Digital End-to-End Processes: How Sysmex Europe Enhanced Service Excellence in 30 EMEA Companies with Dynamics 365

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In addition to innovative and high-quality products, above all else first-class service excellence is also a decisive competitive factor for Sysmex Europe. It ensures customer satisfaction and is continuously optimized to create additional value. However, this requires a 360-degree view of each customer situation, along with all the relevant service activities. At the same time, customers expect transparent insight into their processes. To ensure this, service processes in 30 EMEA companies needed to be harmonized, which was no longer possible with the aging proprietary CRM development.

Action needed to be taken. As part of the company-wide digitalization strategy, which also includes modernizing the core IT systems, Sysmex Europe implemented the SaaS cloud solutions Dynamics 365 Customer Service and Field Service. Several factors drove this decision. The cloud solutions are futureproof and scalable, best covered specific process requirements in service, and integrate seamlessly into the existing Microsoft 365 environment and Dynamics 365 Sales application. They also fit into the Power Pages-based web portal for distributors and end customers. This created a comprehensive CRM landscape that’s absolutely indispensable for digital end-to-end processes, which could also be easily linked to the global SAP S/4HANA installation. Another advantage is that Microsoft provides new features for the cloud service solutions at short intervals, and they are always technologically up to date.

Enhanced Efficiency Due to End-to-End Service Processes

The transition is paying off. Today, Sysmex Europe maps service processes end-to-end across all 30 EMEA companies, taking into account the different business and contract models in a central CRM platform. The process landscape is continuously optimized and new companies are efficiently connected with the experience obtained from live operations.

Overall, the end-to-end processes increase efficiency and transparency in service and enable the collection and evaluation of important service excellence-related metrics (KPIs), which provide valuable starting points for sustainably optimizing service quality and thus for greater customer satisfaction. The fact that the SaaS cloud service solutions also meet the strict regulatory requirements for medical devices according to the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR) is another major advantage.

Approximately 1,200 end users across the EMEA region also benefit from the comprehensive processes. They can now process service cases quickly and easily from the initial request to technician dispatch and spare parts ordering, and even all the way to billing – thanks in part to the familiar user interface modeled on the Microsoft Office environment. This leaves more time for complex cases and tasks.

Successful Implementation with ORBIS

Sysmex Europe tasked ORBIS SE with implementation and rollout in 30 EMEA companies. Key factors in this decision included the IT service provider’s proven expertise in Dynamics 365 service processes and its strong international presence – essential for a cross-border project of this scale. “We appreciate ORBIS’s expertise in relation to service processes with Microsoft technology and the technical integration of Microsoft and SAP environments, the flexible implementation of our requirements, and its excellent accessibility and personal commitment,” emphasized Jörg Röhl (Senior Vice President for Technical Service at Sysmex Europe).

The implementation proceeded smoothly despite numerous project-specific challenges thanks to the close, partnership-based collaboration, the use of agile methods with short sprints, and the Microsoft expertise available at Sysmex Europe.

Individual Extensions Efficiently Implemented

In Dynamics 365, not only did the EMEA companies’ different business and contract models need to be taken into account, but individual process requirements had to be mapped through additional developments too. These included specifically adapted forms for booking and work order handling that allow technicians in the field quick access and straightforward data entry, increasing user acceptance. Templates for service reports and inspection lists were also extensively customized in terms of function and appearance. Additionally, dynamic maintenance planning was implemented, optionally based on IoT meter readings or the last maintenance date, as well as multi-level escalation with second level support for complex cases. New features include functions for documenting device status according to licenses, software versions, and modifications, as well as error coding for device defects according to the global Sysmex code system, enabling detailed product quality analyses. An important success factor in this challenging cross-border project was active change management with transparent communication from the very beginning. This successfully created a positive mindset for the new cloud CRM among service employees and reduced potential concerns.

Outlook on Service Automation with AI

And the digitalization journey continues. At present, a use case is being evaluated to determine how the current device status and potential repair recommendations can be created based on device history, customer asset properties, IoT device data, and knowledge center information. Data analysis capabilities will also be expanded through the development of new Power BI reports integrated into Dynamics 365. Serious consideration is also being given to further automating service processes using Power Apps and Microsoft artificial intelligence (AI). With all of this, Sysmex Europe aims to more consistently fulfill its mission (“Together for a better healthcare journey”) in the future – for the benefit of physicians, laboratories, hospitals, and, above all else, patients. This is where it all comes full circle.