Greater reach and more efficiency – proWirtschaft GT unlocks its full marketing potential with Odoo

Company Name: pro Wirtschaft GT GmbH
Location: Gütersloh, Germany
Industry: Consulting
Established: 2006
Company Size: < 50 employees
Odoo Users: < 30
Hosting Type: Odoo Online
Apps: Email Marketing, Events, Project, Marketing Automation, Time Off, CRM, Sales

pro Wirtschaft GT (short: proWi) is an economic development agency based in the district of Gütersloh. At proWi, specialists and executives from local companies find tailored offers and initial consultations on key topics such as innovation, digitalization, sustainability, growth, business challenges, and employer attractiveness. Additionally, they provide advice and resources for startups and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Legacy software slows down customer communication

The core of any consulting business is communication – both in person and digitally. However, when it came to digital communication, proWi was hitting a wall. Rigid email templates and a lack of integration for dynamic placeholders made daily operations difficult. This resulted in tedious manual adjustments that were not only time-consuming but also prone to human error.

Actively informing customers about events and updates via newsletters was heavily restricted in the old system. As is so often the case when software features are clunky and cumbersome, they are simply left underutilized. This was a prime example of how a poor system can paralyze operations and prevent a company from reaching its full potential.

One specific hurdle with the newsletter was setting up the double opt-in process. This procedure requires interested subscribers to give explicit consent before they can be contacted. A simple sign-up form isn't enough; users must actively click a confirmation link sent via email. This ensures that every recipient in the mailing list genuinely wants to be contacted and prevents users from being alienated by unsolicited emails. Furthermore, the entire process must be transparently documented within the system.

Odoo Studio – Tailored solutions in just a few clicks

Targeted communication with proWi’s broad audience posed a major challenge for other software solutions. Working alongside a dedicated Odoo expert, the proWi team set out to map these industry-specific requirements directly within Odoo.

The critical first step was migrating existing contact data onto the new platform cleanly. Thanks to Odoo’s user-friendly migration features, over 40,000 contacts were successfully transferred into the new system architecture, forming the data foundation for all future email communications.

To facilitate this, the Email Marketing and Marketing Automation apps were implemented. Even in their standard configurations, both modules offer a wide array of features – ranging from email templates with dynamic placeholders to precise mailing list management. The required double opt-in workflow was also set up with minimal effort.

To precisely categorize contacts and build targeted mailing lists, proWi required custom data fields. In other software solutions, such adjustments are either impossible or require expensive custom coding. Thanks to Odoo Studio, however, this customization was achieved with very little effort.

Alongside the marketing modules for newsletter delivery, Odoo's Events app was also deployed. By hosting a variety of engaging informational events, proWi continuously expands its network and generates new leads. The seamless integration of event and attendee management into the same platform ensures a fully centralized and comprehensive database.

The entire implementation process was guided by structured change management. In weekly status meetings, the proWi team collaborated with Odoo experts to discuss ongoing challenges and goals. Step by step, hurdles like the double opt-in setup were resolved, requirements were defined, and end-users were trained.

More opportunities, greater reach, and enhanced efficiency with Odoo

Thanks to Odoo’s versatile features and customization options, proWi quickly closed the gaps in its newsletter communication. Contacts are now much easier to track, and numerous contact management processes are fully automated. As a result of these CRM improvements, the team reports a productivity boost of over 60% in this area.

Perhaps more than in any other industry, an improved CRM in the consulting business directly impacts sales processes. Automation ensures that even older contacts receive relevant information and offers. This prevents leads from slipping through the cracks, allowing the team to experience a 40% increase in sales efficiency thanks to Odoo.

These productivity gains have opened up entirely new opportunities. Because sending newsletters is now much more intuitive and targeted, proWi utilizes this channel far more frequently. Thanks to Odoo, they have doubled their monthly newsletter output.

It’s not just the quantity that has increased; the quality of the layout and design has improved significantly due to the new dynamic placeholders. This boosts both the overall reach of their marketing activities and the relevance for their target audience.

Odoo is far more than just a marketing tool. As an all-in-one software solution, it covers all business areas. Consequently, proWi has also replaced its old Excel spreadsheets in HR management with Odoo. Time tracking and time off requests now run entirely through the platform.

Thanks to Odoo's fair pricing model, these additional apps come at no extra cost, since license fees are billed per user – with all apps included.

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