Whether it was email or a physical inbox, STIHL relied on paper-based forms, printing them and filling them out, and then walking them over or scanning them to the next person in the process. STIHL began the process of workflow automation using Microsoft InfoPath, but upon learning that the product was being deprecated, sought a more robust platform from a company they had confidence would be around for the foreseeable future.
STIHL Australia is a leading provider of power tools for the region.
Manual, paper-based processes were slowing the business down.
Using K2 Software, the company automated the product launch process which resulted in a better customer experience.
STIHL relied on paper-based forms, printing them and filling them out, and then walking them over or scanning them to the next person in the process. As soon as a form was printed, they lost visibility as to where it was, requiring numerous, time-consuming follow-ups to determine the status of a workflow at any given time.
STIHL chose a capital expenditure (CapEx) request form and workflow as its first automation project. This dramatically increased the speed at which information and documents could be transferred between STIHL departments and employees. The CapEx workflow is accessible via SharePoint, covers all levels of approvals and notifications, and can generate a PDF version of the form on approval.
We did some analysis and found that we’ve achieved a 25 – 30% improvement in speed of delivery. More significantly, we’ve achieved greater transparency. People used to walk around asking for status of a form. Now you know exactly where it’s at and can get that information yourself online.Therese Chakour-West, Head of IT, STIHL Austra
STIHL manages up to 30 product launches a year. Each one spans virtually every part of the business, touching everything from Finance to Marketing to IT. Traditionally, their launches encompassed managing Excel spreadsheets in multiple locations with multiple owners managing their own tasks, but a lot of issues would arise thanks to inconsistent management and updates.
Today, STIHL uses K2 Software to manage, maintain, and track the progress of all product launches (new/change/deletion) and product changes, and to have a repository where all documents and data that relate to the product launch process reside.
Customer service is crucial to everything STIHL Australia does. In fact, the company differentiates itself by its delivery of seamless customer experiences that focus on delight and long-term loyalty. Yet, manual processes took up employees’ time, inhibiting their ability to make customers their focal point.
The company essentially reinvented how they manage and record end-user inquiries in a single location, providing a knowledge base to STIHL call center operators. Intake into the knowledge center, integrated with Microsoft SharePoint, kicks off with a digital form which is routed to the appropriate person for follow-up. The workflow manages scheduling of follow-up calls, email notifications, and reminders to ultimately improve STIHL Australia’s customer service capabilities.
