reinvent their business procedures. Expanscience, an independent French pharmaceutical and dermo-cosmetics laboratory that develops and manufactures innovative osteoarthritis and skincare products, started its digital transformation process with LOBA and, in the middle of the pandemic, has become an example of adaptation to the new market reality in Portugal.
The investment in the Salesforce platform and in the partnership with LOBA was the first step taken by Expanscience on the road to digital transformation. Around four years ago, the implementation of CRM was the first project – always with the support and experience of LOBA as the first Salesforce partner in Portugal. Expanscience has moved all the information related to its business universe into a single platform with data stored in the cloud, metrics and dashboards updated in real time.
In fact, as Bruno Soares, Managing Director of Expanscience Portugal, explaines, the company’s digital transformation began with environmental concerns and the reduction of paper expenditure, which was followed by a research for more dynamic methodologies for the team. The adoption of the slogan: Let’s sell smarter and faster, from anywhere gave Expanscience the necessary boost to start this process.
The platform replaced the usual use of paper and the “routine work” done by both salespeople and merchandisers, who started interacting more with each other. These changes have resulted in an “increase in the quality of life of the employees”, summarises Bruno Soares.
The investment in 2017 in Salesforce CRM has resulted in the company being better prepared to manage the current pandemic environment. As the director explains, “during the lockdown, we were already used to investing in new digital opportunities, and our response to remote work was driven by innovation. On the heels of Salesforce, the sales team started to schedule meetings online and created one-to-one campaigns for the B2B market, which began placing orders through digital channels in just two clicks.
Also in 2019, Expanscience developed, in partnership with LOBA, the Expanscience Academy, an innovative project consisting of a mobile application that uses gamification to allow company employees and partners to learn more about their products through themes and courses with multimedia content, quizzes, certifications, events and awards.
Expanscience Academy
The pandemic brought the necessity to “turn salesmen into digital sellers”. Once again, Salesforce allowed them to maintain “work intensity and professional efficiency”, with the management of remote work and a 360-degree view of the information in the CRM. The digitalisation of the product catalogue, task management, as well as the customisation of personalised activity reports have made possible, in full lockdown, to maintain productivity and increase market share.
Still, Expanscience’s digital transformation journey with LOBA as a partner didn’t end here. One of the most recent projects had, as its director explains, “the goal of bringing the final consumer closer to our brands”, and consisted in the development of a B2C e-commerce for the Mustela, Akileine and Ecrinal brands. LOBA’s work was, once again, crucial to “reaching the end customer in a faster, more dynamic and practical way”.
In 2021, the partnership between LOBA and Expanscience continues to bear fruits. We are currently working on the company’s new B2B and B2C webinar platform, which will cover the areas of Pharmacy, Nursing, Paediatrics, Paediatric Dermatology, Tropical Medicine/ Traveller’s Consultation, Podiatry, I’m Pregnant and I’m a Mum/Dad.
The Mustela eCommerce project: one-year balance
After its first year of activity, Bruno Soares highlights that Mustela’s ecommerce project is “much more than a site focused on sales; it is focused on Customer Experience, with product videos, tutorials and other resources that allow the customer to access information that is not accessible at the pharmacy”.
As for the employees, “they can understand what the consumer is looking for and their needs in real time and have a more global vision of the customer’s profile, namely through the order history”.
The Mustela E-commerce Website
For companies embarking on the process of digital transformation, Expanscience’s director says that it is very important “to have the capacity to manage information. Depending on the case, teams’ skills may have to be updated. This is undoubtedly the perfect tool and platform for teams with salespeople in the field”. Bruno Soares also highlights the “partnership and proximity work” carried out by LOBA.
Are you searching for a partner for the digital transformation of your company?
LOBA helps you on your way to success through solutions that promote:
- A centralised system that brings together all the information about your company (CRM)
- Development of eCommerce projects
- Lead capture through Marketing Automation
- Increased sales and efficiency of your organisation
- Customer support and higher levels of satisfaction
Are you ready? Do it like Expanscience does: Let’s sell smarter and faster, together!
