Takara standard, Implements uSonar to Promote Data-Driven Sales

Ms. Niimi of Takara standard (right) speaking at the Salesforce Japan World Tour Tokyo venue

• Lecture Theme
Corporate Data Management Methodology as Told by the Salesforce National Utilization Champion
• Date and Time
June 12, 2024 (Wed) 12:00 – 12:40
• Speakers
Takara standard Co., Ltd., Structural Reform & DX Promotion Office and Sales Division Manager
Sayuri Niimi
uSonar Co., Ltd., Sales Division Planning Group Manager
Taku Fujisawa

Ms. Niimi of Takara standard speaking at the Salesforce Japan World Tour Tokyo venue

Takara standard, which develops housing equipment centered on system kitchens, boasts top-tier performance in the domestic industry with sales of 234.7 billion yen (fiscal year ending March 2024).
However, the long-term industry trend shows a challenging business environment, with a declining number of housing starts and stagnant demand for renovations.

To survive in a market where a downward trend is expected to continue, transformation was essential. The company launched a policy to promote "Data-Driven Sales" to increase revenue. As a means to achieve this, they began using Salesforce SFA in 2019. To realize data-driven sales, it was first necessary to centralize transaction information and visualize whether the company was effectively approaching target enterprises.

Specifically, the initial plan was to centralize account information by integrating Salesforce, which manages customer data and sales history, with the core system that manages billing and delivery information.

Although the project to centralize account information began, a challenge regarding data granularity emerged: Salesforce assigns codes at the "branch office" level, while the core system assigns them at the "billing" level.

Continuing as is would have resulted in data duplication after centralization. Therefore, it became clear that before consolidating the information, the significant hurdle of "data cleansing" for account information had to be overcome.

Mr. Niimi of Takara standard Co., Ltd. speaking at the Salesforce Japan World Tour Tokyo venue.

There are two main approaches to data cleansing: developing an in-house corporate code system, or utilizing the corporate code system provided by an external data provider like us.
Takara standard Co., Ltd. chose the latter and proceeded to compare vendors.

In the case of uSonar, we conduct a "Data Diagnostic Service" to visualize data cleansing accuracy by matching the client's data (in this case, Takara standard Co., Ltd.) with our corporate database, "LBC," to verify the match rate.

In this instance, when we matched the data in the core system's account master with LBC data, we found that the 300,000 records could be refined down to 180,000. This result, along with the comprehensive coverage of local small and medium-sized enterprise data—which are key targets for Takara standard Co., Ltd.—and the ability to realize customer management at the branch level, led to the decision to adopt uSonar.

By leveraging LBC to centralize customer information, they successfully established the foundation for "Data-Driven Sales."Integration diagram between Takara standard Co., Ltd. and uSonar. Finally, the data is visualized using BI tools and provided to internal users.

Having centralized customer information and utilized Salesforce to accelerate "Data-Driven Sales," Takara standard Co., Ltd. reports success in the following three areas:

　1. Data-Based Coaching
　2. Data-Based Sales Strategy
　3. Refinement of Handover Information

By leveraging accurate customer data, we can identify target markets and visualize whether we are effectively reaching them, which has enabled data-driven sales coaching.

Mr. Niimi adds, "We are now able to see our next steps and determine the best strategies to implement."

Furthermore, he notes that even when sudden personnel transfers occur, the centralization of information allows for seamless handovers with highly refined data, which has proven to be a significant benefit.

At the end of his presentation, Mr. Niimi stated, "Designing the system is essential for effectively utilizing Salesforce." He emphasized that when designing the data architecture, "It is highly effective to engage a data vendor, as manual processing is extremely labor-intensive. Additionally, it is crucial to manage new, incoming data daily to prevent duplication. To achieve this, designing a data flow for ongoing operations is indispensable."

Since our founding in 1912, we have been providing housing equipment with a focus on the user's lifestyle. Starting as a pioneer in enamel products, we now boast the number one market share for kitchens in Japan. We operate approximately 160 community-based showrooms nationwide—the most in the industry—creating an environment where customers can "see, touch, and be convinced."
Moving forward, we will continue to provide products that make life more comfortable for everyone.

*Our service and feature names are current as of the time of the interview.