Customer Effective Blog

Customer Effective Senior Consultant Scott Sewell Named Microsoft CRM MVP

Microsoft has named Customer Effective Senior Consultant Scott Sewell Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for his outstanding contributions to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM community.  Scott was recognized for his exceptional work in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Forum, and other  contributions such as the CRM 4.0 Documentation Generator and work on the Extended Sales Forecasting Accelerator. 

The Microsoft MVP Award Program recognizes outstanding members of technical communities for their community participation and willingness to help others. Given annually to a select group of exceptional technical community leaders, the MVP Award celebrates the most active Microsoft community members from around the world who provide invaluable online and offline expertise that makes a difference in technical communities that feature Microsoft products.

There are a total of 33 Microsoft CRM MVPs worldwide.  Scott joins the Customer Effective MVP ranks, with Joel Lindstrom, CRM MVP, and Bill Ryan, Mobile Products MVP.

Congratulations, Scott, for your achievement

Technorati Tags: Scott Sewell,Microsoft CRM,MVP,Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Customer Effective - 2009 Microsoft Dynamics Financial Services Partner of the Year

Customer Effective was named 2009 Microsoft Dynamics Financial Services Partner of the Year, chosen from a field of nearly 2,000 entrants worldwide. The award recognizes partners who have exhibited excellence in providing innovative and unique solutions based on Microsoft Dynamics to customers in the financial services industry. Customer Effective has demonstrated industry knowledge and expertise, as well as consistent, high-quality, predictable service to Microsoft Dynamics customers.

 

“We are very pleased with Microsoft’s recognition of our success in delivering CRM solutions to the unique and demanding requirements of financial services companies,” said Scott Millwood, President of Customer Effective. “I’m really proud of everyone in our company for the hard work they have put into building our customer base and for building superb solutions in complex financial services vertical markets over the past six years. Its great for the team to see their hard work result in this prestigious award. I’m equally pleased with Microsoft’s continued guidance and support in helping us grow to become the recognized leader in financial services.” 

 

Customer Effective has completed over 300 projects with 170 customers and partners since the company was founded in 2003 to focus exclusively on Microsoft Dynamics CRM. The company’s customers include Bank of America, FBR Capital Markets, First Reserve, Markel Corporation, MAG Mutual Insurance Company, Taylor, Bean and Whitaker Mortgage Corporation, Valmark Securities and CapTrust Financial Advisors. Customer Effective’s success in financial services is based upon deep business process knowledge and delivery of Microsoft Dynamics CRM with “XRM” Accelerators specifically configured to address the sophisticated relational models and processes of  financial services micro-verticals.

 

“Microsoft is proud to recognize Customer Effective as the Microsoft Dynamics Financial Services Partner of the Year,” said David Smith, General Manager, U.S. Microsoft Dynamics Partners, Microsoft Corp. “Customer Effective’s innovative solutions based on Microsoft Dynamics CRM have helped their financial services customers achieve their business goals and succeed. Their Capital Effective CRM solution delivers business-class solutions to financial professionals across insurance, banking, and capital markets.”

The CRM Roadshow Rolls On

The Customer Effective CRM Education Day event series kicked off on May 19th in Cincinnati, OH.  Customer Effective founders Scott Millwood and Michael Elliott and CRM MVP Joel Lindstrom lead a full day of sessions covering CRM, configuration, building a solution, Workflow, data migration, dashboards, portals and more. 

The roadshow continues on Tuesday, June 2nd at the Microsoft Atlanta office, 1125 Sanctuary Park, Suite 300, Alpharetta, GA 30004.  Events are also scheduled for 6/23 in Reston, VA and 7/21 in Malvern, PA.

The CRM Education Day is a great opportunity for someone who does not use Microsoft Dynamics CRM to learn more about it, or for somebody who has Microsoft CRM but wants to find out how to do more with it.

Agenda

8:00 am to 9:00 am	Welcome
9:00 am to 9:20 am	What is Microsoft Dynamics CRM?
9:20 am to 10:00 am	Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Product Overview
10:00 am to 10:20 am	Microsoft CRM Reporting and Business Intelligence
10:20 am to 10:30 am	Break
10:30 am to 11:30 am	Configuring and Extending Microsoft CRM
11:30 am to 12:00 pm	Building a Solution
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm	Lunch
1:00 pm to 1:20 pm	Microsoft CRM Workflow 101
1:20 pm to 1:50 pm	Data Migration and Integration
1:50 pm to 2:00 pm	Break
2:00 pm to 2:30 pm	Dashboards
2:30 pm to 3:00 pm	Portals
3:00 pm to 3:30 pm	Implementing a Solution
3:30 pm to 3:45 pm	Customer Effective Solution Lab Overview
3:45 pm to 4:00 pm	Q&A

To find more information on the CRM Education Day, or to register for one of the upcoming sessions, visit our events page at customereffective.com.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft Dynamics CRM,Customer Effective,education day

Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Select Customer Effective for Microsoft CRM Project

Growing Needs of Mortgage Lender for Single Information Views Lead to CRM

 

Greenville, SC - - May 5, 2009 - - Customer Effective Inc., a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and value-added reseller of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, announces that Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp. (TBW), a top 10 national wholesale mortgage lender, recently selected the company as its CRM software provider. The CRM system deployment involved data integration, business process streamlining and automation to sustain annual production volume of $35 Billion and support the lender’s $3 billion asset total. At the behest of Microsoft, Customer Effective embarked on the collaborative CRM project with TBW, building the CRM solution to meet the growing needs of the mortgage lender. Customer Effective worked as an extension of TBW’s IT department, providing consultant services during and after the implementation process. Encouraging user adoption of the CRM system throughout the organization was integral to the success of TBW’s process improvement strategy.

 

According to Cindy Janssen, project manager of TBW, “It was a collaborative process from the start, and we could not have completed such a successful CRM implementation without the expertise of Customer Effective. We have always approached technology deployments differently. Customer Effective rose to the occasion and promptly adapted to our atypical culture, displaying a high level of talent at every stage of the business relationship.”

 

With Microsoft Dynamics CRM, TBW uses key functionality to pull information from a number of data sources and systems and aggregates that data to present a single view of the information to users. CRM reduces the number of required applications needed and serves as the company’s only record system for all customer data in client administration, client services and one group of insurance agents. To get a full view of the timeline during the approval process, representatives can also track all interactions by account. The CRM system’s Advanced Find feature allows users to obtain report information without the assistance of the IT department. For mortgage lenders, CRM enhances various aspects of the lending process with holistic views of a customer file created by collecting all enterprise data in one central location. This is beneficial to lenders as they are able to implement intelligent up-selling and cross-selling tactics based on a clear understanding of customer data, increasing greater wallet share. Mortgage lending personnel also leverage CRM to manage and track sales goals and trends, enhancing the sales process with an efficient understanding of proven successful loan decisioning.

 

“Microsoft Dynamics CRM enabled TBW to upgrade their access to complete and accurate customer information, allowing the lender to offer uniquely targeted products and services,” said Scott Millwood, CEO of Customer Effective. “TBW clearly outlined their business process which made our approach to the CRM project much easier. We were able to integrate and convert their business data into a single, comprehensive source of information for all employees, giving them the tools necessary to remain a preeminent organization in the mortgage lending industry.”

CRM Summer School 2009 by Customer Effective

After a very successful 2 day Customer Effective CRM User Group in 2008 with over 43 companies participating Customer Effective has decided to pack up the gear and hit the road in the Summer of 2009.  We are beginning our CRM Education Campaign by conducting one day education sessions in various Microsoft offices.  The first couple of events are scheduled and the remaining dates and locations will be finalized over the coming weeks.  The agenda covers it all including a focus on the new buzz, "XRM" applications powered by Microsoft Dynamics CRM.   These sessions will include presentations by our CRM MVP's including Joel Lindstrom.

We welcome our customers, prospects, and partners to attend.

Link to Events - http://www.customereffective.com/News_&_Events/Events

New Customer Effective Case Study featuring our client, Dixon Hughes

We always enjoy working with the Microsoft Marketing Team and they have done another outstanding job with this recent write-up.   The case study discusses our growth and overall success as well as highlights one of our favorite clients, Dixon Hughes, and their road to success with Micrsosoft Dynamics CRM. Enjoy the read !!

http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=4000003914

CRM and Social Networking - Customer Effective style

The team at Customer Effective is probably like a lot of you out there - we blog, we tweet, we Facebook, we LinkedIn, we attempt to embrace it all.   We have learned quite a bit and have had a lot of fun over the last few years embarking upon our professional and personal social networking journeys.  From the initial footprint to the ongoing experience, it's simply amazing to see these tools and platforms grow in popularity thru mass adoption.  We are excited to continue our education and learn from others to find the best methods for building our brand, cultivating a following, and creating a collaborative learning environment.

With that said, we welcome the opportunity to have you join us on our journey and in return allow us to learn from your journey.

Become a CE Fan - CEI Facebook Group

Hear us tweet - CE CRM Twitter Account

Get LinkedIn with - Customer Effective

Customer Effective Hosts First Annual User Conference

Customer Effective Inc. recently hosted its first annual user conference in Greenville, S.C., attracting more than 100 attendees representing more than 45 companies. Attendees included representatives from companies in financial services, professional services, public sector, manufacturing, technology, as well as key executives from Microsoft, ExactTarget and Scribe.

According to Sean Poccia, Director of Information Services at Comag Marketing Group, “The two-day user group meeting was engaging, informative and most notably, collaborative.  The variety of users present was a testament to the versatility of Microsoft Dynamics and showed how companies are leveraging the platform to solve complex business problems.”

Attendees heard presentations by Customer Effective executives and consulting directors, industry thought leaders, and peers on current trends and issues including business intelligence, data management, workflow automation and SharePoint integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. The conference offered a wide variety of breakout sessions on Sales Force Automation best practices, marketing automation and development /customization strategies to ensure the success of CRM.

"Attending Customer Effective’s user group was an excellent decision,” said Aaron Roth, MarCom Specialist for Cherry, Bekaert & Holland, L.L.P.  “The sessions on business intelligence and overall CRM strategy as it relates to "performance management" were exceptionally valuable for my firm. There were many other attendees like me with marketing and IT backgrounds, and I received great feedback on what works and what doesn't work when implementing a new software solution. Everyone was there to learn more on how to use the software, but what I think was equally valuable was to see how other companies were using Customer Effective to improve problem areas in their organization and to reach specific goals. I look forward to next year’s conference."

Keynote speaker Lisa Parker from Microsoft addressed Microsoft’s roadmap for Dynamics CRM.  Chuck Niswonger, Director of Information Technology for Jamestown Properties, a CRM user and client of Customer Effective’s, offered advice on how to successfully implement and manage a CRM system, showcasing his organization’s CRM best practices. 

“Customer Effective’s inaugural User Conference provided a platform for like-minded individuals to share ideas on how to leverage Microsoft Dynamics CRM to drive success,” said Scott Millwood, CEO of Customer Effective.  “As leading CRM consultants, we have a great deal of expertise and knowledge of CRM that enables our clients and prospects to engage in successful CRM implementations, and through the User Conference, we can better share that expertise. Our clients and business partners play an integral role in making CRM successful culturally, and at this conference we shared experiences and lessons learned that benefited us all.”

Customer Effective User Group 2008

Customer Effective is proud to announce our 2008 User Group, November 6-7, 2008.   The User group will focus on Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0, and will be held at our corporate headquarters and the historic Westin Pointsett in Greenville, SC.

This event will include many informative sessions including:

• Keynote address by David Smith, General Manager, US Dynamics Partners, Microsoft
• CRM Business Intelligence
• CRM/SharePoint integration
• Microsoft CRM Customization
• Getting the most out of your sales module
• Workflow automation
• much more

Visit our website to learn more and register.  There is no cost to register or attend, other than your transportation and hotel.

Site News: RSS by Author

One of the things I love about our blog is the variety of perspectives.  I post a lot of CRM tips and tricks, Will the SQL/CRM Plug-in king adds some of the hard core geek stuff, Scott has some really good reporting tips, and so on. 

In an effort to make it easier to find and follow specific people's posts on the Customer Effective blog, we have added Author specific RSS feeds.  You can access these rss feeds by clicking on the names in the Author list on the right navigation bar at http://blog.customereffective.com.

So now you can subscribe to the entire blog feed, and a feed of your favorite author on the blog.

Customer Effective Inc. Wins Second Regional Microsoft Award

GREENVILLE, S.C., July 29, 2008 – Customer Effective, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and implementer of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, announced that the company won two separate Microsoft East Region Awards, including the Teamwork and Compete Awards. The awards were announced at Microsoft's 2008 Worldwide Partner Conference in Houston, July 7-10.

    Microsoft partners serving small, mid-market and enterprise commercial customers received the awards for their extraordinary contributions. The Teamwork Award recognizes partners that have developed solutions that help customers realize their full potential through technology. The Compete Award recognizes partners who have achieved key competitive wins, and who understand their customers' business and consistently demonstrate value.

"The success achieved by these notable partners demonstrates their abilities to deliver innovative products and solutions to local customers," said David Willis, vice president for Microsoft's Small and Mid-market Solutions and Partners (SMS&P) in the East region. "Microsoft recognizes these organizations by honoring their tenacity to drive sales and collaborate within the region to keep businesses thriving."

Recognized earlier this month for its Capital Effective CRM solution, Customer Effective also received the 2008 SMS&P Microsoft Dynamics CRM "Vertical Excellence" Award for the New York/New Jersey region. This award recognizes Microsoft partners who have developed and delivered exceptional Microsoft-based solutions over the past year. Also this month, Joel Lindstrom, senior consultant for the company, was named Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for his outstanding contributions to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM community.

"Customer Effective's main focus is to provide our customers with CRM capabilities that allow them to remain leaders in their respective industries," said Scott Millwood, CEO of Customer Effective. "And our dedication to our customers is validated through the number of awards and the industry recognition we received. This month has marked a tremendous milestone for Customer Effective, and we will continue our efforts to provide an outstanding solution to our clients and prospects."

 

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software—any time, any place and on any device. For more information, please visit us at www.microsoft.com. Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

 

About Customer Effective

Customer Effective, with headquarters in Greenville, S.C., is a leading innovator in customer interaction solutions based on Microsoft Dynamics Customer Relationship Management (CRM).  The company is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, CRM Consultants and Solution Implementers having completed hundreds of Microsoft CRM implementations and development projects in financial services, manufacturing, technology, professional services and more.  For more information, visit www.CustomerEffective.com. 

Customer Effective Inc. Named to Microsoft Dynamics Inner Circle

GREENVILLE, S.C., July 15, 2008 – Customer Effective, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and implementer of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, recently announced that it has earned the 2008 Microsoft Dynamics Inner Circle distinction. With this recognition, Customer Effective is regarded as a member company of the upper echelon of Microsoft Dynamic’s value added resellers and independent software vendors. Customer Effective’s Inner Circle recognition was announced during the 2008 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, held in Houston.

Member companies of the Inner Circle consist of the top 1 percent of all Microsoft Dynamics Partners worldwide, based on sales and new customer adds. In recognition of their exceptional sales and new customer addition efforts, Microsoft Business Solutions Inner Circle members are rewarded with an opportunity to attend executive retreats, increased interaction with Microsoft Business Solutions executives, and industry recognition for their hard work and dedication to the Microsoft Business Solutions mission. Inclusion in Microsoft’s Inner Circle also automatically confirms Customer Effective’s membership status in the Microsoft President’s Club.  President’s Club recognizes the top 5 percent of Microsoft Dynamics partners worldwide based on their exceptional and consistent performance for fiscal year 2008.

“Being named to the Microsoft Dynamics Inner Circle demonstrates our CRM expertise and our leadership as a Microsoft Partner,” said Scott Millwood, CEO of Customer Effective. “Since 2002, Customer Effective has successfully developed and implemented solutions on the Microsoft CRM Platform for organizations across a number of industries. Being part of the group of ‘the best of the best’ Microsoft partners is one of our greatest accomplishments to date.”

As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Customer Effective is a company of Consultants and Solution Implementers serving mid-market and enterprise organizations worldwide. The company delivers business process automation, collaboration solutions and has engaged in hundreds of Microsoft CRM implementation projects since the product’s release in 2002. Through its project experience, Customer Effective has developed an extensive portfolio of product enhancements to help users get more out of their Microsoft CRM implementation. These customizations streamline and extend the capability of Microsoft CRM to make it easier for users to be more effective in their work.

About Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics is a line of financial, customer relationship and supply chain management solutions that helps businesses work more effectively. Delivered through a network of channel partners providing specialized services, these integrated, adaptable business management solutions work like and with familiar Microsoft software to streamline processes across an entire business. For more information, visit www.microsoft.com/dynamics/default.mspx

About Customer Effective

Customer Effective, with headquarters in Greenville, S.C., is a leading innovator in customer interaction solutions based on Microsoft Dynamics Customer Relationship Management (CRM).  The company is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, CRM Consultants and Solution Implementers having completed hundreds of Microsoft CRM implementations and development projects in financial services, manufacturing, technology, professional services and more.  For more information, visit www.CustomerEffective.com.