case studies
Customer Information Systems and Sales Processes in Defence
Noel DCosta
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Customer information systems existed, yes. But they weren’t working together. Sales had their own tools, support operated in isolation, and operations—well, they were often working from PDFs or outdated exports.
That fragmentation didn’t seem urgent at first. Until quoting got delayed. Or a contract was based on an old version of a spec. Or the same customer got entered three times under slightly different names.
It added up.
We brought in Microsoft Dynamics CRM to try and pull everything together. The goal wasn’t just to centralize data—it was to create a version people could agree on. That took some work. We had to clean up duplicates, define ownership, build buy-in. Not glamorous, but necessary.
Then came Experlogix CPQ. This part had structure. Maybe too much, at first. Some teams weren’t thrilled about losing their “flexible” way of quoting. But once they saw how it handled configuration rules—and stopped pricing errors before they happened—things changed.
The wins were practical:
Quotes went out faster
Fewer mistakes in configurations
Less dependency on engineering to validate every deal
Last was SAP SD integration. Quotes pushed directly into the order process. No copy-paste. No re-keying. A lot fewer missed steps.
To be clear, it wasn’t flawless. We still ran into edge cases—pricing exceptions, export restrictions, data quirks. But overall, the system held.
And in the end, that was the point:
One view of the customer
Smoother quote-to-order flow
Better control, fewer surprises
Not a big transformation. Just a solid fix to something that had been slowing people down for too long.
This project connected Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Experlogix CPQ, and SAP SD to streamline customer data, quoting, and order processing for a UAE-based defense manufacturer. The result was a more reliable, integrated workflow built for accuracy, control, and long-term scalability.
About the Client - A Middle East Defence Manufacturer
The client is a defense company based in the UAE. Mid-sized, focused, and operating in a space where discretion and precision matter more than visibility. They manufacture high-grade components—mostly for military aviation and secure communication platforms. Not consumer-facing. Not public. But vital, especially within regional defense supply chains.
- Sales cycles are long. There’s no such thing as a quick deal. Everything is engineered to specifications, and every quote involves layers—technical validation, export compliance, internal reviews. It’s not chaotic, but the volume of coordination is heavy. Sometimes too heavy for the systems they had in place.
- Their CRM setup—if you could call it that—was fragmented. Data lived in silos. Some of it was reliable, some wasn’t. And people knew that. It created this quiet tension across teams. You’d see it during meetings: someone would reference a customer record, and others would pause, just to make sure they were all looking at the same version. They rarely were.
- Security was front and center. Not just IT policy, but cultural. Every system, every connection had to meet strict internal and national standards. We had to explain, more than once, exactly where data would sit, and who’d be able to see it—and even then, some hesitation lingered. Rightfully so.
They didn’t want a feature-rich new system. They wanted one they could trust, in a context where trust had to be earned slowly.
Business Challenges faced By My Client
Some challenges were obvious—things that teams brought up often. Others only became clear once we started asking how work actually got done, day to day. What looked fine on paper didn’t hold up under pressure. And the more complex the deal, the more fragile the process felt.
There wasn’t a single point of failure, but several overlapping issues that made the whole system harder to trust than it should’ve been.
1. Fragmented Customer Data
Customer information was scattered. Sales used CRM, sort of. Support had their own system. Operations pulled details from SAP. The problem wasn’t that data didn’t exist—it did—but no one could agree on which version was accurate. That led to confusion, repeated follow-ups, and eventually, workarounds that created more problems than they solved.
2. Manual, Inconsistent Quoting
Quoting was handled manually. Most reps used spreadsheets or copied from old files. Configurations changed mid-process, and it wasn’t always clear who made what edits—or why. Prices could shift without explanation. When deals got complicated, accuracy suffered. And even when things didn’t go wrong, they still took longer than they should have.
3. Systems That Didn’t Talk
CRM, CPQ, and SAP SD all worked, but in isolation. Data had to be pushed manually—or re-entered entirely. Sometimes teams weren’t sure what the latest approved version was. That disconnect added friction across every handoff.
4. Audit and Compliance Risks
Approvals weren’t always documented. Sometimes they were in email threads. Other times, they weren’t captured at all. When compliance teams asked for traceability, responses were incomplete. In a defense environment, that’s not a small issue—it’s a liability.
5. Limited Visibility Across the Lifecycle
Tracking a full customer lifecycle meant checking three or four different places—if the data existed at all. Purchase history, service notes, and quote changes were disconnected. It was hard to get a full picture, even harder to act on it confidently.
Solution Delivered
It’s hard to point to a single turning point. There wasn’t one tool or decision that fixed everything. It came together gradually—one layer at a time. Each part solved a piece of the problem, and honestly, we didn’t get it all right on the first try. But once the pieces were in place, things started to move more easily.
The focus wasn’t on reinventing the way people worked. It was on clearing the friction. Making sure the right systems were connected. The right data was trusted. And the right people had what they needed—without chasing it down.
A. Microsoft Dynamics CRM
We started with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Not because it would fix everything, but because it gave us a place to start untangling the data.
Customer records were centralized. That part was expected. But what made the difference was how it began to pull teams together—sales, support, even ops—around a shared understanding of who the customer actually was.
We integrated it with Outlook, service channels, and a few internal tools. Some of it felt routine. Some parts were more involved—especially where manual workflows had quietly become the default. Still, the end result was real visibility. And more importantly, trust in what people were seeing.
B. Experlogix CPQ
Before CPQ, quoting was a mix of best guesses and memory. Reps used past quotes, spreadsheets, emails—whatever got the job done. It wasn’t reckless, but it definitely wasn’t scalable.
Experlogix changed that. It gave structure. Rules were embedded. Product configurations followed logic instead of instinct. And while it did feel limiting at first (some weren’t shy about saying so), it also cut out the ambiguity.
We customized it heavily—military-grade configurations, contract-driven pricing, layered validation. It didn’t all land perfectly the first time. But after a few cycles, the feedback shifted. Quotes became faster, more consistent. People stopped double-checking things manually, which was kind of the point.
C. SAP SD Integration via SAP CPI
The integration between CPQ and SAP SD was handled through SAP CPI. That piece mattered more than most people expected.
Before, moving a quote into SAP meant a second round of data entry—or worse, reformatting. It introduced errors, slowed things down, and honestly, felt like busywork. With CPI, the handoff became automatic. Quotes pushed straight into SAP. Customer and order data synced in near real time.
It wasn’t glamorous, but it was the connection point that let everything else hold together.
D. Security & Compliance Alignment
Security drove every technical decision. There wasn’t a lot of room for shortcuts—not in this environment.
Access controls were tightly defined. We set role-based permissions across all key functions, with audit trails capturing quote creation, approvals, and changes. Not every user loved the guardrails, but they were necessary.
We also addressed data residency upfront. Nothing left the region. No exceptions. That conversation happened early and often—for good reason.
E. Deployment Approach
We didn’t roll it out all at once. That would’ve backfired.
It started with a pilot—small group, specific use cases. We tested edge scenarios, surfaced gaps, and made a few changes before scaling. Training was kept practical. Short sessions, targeted materials.
SAP CPI handled the integrations. Where we hit limitations, we added custom logic. Not elegant in every case, but it worked.
Looking back, it wasn’t perfect. But it was grounded. It respected how people worked—and gave them something better to work with.
Results & Benefits
The changes weren’t immediate. That probably needs to be said up front. There was an adjustment period—teams learning the tools, old habits clashing with new processes. But once things settled, the improvements became clear. Measurable in some areas, felt in others.
- Quote turnaround time dropped by about 35%. That didn’t happen overnight. It took a few cycles, and some cleanup in how product configurations were managed. But by the third month, most quotes were going out faster—and with fewer internal approvals needed.
- Accuracy improved as well. With CPQ enforcing configuration logic and pricing rules, errors in quotes—particularly in more complex, custom builds—went down significantly. We didn’t have to chase missing details as often. Compliance teams reported fewer exceptions, which was telling in itself.
- Dynamics CRM gave everyone the same view of the customer—sales, support, engineering, even finance. You could track the full journey: initial contact, quotes, changes, orders, delivery. There were still a few quirks in the way some historical data showed up, but nothing that broke trust in the system.
- Manual entry into SAP dropped off sharply. Once CPI integration was live, most of the order data flowed automatically from CPQ. That reduced delays, but also eliminated the small, hard-to-catch mistakes—misspelled materials, outdated part numbers, inconsistent pricing—that used to show up at the worst time.
- And perhaps just as important, collaboration improved. Sales and engineering weren’t constantly going back and forth on what was technically allowed. Finance didn’t have to revalidate pricing logic after every quote revision.
The process wasn’t just faster. It was smoother. More aligned. People stopped double-checking everything—and started trusting the flow.
Lessons Learned & Best Practices
- If there was one consistent thread, it was this: alignment matters more than tools. Getting systems in place was only half the job. Getting people—across sales, engineering, finance, IT—to agree on how those systems should work together took just as much effort, maybe more.
- We also underestimated how detailed the data mapping needed to be. Especially during integration. Some field-level decisions that seemed minor ended up causing confusion later. If we were doing it again, we’d spend more time upfront defining how data should flow—not just technically, but practically, for the people using it.
- Training wasn’t a one-and-done. Some users got it quickly. Others needed more time, especially once the pilot ended and edge cases started showing up. Keeping support accessible—someone to ask, someone to clarify—made a big difference in long-term adoption.
- And finally, we learned not to treat user experience as a nice-to-have. People engage with systems they don’t have to fight with. That’s where adoption really came from—not just from mandates, but from the system actually making their day a bit easier.
Conclusion
This wasn’t a sweeping digital transformation, and it wasn’t meant to be. What changed was more foundational—systems that used to work in isolation are now connected. Processes that relied on memory or manual effort have structure. And most importantly, teams that once worked around the tools are now working through them.
The shift wasn’t just technical. It changed how people approached their day-to-day. Quoting became faster, yes, but also more dependable.
Order handoffs no longer came with the usual anxiety about whether something had been missed. And customer interactions—finally—could be tracked from first contact to delivery without switching between systems or cross-checking spreadsheets.
What was delivered here isn’t locked to one department or use case. The architecture, particularly with SAP CPI as the integration backbone, is built to scale. Additional units, product lines, or even regions can adopt the same model without needing a new design.
There’s still room to refine, of course. That’s expected. But the foundation is strong. And what was once fragile—disconnected data, inconsistent workflows—has been replaced with something far more reliable.
Not perfect, but dependable. And in an environment where precision matters, that’s not a small outcome.
If you have any questions, or want to discuss a situation you have in your SAP Implementation, please don't hesitate to reach out!
Questions You Might Have...
1. Why was Microsoft Dynamics CRM selected over other platforms?
Microsoft Dynamics CRM was chosen primarily for its ability to manage the full customer lifecycle—from lead generation to opportunity tracking, through to post-sales engagement. The client needed a system that could support structured sales processes, while also adapting to the long, complex deal cycles typical in the defense sector.
Dynamics provided robust functionality around opportunity management, contact tracking, and workflow automation. Its compatibility with existing Microsoft tools (like Outlook and Teams) also helped with user adoption. Customization flexibility, security controls, and future scalability were additional deciding factors.
2. What role did Experlogix CPQ play in the solution?
Experlogix CPQ addressed the core challenge of manual, error-prone quoting. The tool enabled sales teams to configure complex defense products with built-in business rules and validation logic.
This reduced the dependency on engineering for basic quote creation and ensured pricing remained consistent across configurations. It supported military-specific logic—such as contract terms, tiered pricing, and configuration restrictions—within a structured, auditable workflow.
The result was faster quote generation, improved accuracy, and less back-and-forth between departments.
3. How was SAP SD integrated with CRM and CPQ?
SAP SD was integrated using SAP Cloud Platform Integration (SAP CPI). SAP CPI served as the middleware, managing real-time data exchange between systems. Once a quote was finalized in Experlogix CPQ, the information was passed through SAP CPI into SAP SD as an order.
This eliminated the need for manual re-entry and reduced the likelihood of data discrepancies—particularly in configurations, pricing, and delivery terms. SAP CPI also enabled customer and order data synchronization between Dynamics and SAP, ensuring consistency across both platforms.
4. What were the biggest challenges during implementation?
Several challenges emerged, most notably around data fragmentation and integration complexity. Customer data was inconsistent across departments, requiring significant cleanup before CRM could be adopted as the source of truth.
Integration between three major systems—Dynamics, Experlogix, and SAP—introduced mapping challenges, especially with product configurations and pricing structures.
Additionally, aligning stakeholders across departments (sales, engineering, IT, and finance) required time and effort, particularly when redefining ownership over parts of the process.
5. How was data integrity ensured across systems?
Ensuring data integrity was a key part of the project. First, customer records were consolidated and cleaned before being migrated into Dynamics CRM.
Standard data models were created to maintain consistency. Integration logic within SAP CPI included validation rules to prevent mismatched data during sync.
Experlogix enforced configuration accuracy through built-in rules. Together, these elements helped establish a more reliable, trusted dataset that could flow cleanly from CRM to CPQ to SAP SD without loss or distortion.
6. Was security and compliance part of the core design?
Yes, it was built into the solution from day one. The client operates in a highly sensitive industry, so every component—CRM, CPQ, and SAP—had to comply with both internal security policies and national regulations.
Role-based access controls were enforced across all systems, limiting visibility and actions based on user roles. Full audit trails were enabled for quoting, approvals, and data changes. Data residency was also a concern; all data remained within the designated region (UAE) in compliance with defense-sector regulations.
7. How long did the rollout take?
The rollout followed a phased approach over roughly 6 to 8 months. It began with a pilot—limited users, predefined scenarios—focused on CRM and CPQ adoption. After gathering feedback and refining workflows, the solution was extended across departments.
Integration with SAP SD via SAP CPI was implemented midway, once the upstream systems had stabilized. This helped prevent early-stage issues from cascading downstream. Training, support, and system tuning continued throughout the rollout.
8. How was user adoption managed?
User adoption was approached practically. Teams received tailored training sessions, including live demos, Q&A workshops, and short how-to videos. Documentation was created specifically for the internal use cases.
Feedback was actively collected during the pilot phase, and small enhancements were made before scaling. Importantly, the systems were designed with usability in mind—CRM integrated with Outlook, CPQ used guided workflows, and approval steps were embedded into natural working paths.
Adoption wasn’t perfect at first, but steady support and visible benefits helped overcome early hesitation.
9. Can the same solution be scaled to other business units?
Yes, the architecture was designed to be reusable. With SAP CPI serving as the integration layer, additional business units or regional offices can connect to the same CRM–CPQ–SAP framework with minimal modification.
Product configurations and pricing logic in Experlogix can be extended or adjusted without rebuilding the entire setup.
CRM entities are already structured to support multi-division views. Future expansions—whether in terms of geography or additional product lines—can follow the same integration and data flow model.
10. What measurable improvements were seen?
Quote turnaround time decreased by approximately 35%, mainly due to reduced manual steps and fewer revision cycles.
Quote accuracy improved significantly—errors in pricing and configurations dropped noticeably.
A 360-degree view of the customer was established through Dynamics CRM, giving teams better insight into customer history and engagement.
Order processing errors declined due to the elimination of re-keying and manual data handoffs.
And collaboration improved: sales, engineering, and finance began working from the same data and within a shared process—something that hadn’t existed before.
Let me know if you’d like these repackaged into a formal FAQ document or formatted for web or slide content.
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