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The power of Pipol – how we deliver value to our international customers

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Pipol’s solutions, services, and organization are designed and set-up specifically for international implementations. We work closely with our partners to offer our customers global coverage and unique know-how.

We spoke to Willem van Rooij about the power of Pipol and how together we deliver value to our international customers. Willem is Sales Manager with GMI group, a valued partner of Pipol. As a leading software and services company in Belgium, GMI group has extensive expertise in the areas of automation (ERP, CRM, ECM, and BI). They specialize in project management business for the construction and installation industries, as well as professional services automation next to the more horizontal finance and trade businesses.

A global alliance built on trust

In a rapidly evolving ERP industry, it’s common for partners to think they know all the different applications and processes and assume they can do everything themselves. But this mindset can lead to difficulties and often results in unsuccessful international implementations.

At Pipol, we understand that the world is complex, and we don’t assume to know everything. That’s why we rely on our committed and dedicated partners to speak the local language and offer expertise on localization requirements and regulations. With more than 80 leading Microsoft Dynamics partners around the world, we ensure our customers’ international ERP projects are always executed according to local customs and regulations.

There are tough selection criteria for partners who want to join Pipol and we only work with top tier Microsoft Dynamics partners around the world, like GMI group. We take great pride in building trusting relationships with our partners and customers because we know this helps ensure better overall communication between all stakeholders involved in the project. Willem recognizes the value of trust: “One thing that’s important when you are part of Pipol is that you have trust in the other partners in the alliance. Trust is needed to provide the necessary services and when you get to know the other partners around the world, that trust is built. Perhaps the keyword for Pipol is trust.”

The flexibility to adapt

At Pipol we know we need to serve our international customers with flexibility and scalability to meet their ever-changing needs and technology requirements. Our flexible approach means we are always ready to adapt to specific customer’s needs. We don’t try to force our customers into a model that they don’t fit into. According to Willem “Pipol always helps us define the best solution. We then do a joint effort on sales to give the right proposal to the customers – and together build the customers’ trust.”

Single point of contact and contract

One of the main benefits of Pipol is our single point of contact to support every stage of the international project with one contract, central management, local anchoring, and local prices. (Read more about “Why you should involve a Pipol Engagement Manager in your next international project”.) As we have contracts with partners around the globe, our customers only need to negotiate one contract with us. If we have a customer in Germany, then we select the best partner for that customer based on their specific geographic and vertical needs. Our local partners are present, on-site, they speak the customer’s language and know all the local requirements. And, our customers benefit from that.

According to Willem, “When working on international projects there are always lots of different time zones, people speaking different languages, having to deal with different legal and local requirements and custom habits. By sourcing partners through Pipol, our customers greatly benefit; as they get a local partner speaking their language and knowing all about the local rules and regulations.”

Open communication and great teamwork

Successful international projects require clear guidelines for communication and responsibilities. Our superb Pipol team works in an agile and flexible way allowing us to act quickly and efficiently. Through events like the Pipol Partner World Conference, we have built an alliance of trust, ensuring great communication between our partners, so together we can deliver the best solution for our international customers. And because our partners know and trust each other, even small projects can be handled quickly.

Global projects deployed on-time and within budget

Since joining Pipol in 2008, GMI group has been involved in numerous Pipol projects. Back in 2015, they took part in a deployment project for Roland Europe Group, a leading manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments worldwide. GMI group developed the core solution and handled the local Belgium deployment. After this, Pipol mobilized partners in each roll-out country and worked together with GMI group to transfer knowledge to those partners. As always, thanks to our deep experience with multi-site roll-out’s and our Alliance of experienced partners, this global project was conducted on time and within budget.

According to Marc Jacobs, European Program Manager for Roland Europe: “The implementation went very well and that’s basically due to the perfect communication between our own internal Roland people, GMI and Pipol. The experience of working with Pipol and GMI was very satisfying. Concerning future NAV implementations, we will extend the partnership with Pipol and GMI.”

Need help?

International organizations embarking on multi-site implementations face various challenges. Here at Pipol, we aim to simplify international ERP projects by offering expert guidance, local resources and implementations based on best practices. We have the functional competencies and global presence required to support you wherever you’re located. To find out how Pipol can help you successfully roll-out your international ERP project, get in touch today.

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