Orders processed in one minute instead of 60 minutes

be.print creates a new marketing portal for the entire GC GROUP in Germany

How can we relieve the central marketing department of time-consuming processes? How can we increase the number of orders and adjustments made by the individual locations of the wholesale group in Germany? How can the design and maintenance of templates be organized efficiently? These were just some of the questions that the GC GROUP addressed to be.print.

More than 150 locations now order marketing materials easily and conveniently via the new ordering portal that be.print has implemented for the entire group throughout Germany. Both the head office and all locations benefit from enormous time and cost savings.

One holding company, six corporate groups, and more than 150 locations under one roof

One of the biggest challenges for the GC GROUP was to standardize the ordering processes for marketing materials across a very large and complex sales network. In addition to the central administration of the holding company for the entire group, six other subgroups and over 150 specialist wholesalers throughout Germany were to be integrated into the system.

The goal: save time with every single step

Time savings were a top priority for GC. This primarily concerned the speed of the system when creating and adapting design templates. At the same time, the large number of steps required to place an order needed to be drastically reduced. Time-consuming coordination and queries in particular were to be replaced by automated processes. Also on the wish list was the secure preservation of the corporate design and the automatic transfer of all data from the ERP and CRM systems. Data security was also a particular focus.

Close cooperation for the project launch

Given the scope and complexity of the project, close cooperation between the GC team and the specialists at be.print was particularly important. Requirements, interim results, and further work steps were coordinated in regular project meetings. Today, GC enjoys the added value of a smoothly functioning solution that connects all locations and departments.

Comprehensive design support before launch

Even in the initial phase, GC was able to rely on the services of be.print. The be.print design team created and edited hundreds of design templates in GC's corporate design. Extensive support was also provided when entering the articles into the new system. Now, almost all templates are designed and maintained by the GC team itself. Only minimal support from be.print is required—another advantage of the new portal!

The result: significantly increased order volume

The new system has effectively reduced the workload of the GC GROUP's central marketing department. Already, 60-80% of all dealer inquiries are handled via the be.print portal. Internally, the new system has been very well received. Dealers and employees have clearly recognized the advantages. The data in the in-house ERP and CRM systems is now also much better maintained, as the benefits are obvious. Integration with be.print ensures that all data is automatically available in the portal. This makes work much easier.

Minimal processing times conserve resources

Processing orders via the system saves a tremendous amount of time. Orders that used to take 60 minutes or even longer to process can now be completed in just one minute. Order forms are no longer necessary, nor are time-consuming checks, approvals, and correction loops. Approval processes are stored centrally in the new system with up-to-date data. Queries are no longer necessary and communication costs have been significantly reduced.
The reduction in routine tasks frees up time for employees, which they can use productively for other tasks. This benefits the team at GC headquarters as well as purchasers throughout the network.

The future: More templates, more products, digital templates

Today, the GC GROUP is working on further expanding its be.print portal. Step by step, additional templates and products are being added to further increase order volume. In addition, GC plans to manage digital templates, for example for social media, in the system in the future in order to simplify processes here as well.
"60-80% of requests from the sales network for recurring media can be handled via the portal. That's a huge win for us."
Maik Carstens, Deputy Head of Marketing, GC-GRUPPE
"We want to help companies save resources in purchasing and marketing. This applies especially to complex sales networks. That's why I'm particularly pleased that we were able to achieve all the goals of this challenging project together. My thanks go to the entire GC team."
Gopal Nath, Managing Director, be.print

About the GC Group

The GC GROUP is a family-run, internationally oriented wholesale group with partners in 15 countries. More than 30,000 employees at 1,375 locations work every day to provide unique service and ensure the success of their customers and partners. The GC GROUP is the undisputed industry leader in the field of building services and supplies its customers with innovative products from the sanitary, heating, air conditioning, ventilation, and installation ranges.