To better manage the relationship with its students, Galileo Global Education wanted to deploy an omnichannel CRM solution to all its subsidiaries, while giving them some autonomy. Almavia CX provides support, upstream of this international project then in the implementation phase, based on Salesforce and Twilio solutions.
Context and goals: integrating heterogeneous CRM tools and deploying an omnichannel solution in 13 countries
Galileo Global Education is a French post-secondary private education group present in 13 countries, representing 170,000 students. The sales force is responsible for recruiting new students, with different methods depending on the country. Some of their sales/marketing departments rely on a Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics CRM. This difference makes it impossible to exploit data at the group level. “We are very data driven but data only has value if it is comparable from one country to another. The tools therefore need to be consistent,” explains Thomas Dechilly, CTO of Galileo Global Education. The idea is to combine all these tools while implementing a group of the entire in-house method called “Full Marketing”, which was developed and previously used in France. Based on a particular analysis of the performance of acquisition channels, partners and tools, this approach describes the way in which schools enter into relationships with students. The key is to improve the message to prospective students and the way it is disseminated, especially on the website. However, each country has a certain autonomy to customize the solution – required by the local culture. To better follow the student’s path, Galileo Global Education also wants, as part of an omnichannel strategy, to integrate most communication channels – voice, web forms, SMS, email or even WhatsApp.
Choice of solution and service provider: Salesforce, Twilio and Almavia CX
Galileo Global Education is studying the interest of a Microsoft option. At the same time, after a call for competition, the company asked Almavia CX to support it in the possible choice of Salesforce solution. “Almavia CX helped us understand the architecture of this solution, which has many modules,” explains Thomas Dechilly. During a number of consulting tasks, Almavia CX participated in formalizing the functional requirements of the student relationship and the contact center, while selecting the Salesforce modules that would meet them. At the end of this process, Salesforce’s offer was chosen and a contract with the Group was signed in September 2020, which however did not include any part of the omnichannel contact center. “We feel that the Omnichannel solution of Salesforce has not yet met all our needs and in April 2021, we prefer the Twilio offer”, explains Thomas Dechilly.
The project: a Basic Model common to all countries
“For the implementation phase of the project, Almavia CX is not included in the competition because we now have confidence,” said Thomas Dechilly. This phase first consists of building a Core Model. Its uses are defined as part of a co-design process in most countries, in an iterative and agile mode. This is an opportunity to put all the questions on the customer journey and commercial performance, while recognizing the commonalities between the schools. Almavia CX supports the implementation of defined functions. The Core Model is deployed in every country. The scope of the function continues to be expanded, always according to an iterative approach by combining the functions that some countries want to develop and that bring value to all countries. And similarly, the Core Model is deployed in every country. “Customization is very strong in each country, but they know what they have the right to do or not do, and Almavia CX is still auditing to make sure that the Core Model is not distorted”, explains Thomas Decilly.
Each country represents in fact a new project, with specifics in terms of regulatory constraints, market, commercial strategy and educational model. “But the architecture of the Core Model brings a universal strategy that makes it possible to adapt precisely to these specific localities”, specified Myriam Santoso, Group CRM Manager of Galileo Global Education.
On the other hand, other countries chose their own Salesforce integrator, Almavia CX then remained at the group level. Otherwise, Almavia CX delegates additional teams, mostly French but sometimes recruited locally.
In the middle of 2021, the contact center part begins, with the integration between Salesforce and Twilio. “We want to adopt a very strong omnichannel logic, with fully integrated channels that allow, for example, to follow the same conversation on several consecutive channels”, explained by Thomas Dechilly. It was on this occasion that Almavia CX acquired control of the Twillio offer, to finally create a partnership with the publisher. The integration required a significant effort but it resulted in the implementation of an omnichannel console that is more than a simple multichannel headband.
The results: a successful international project
In June 2022, the project will be available in several countries including France, with almost 500 users (dealers and training advisors). The deployment will continue in all countries until the end of 2023, to approach 2,000 users. This is already a success, made possible, especially, thanks to the twenty or so employees of Almavia CX who are mobilized.
“Almavia CX teams are composed of passionate and honest consultants and developers, who know how to listen to users and who, beyond writing code, are familiar with production limitations,” said Thomas Dechilly. And adding: “we especially appreciate the transparency shown by the Almavia CX project manager, including when there are difficulties. »