The Enterprise Agency is using Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, customized by Net IT, as its central knowledge database for all departments. The agency uses the software to organize its core tasks, such as request processing, providing information to companies, and organizing events. These processes now run in a uniform and structured way, providing all the desired monitoring options. This benefits the quality of their service provision.

1. Agentschap Ondernemen centralizes knowledge and improves service to companies
The Enterprise Agency is using Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Online, customized by Net IT, as its central knowledge
database for all departments. The agency uses the software to organize its core tasks, such as request processing, providing information to companies, and organizing
events. These processes now run in a uniform and structured way, providing all the desired monitoring options.
This benefits the quality of their service provision.
www.net-it.be
tel. +32 (0)9 361 82 33
sales@net-it.be
country: Belgium
sector: government
profile
The Enterprise Agency is a Flemish government
agency that supports the Economy, Science and
Innovation policy domains. It was created in 2009
by
the
merger
of
the
Economy
Agency
(Agentschap Economie) and the Flemish Enterprise
Agency (Vlaams Agentschap Ondernemen). The
organization employs 280 people.
challenge
The various departments within the Enterprise
Agency used to work with a management system
they developed themselves, but after 14 years it
was ready for modernization. Certain departments
with specific assignments used to work with sepa-
The new information system contains all the available
contact information for clients alongside internal contact
details. It serves as a starting point that stores all contact
information such as queries, emails, participation in events
and subscriptions for newsletters. Employees who are visiting companies can for example first check all the history
before they go.
The centralized approach enables Net IT to set workflows
and link the new CRM system to the Central Enterprise
Databank (Verrijkte Kruispuntbank voor Ondernemingen –
VKBO), amongst other things. This improves efficiency,
saves time and reduces the risk of incorrect information.
All 280 employees will have a complete overview of their
clients in the short term thanks to the additional integration of systems which used to function separately.
rate databases, but this made it difficult to share all
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online

2. the available information efficiently. Data was often entered manually, increasing the risk of errors.
The Enterprise Agency therefore decided to implement a new central CRM system in which the new
organization could save and share all contact details.
solution
The HP-Belgacom consortium, ICT provider for the
Flemish government, took Net IT on board to realize this project. Net IT transferred all the existing
information from the old CRM system to Dynamics
CRM Online. The software was modified, and
working processes and information management
were reviewed in detail and optimized.
benefits
Û More efficient collaboration and information
sharing, time-saving, focus on business
Û Central system with correct, up-to-date information
Û Better client service, knowledge management
Û Collaboration with other organizations
Û Data entry from the Central Enterprise Databank as an authentic source
Û Cloud software without infrastructure maintenance, with high availability
Û Everything runs via the reliable and userfriendly software, Microsoft Outlook
software&services
The Agentschap Ondernemen (Enterprise Agency) has
switched to a new central information system. It stores all
the contact information, requests for information, email
traffic, and other details about clients. The agency is using
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, customized by Net IT for
its internal operation, for this.
This optimized version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online
has been given the name KRIS, which stands for Klant en
Relatie Informatie Systeem (Client and Relation Information System). “KRIS contains information about contacts
with clients, request processing and information provision,
also with an events module,” says Luc Boone, ICT Manager
for the Enterprise Agency. “Every request that is processed
by our contact centre, every email that is sent or received,
and all other relevant information is registered in KRIS
together with all subscriptions for our newsletters and
events.” The software automatically checks if certain people are already stored in the database and gives warnings
so that duplicate contact detail entries are avoided. If clients change their own details, these changes are largely
copied over by KRIS automatically.
Knowledge database
Information requests sent to the Enterprise Agency are
received by the contact centre, an account manager or
department in various ways. The requests are registered in
KRIS where their further processing is also organized. The
system enables the request to be found by the correct
person per area of expertise, so they can deal with it from
there. Knowledge sheets, which contain specialist information and guidelines for answering requests per subject,
can be used for this processing.
Desktop Applications
“We keep a record of how every request is processed, for
example to make an appointment, forward a request to a
specialist, or send out emails or brochures,” says Luc
Boone. “Registering everything means we can construct a
knowledge database grouped per subject. We can now
also generate detailed reports for the management team,
which they can then use as a basis for refining the organization further.”
Business Solutions
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Dynamics CRM Online
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Luc Boone: “The management team can also use the software to monitor our contact centre and request processing, to guarantee the quality of our service provision.” The
company information in KRIS comes from the Central Enterprise Databank, so the agency always has the official
source, and this also updated overnight when the data
changes in the VKBO.

3. Luc Boone, ICT Manager for the Enterprise Agency: “Sharing more information with colleagues and between
our different departments means we can work more efficiently and correctly.”
Information distribution via events
Information provision to companies is one of the
Enterprise Agency’s core tasks, and all sorts of
events are frequently organized for this. The organization of information sessions, lectures and other
events is run via KRIS. “The clients are placed centrally in the events module,” says Sam Vanderstraeten, Project Manager for Net IT. “All the information for sending invitations comes from KRIS,
and the target audience can first be selected on the
basis of a number of filter criteria such as commercial activities or requests for information. When the
invitation emails are sent, they can include a link to
an online registration form. This means company
and contact details are already filled in. Registrations are sent to KRIS automatically. This limits the
amount of manual work required by companies and
the Enterprise Agency itself. In other words: it improves efficiency, saves time, and reduces the risk of
incorrect information.”
Everything that is involved in the organization of an
event now runs via the events module: invitations,
opt-in and opt-out possibilities, reminder emails,
registration forms, printing of attendee lists and
badges, booking of speakers, lunch and rooms, and
thank you emails afterwards with feedback about
the session attended and from satisfaction surveys.
And because everything runs using cloud software,
external organizers can also have online access to
specific information.
Inter-departmental operation
The rolling out of the software takes place department by department. The Enterprise Agency is comprised of lots of services, including the Environmental Planning Department, Economic Support
Policy Department, EFRO, Communication Department, Economy Inspection and Design Vlaanderen.
“One of the main challenges was to convince users
about the added value of an inter-departmental
system,” says Luc Boone. “Many departments have
their own way of working, with separate databases.
The Flemish Enterprise Agency (Vlaams Agentschap
Ondernemen – VLAO) used to work with a central
information system, but after the merger of VLAO
with the Economy Agency we had to find a new system that could better meet the needs of the new
organization for all personnel.”
“We decided not to copy the existing applications,
in particular the existing CRM, in the new software,”
says Luc Boone. “We also scrapped lots of components which weren’t being used at all, or hardly, and
added others to optimize the agency’s processes.”
Net IT worked using the so-called agile scrum project methodology for this. “This enabled users to
get started with the new software very quickly, and
it became obvious for everyone what the result

4. would be,” explains Jan Hofman, Director of Net IT. The
aim of scrum is to have all the basic functions working as
quickly as possible in a practicable system. Extra functions
and other possibilities are being added afterwards month
by month. This reduces the implementation time and
makes the software much more suitable for the users’
concrete way of working. Luc Boone: “We were able to
start using the new system, including analysis and development, after just one year. This short turnaround time is
thanks to our suppliers' and internal team’s good skills.”
Sam Vanderstraeten
“Lots of information is now filled in beforehand on online forms. This limits the
amount of manual work required by companies and the Enterprise Agency itself. In
other words: it improves efficiency, saves
time and reduces the risk of incorrect information.”
Alongside Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online – modified to
KRIS – the Enterprise Agency also uses Windows Azure
cloud software. This serves as the portal site, for the data
synchronization with external sources such as the VKBO
and GIS, and the document management linked to KRIS.
Good integration with Outlook
The integration with Microsoft Outlook was, alongside its
ease of use, one of the reasons why the Enterprise Agency
opted for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. “We didn’t
want to create an extra application,” explains Ivo Peeters,
Database Manager for the Enterprise Agency. “The users
see KRIS simply as an extra tab in Outlook.” The Enterprise
Agency is trying to make everyone familiar with how to
enter information for new contact persons or companies
straight away as completely as possible.
When everyone is comfortable with the new working
method, the Enterprise Agency will also start to collaborate more with other organizations. In the longer term,
companies will even be able to log in so they can for example see the status of their request.
for more information
For more information about Microsoft products
and services, please call +32 2 503 31 13 or visit
www.microsoft.be/cases, where you can read about
other companies who use similar applications.
For more information about Net IT, call +32 9 361
82 33 or visit www.net-it.be
For more information about the Enterprise Agency,
visit www.agentschapondernemen.be.
Better processes and workflows
“Opting for a cloud platform means our ICT department
no longer needs to concern itself with bits and bytes, so
they can concentrate on our organization’s business,” says
Luc Boone. “We are optimizing our working processes and
information management, creating better organizationwide workflows and supporting users, who are increasingly being freed from routine tasks. Sharing more information with colleagues and between our different departments means we can also work more efficiently and correctly, so we can provide a better service to our clients –
the business world.”