“ Much of our value as a distributor is in simplifying what is often a very complex supply chain ,” Kendall explained . “ In many cases , providing digital self-service solutions directly to customers is helpful , but some steps in the process require π www . valve-world . net Valve World November 2024
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transactions . Additionally , both our customers and our own organization saw a demographic shift as many seasoned employees retired during the pandemic , often replaced by more digitally inclined Zillennials .” These trends intensified MRC Global ’ s need to expand digital capabilities for both customer-facing operations and internal users . The digital tools not only enable faster onboarding of new team members but also help mitigate the loss of institutional knowledge . direct engagement and expertise from our team members . Our goal is to offer customers digital self-service options where they want them , as well as easy access to our team members ’ knowledge and service . We value our relationships with customers and recognize the insights our team provides . We do not want to eliminate that ; we want to digitally assist it .” To achieve these goals , MRC Global focuses on delivering digital solutions across three key areas of activity . First , through digital ordering and quoting , customers can place orders and request quotes through a variety of digital methods . They can access the MRCGO™ website via web or mobile , or through a custom punchout solution . Additionally , MRC Global offers direct custom integrations , with over 600 integrations currently supporting nearly 300 customers . Customers can also place orders directly from stockrooms at their locations using scan-guns , and soon , through a suite of managed inventory solutions including weighted bins , cabinets , lockers and radio-frequency identification ( RFID ). Second , MRC Global ’ s post-order account management provides customers with 24 / 7 access to critical data , including order status , order history , reports , invoices , mill test reports ( MTR ), proof of delivery ( POD ) and expediting to keep them informed and connected . Finally , MRC Global has developed a comprehensive set of internal digital tools to assist sales and service representatives ( SSR ) and other team members , enabling them to serve customers with greater efficiency and accuracy .
Digital service platform
To best accomplish these goals , MRC Global leveraged a full suite of Salesforce cloud-based applications to develop an integrated “ Digital Service Platform ” for both its customers and team members . “ Traditional customer relationship management ( CRM ) systems are usually an account management and business development tool , but we use ours in conjunction with our MRCGO . com website to digitally enable all aspects of the interactions between our customers and team members ,” explained Kendall . “ Our large , complex customers often require input and experience from MRC Global team members during the purchasing process . In some cases , we have a more straightforward maintenance , repair and operations ( MRO ) buying process . For these , we agree on set contract pricing , and customers reorder a finite set of items largely through selfservice . This can be done either through integrations with their procurement systems or directly on our website .” “ In many cases , there ’ s significant back-andforth between the customer , our SSRs , and product experts . This includes discussions about recommended products , expedited orders and responses to quote requests ,” Kendall explained . “ Our platform enables all these interactions to occur in a single , shared environment . This provides fast and accurate responses to customers while allowing us to track all aspects of these transactions , regardless of their origin .”
Elevating and complementing customer service digitally
“ Much of our value as a distributor is in simplifying what is often a very complex supply chain ,” Kendall explained . “ In many cases , providing digital self-service solutions directly to customers is helpful , but some steps in the process require π www . valve-world . net Valve World November 2024
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