CRM in Action: Triangle Brick Builds Sales in a Stagnant Market

Challenge: Distance and complex supply chains prevented Triangle Brick, a manufacturer of clay bricks for commercial and residential use, from having relationships with its end customers. To make matters worse, the company's manual processes were impeding its ability to grow and to improve customer service. Solution: Triangle Brick embarked on a mission to double the size of its business within five years. The first step was to automate its distribution channel operations, enlisting the help of Ross Systems. "This was a gutsy move on their part, because the brick industry has probably remained relatively unchanged for many years," says Scot McLeod, vice president of marketing for Ross Systems. "The industry itself is not really prone to being on the leading edge of technology investments." Ditching its outdated manual processes, Triangle Brick set up a Web site designed to help distributors work better with the end customer. Benefits: The Web site provides end customers with tools to improve their purchasing decisions. For example, although there was virtually no way customers could determine what a specific brick-and-mortar combination would look like until the brick-laying process, they usually can't reverse a purchase decision. Today Triangle Brick's Web site enables customers to view buildings in their vicinity--before buying--that have been built with a specific brick-and-mortar combination, then provides them with directions to the location. The site has helped the company double its business during a period when the market remained flat--without hiring additional employees at the front end or increasing capital investment. It also has helped reduce costs associated with maintaining a physical showroom and improved the company's ability to provide up-to-date information to its customers.