Digital Solutions Encourage More Countries to Invest in Familiar Reverse Vending Machines
Tomra’s reverse vending machines are a familiar sight in Norwegian grocery stores. Most of us are accustomed to returning cans or plastic bottles in these machines.
However, not all countries have such well-functioning recycling systems for cans and bottles. Efforts are now underway to accelerate the rollout of these systems.
Saving Time with 3D Solutions
Johan Vanerell, Managing Director for Tomra in Sweden and Head of Sales and Marketing for EMEA, notes that new EU legislation is leading more European countries to invest in modern deposit systems. This opens up new market opportunities for Tomra but also introduces logistical challenges that need to be addressed.
“I’ve held sales roles at Tomra since 2018, and I quickly noticed that our salespeople spent a lot of time on administration and working with AutoCAD drawings for reverse vending machine installations, rather than building relationships and driving sales,” says Johan
He explains that Tomra began exploring solutions to integrate a visualization tool into the sales process. Coincidentally, they connected with Addovation through LinkedIn, which had a ready-developed platform suited to their needs.
“Reverse vending machines may look the same from the outside, but there’s a lot happening behind the scenes that users don’t see. There are various complex configurations for conveyor belts, modules, and accessories. It’s highly technical, which I believe is a barrier for salespeople.”
Tomra has spent the past year and a half testing Addovation CPQ and has recently gone live with the solution. Vanerell points out that they were already using the cloud-based IFS as their ERP system, and Addovation CPQ integrates seamlessly with IFS, eliminating the need for time-consuming customizations.
Seamless Integration into Existing Systems
“Today, our sales representatives have an all-in-one solution. We save two to three hours of administration per sale, get accurate pricing automatically included in the offer via IFS, and can send precise proposals directly from customer meetings”, says Johan.
The platform retrieves pricing information based on the customer ID already stored in IFS. When prices are transferred to Addovation CPQ, the agreed-upon prices for the specific chain or dealer apply. It’s always up-to-date.
Accelerating the Sales Process
Marko Voutilainen, Senior Key Account Manager for Tomra in Finland, explains how he proceeds now that Addovation CPQ has been rolled out in several markets.
“We enter a space and take measurements with a laser, and the tool draws the room in 3D. Together with the customer, we can then drag and drop various machine modules to find the best-fitting solution. The customer can immediately see the results, and we can send the offer before the meeting concludes.”
Making physical visits beneficial
Marko notes that in some markets, like Sweden or Finland, decision-making authority lies with individual stores, making physical visits beneficial. In other larger chains, decisions are made more centrally, and remote configuration works just as well.
“With web-based systems, we can use both PCs and tablets, and Addovation CPQ also functions well as a sales tool that creates compelling visual presentations,” says Marko.
“That’s what’s great about this solution—we can work quickly, visualize the configuration with the customer, and they can see how it looks, how much space remains, etc. Customers can practically say yes before we leave the premises, and they have the offer immediately,” says Johan Vanerell.
“When I create a configuration with the customer during a meeting, CPQ automatically retrieves the correct setup and parts from IFS based on what we’ve designed. I don’t need to think about the length of conveyor belts or how the setup should look. Everything is fetched from IFS, and we can send the order directly into the ERP system from the program,” says Marko Voutilainen, Senior Key Account Manager for Tomra in Finland.
Fewer Errors along the way
Johan Vanerell highlights additional benefits of using Addovation CPQ.
“Another advantage we’ve gained is increased precision when sending orders to our factories. Previously, if you didn’t have a 100% overview of how the machine should be designed, there was a high risk of errors.”
By integrating CPQ with IFS, Tomra ensures that configurations are accurate, reducing mistakes and streamlining the production process.
Both Marko and Johan agree that the introduction of Addovation CPQ and the integration with the ERP system has led to increased sales for Tomra, as well as increased efficiency for the sales staff. At the same time, it is about attracting customers to the stores, and with better visualization of the layout, it is ultimately easier for the end customer to deposit cans and bottles.
“As it stands today, 40 percent of packaging ends up in landfills and 30 percent in nature. That is the main goal of everything we do – to enable our customers to recycle more efficiently, all over the world, explains Johan.
“Only around three percent of the world’s beverage packaging is included in recycling systems where a bottle becomes a new bottle, and a can becomes a new can. This shows how big the need is, around the world”, he explains.
Will expand with even more features
Johan Vanerell is working hard to build up sales organizations in new markets, as the solution is now also being rolled out in countries without existing deposit schemes. There, it will be extra important to be able to demonstrate the solution in an educational way.
“That is why we continue to develop the system, including support for 3D glasses for virtual views of the deposit area in the store. This is particularly useful in new markets where people are not familiar with deposit machines. Then we can show them what it will actually look like in the store, which makes it easier to understand and accept the solution.”
“For our part, we are also working on connecting Addovation CPQ to our CRM system, which is an external solution. The goal is for the salespeople to have one unified tool – a “one-stop-shop”. This will be the tool we use for everything. And none of this would have been possible without the support of Addovation and their knowledge of IFS and 3D modeling. We have a very good partnership”, concludes Vanerell.
Would you like to learn more about how Addovation CPQ help you make your sales processes more efficient? Contact us today!
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