Informatica > Case Studies > Streamlining Pipeline Operations and Customer Onboarding with March Networks

Streamlining Pipeline Operations and Customer Onboarding with March Networks

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Middleware, SDKs & Libraries

Applicable Industries

National Security & Defense
Oil & Gas

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation
Sales & Marketing

Use Cases

Inventory Management
Time Sensitive Networking

Services

Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
System Integration

The Customer

March Networks

About The Customer

March Networks is a leading provider of IP video surveillance software and systems. The Ottawa-based company helps businesses improve their security and decision-making through a combination of high-definition footage and deep data analytics. The company relies on a complex web of integrations in its own IT systems, specifically between the enterprise-grade CRM technology and its back-end financial and operations systems. This robust business applications structure supports March Networks’ customers through a variety of touchpoints including sales, technical support, and advanced managed services. The company is continuously working to improve its online customer experience and streamline its operations.

The Challenge

March Networks, a leading provider of IP video surveillance software and systems, was facing challenges with its legacy data architecture. The company had numerous point-to-point integrations that were difficult to maintain and often required custom coding. This complex web of integrations was slowing down the company's operations and making it difficult to streamline processes. The company decided to implement Salesforce CRM to support its customer pipeline, but the integration between Salesforce and SAP, the system of record for their accounts, was critical and complex. The company also needed real-time integrations to support its website and online portal, which were tied to Salesforce. The challenge was to modernize the company’s data processes and applications to align with March Networks’ growth ambitions, while also making integration processes more reliable and less prone to failure.

The Solution

To address these challenges, March Networks decided to implement the Informatica cloud platform in parallel with the Salesforce CRM. Informatica provided a single automated platform that underpinned its data integrations and sped up operations across the organization. The integration between SAP and Salesforce was achieved using cloud data integration, which allowed data to flow between on-premise (SAP) and cloud-based (Salesforce) systems. Informatica also supported seamless integrations between March Networks' in-house and cloud-based applications. The platform stood out for its robust data management and security capabilities, in addition to the greater speed and efficiency it brought to March Networks’ data integrations. The company is now working on allowing customers to submit orders via its online portal and have those pushed to SAP for order fulfillment in real time.

Operational Impact

The implementation of Informatica has significantly sped up March Networks' data integration processes, allowing the company to roll out a modern CRM system in record time and strengthen its sales funnel. The company has replaced its legacy CRM with a modern solution from Salesforce and aligned its data management across its internal system, leading to smoother relationships between its sales, marketing, and customer support functions. The project was delivered faster than anticipated, allowing March Networks to benefit from its new CRM in less time than expected. The company has also improved security and data management since moving from manual to automatic integrations. The security measures that Informatica bakes into its technology will help March Networks to protect its valuable data, and that of its customers, as it flows between systems.

Quantitative Benefit

Cut delivery time for the new Salesforce CRM system in half through automated integrations, while cutting labor costs
Improved boardroom reporting with a business analytics dashboard that delivered a 360-degree view of data
Simplified the onboarding of new partners and customers with seamless and secure online experiences that automatically integrate between touchpoints