Sales Information Service as "Deals Library" in use at Karl Storz

KARL STORZ would like to use the Sales Information Service from crossbase to give all national companies access to the product information in the crossbase PIM system. They need the data primarily for deals (this includes both public tenders and normal requests for quotations). At KARL STORZ, this reference work is called the "Deals Library" and has been in the introductory phase since the beginning of 2024.

Rosa Sanchez and Thomas Kern visited the project manager at KARL STORZ, Dominik Kohler, in Tuttlingen.

Rosa Sanchez:

Mr. Kohler, what are your goals with the Deals Library?

Dominik Kohler:

The overarching goal is to enable employees at KARL STORZ who work on deals to do so more efficiently and effectively. More efficient in that they can access the right information more quickly. We want to become more effective in terms of a higher probability of winning.

Thomas Kern:

Is it possible to say roughly how long it has taken to process a tender so far and how much time could be saved by using the Deals Library?

Dominik Kohler:

From a global perspective, we can't say how long we work on a tender on average. But the range is very wide, from a few days to several months. What is certain is that the Deals Library increases the efficiency of processing by enabling relevant information to be found more quickly.

Thomas Kern

What data do you share there? Images and technical information about the products? Is this being used more now or has it always been the case?

Dominik Kohler:

We are talking about brochures and images, for example, but also technical product features. The documents were already available before, but not centrally via an access point.

Rosa Sanchez:

And this wealth of data has to be managed, of course. So you had the requirements, thought about a library and then you approached crossbase? How exactly did that work?

Dominik Kohler:

We approached crossbase because we were already using the crossbase PIM system. We set up an internal project and then contacted crossbase. The foundation stone had already been laid with the crossbase PIM system.

Rosa Sanchez:

I can imagine that you have special requirements in the medical sector. Or was it not that much different from other companies?

Dominik Kohler:

No, I don't think they were special requirements. One of the basic requirements was simple, fast and intuitive operation. A must criterion was high availability and the "single point of truth".

Rosa Sanchez:

How did you proceed with the implementation?

Dominik Kohler:

We started the actual project in February 2023. That's when we had our first contact with crossbase and then we set up a test system at the end of May 2023. The project then picked up speed from September 2023. I generally found it very positive that our suggestions for improvement and points of criticism regarding the existing Sales Information Service were gladly and openly accepted by crossbase. The feedback was that this feedback from customers is important in order to further improve the application. And our suggestions were quickly implemented.

Rosa Sanchez:

You now have the Sales Information Service in use in the form of the Deals Library. Who is using it?

Dominik Kohler:

We are still in the soft launch phase. This means that only selected people in various country organizations currently have access.

Rosa Sanchez:

How long has the launch phase been running and what has the response been so far?

Dominik Kohler:

The soft launch has been running since January 2024 and we initially started with 70 users. We now have around 240 users. The response so far has been very positive. You can basically say that every person we introduce the Deals Library to wants to get access.

Rosa Sanchez:

And what is the feedback on handling and usability?

Dominik Kohler:

The handling works very well. The Deals Library is available in the relevant languages and is generally very intuitive. There is optimization for mass queries. Here there is a need to be able to select and download selected information (e.g. brochure and main image) quickly and easily across several articles.

Rosa Sanchez:

We will be happy to implement these requirements. When will the rollout take place?

Dominik Kohler:

We would first like to add more content to the Deals Library and then roll it out step by step.

Rosa Sanchez:

Is there anything else that is on your mind?

Dominik Kohler:

The topic of AI for targeted data searches is certainly becoming increasingly important. A chatbot for users that helps them find data in the system would also be very helpful as a further development.

Rosa Sanchez:

So it remains exciting, we'll definitely stay on the ball. And thank you, Mr. Kohler, for your time and the pleasant conversation!

The interview has been edited for better readability.

About the people:

Dominik Kohler, Director Deals Desk - Global Sales Development KARL STORZ SE & Co.

Thomas Kern, Managing Director, crossbase mediasolution GmbH

Rosa Sanchez, Marketing Manager, crossbase mediasolution GmbH