Case Study: CRM + ERP Project for a Mid-Sized Manufacturer in Istanbul

Starting Point: Excel Files and Different Realities

Imagine a mid-sized manufacturer in Istanbul that sells through dealers. The sales team works with Excel sheets, ERP is used only for invoicing, and the warehouse runs its own stock program. The result: each department has a different “truth”.

Summary of Problems

• Visit and quotation records live in Excel; no one is sure which file is current.
• Stock status appears “uncertain” to sales reps at almost all times.
• Overdue receivables are not visible in the field, making risk management difficult.
• Management cannot see sales, stock and collections together in a single consolidated view.

1. Step: Collecting Customers and Visits in CRM

In the first phase, an Istanbul-focused CRM project was started:

• All customer and prospect records were consolidated into a single CRM.
• Weekly visit plans began to be created and tracked in CRM.
• Quotations and opportunities were recorded in the system, and Excel was abandoned for sales tracking.
• Quotation forms on the web site were connected directly into CRM.

Within two months, CRM adoption in the sales team exceeded 80%.

2. Step: Clarifying Stock and Order Processes in ERP

In the second phase, ERP processes were reviewed:

• Stock cards and warehouse structure were simplified.
• The order → delivery note → invoice flow was standardised with clear document rules.
• Clear codes and reports were defined for returns and scrap so they could be measured.

This made stock and shipment data more reliable across the company.

3. Step: Integrating Istanbul CRM and ERP

In the third phase, CRM and ERP started to talk to each other:

1. Approved quotations in CRM were automatically transferred as orders into ERP.
2. Shipment information from ERP was written back to CRM for each relevant opportunity.
3. Overdue receivables and risk limits from ERP became visible on the CRM customer card.

As a result, sales reps could track both order status and customer risk level from a single screen.

Tangible Gains in the First 6 Months

• Visit visibility: Monthly visit reports clarified coverage by region in Istanbul.
• Quotation conversion: Opportunity tracking revealed which products and regions generated more wins.
• Fewer stock errors: Standardised flows reduced wrong shipments and returns.
• Collection tracking: Overdue receivables became visible in the field and communication between sales and finance improved.

Cultural Change for the Istanbul Team

Alongside technical improvements, there were cultural changes as well:

• Sales, warehouse and finance started discussing numbers based on shared dashboards.
• The mindset shifted from “my Excel is the most up to date” to “what does the system show right now?”.
• Management meetings became supported by reports rather than only gut feeling.

Conclusion: A Model Path for Companies in Istanbul

This case is a familiar story for many manufacturers in Istanbul. With the right sequence and a lean scope, CRM + ERP integration delivers measurable gains for both field and office teams.

If you are planning a similar transformation, we can analyse your current processes together and define a realistic roadmap for your Istanbul operation.