ABA Group organizes CRM introductory session

In line with its continued efforts to match global industry standards and make the business process smart and efficient, Ali Bin Ali Group organized the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) introductory session for selected employees on April 25 and 26.

A CRM system is a business tool that allows an entity to manage information pertaining to all customers, partners and prospects in one place.

The two-day session at Crowne Plaza Doha was conducted by the Oracle team, which would be implementing the system for the Group. More than 50 people attended the session each day, including ABA Group COOs, General Managers, and selected marketing & sales executives from all divisions of ABA Group.

The first day of the session focused on the topic, ‘Sales Force Automation and Omni-Channel Customer Service’, with solutions for sales and customer service being discussed. There was also a segment where strategic recommendations and the next steps were deliberated upon. The day’s proceedings concluded with dinner for all the participants.

The topic for the second day was ‘Marketing Orchestration and Social Media Platforms Management’, and the discussions revolved mostly around techniques of modern marketing. The Oracle team elaborately explained how using the CRM platform would make marketing more personalized and customer-specific.

Speaking about the event, Ms. Suha G. Shatila – General Manager – ABA Group Marketing, said: “We are very glad to have launched the CRM project with the Luxury Division of Ali Bin Ali Group, to be followed by the remaining divisions of the Company. I am very sure that once implemented, the CRM will elevate the sales & services potential of the Group manifold.”

ABA Group’s ERP Project ‘FORWARD’ makes yet another leap and is moving into phase 2

The ABA Group’s ERP project “Forward” has just reached a new milestone. Following a successful “Go Live” of our Human Capital Management (HCM) track, Forward is now confidently striding on to its second phase to include the Finance, Supply Chain and Manufacturing Divisions.

Symbolizing this progress and equipping the Group to take on the next step, a Super User Orientation program – titled “Moving Forward” – was held on 6th April 2017 at Crowne Plaza Doha’s Business Park.

The orientation, which was conducted in a workshop style, was attended by Super Users, Functional Track Leads and ABA SMEs who were led through the a process of awareness and capacity building on the way FORWARD will be implemented and integrated with the existing system.

Speaking at the workshop Mr. Albert Bamboukian, Project Director offered his thoughts in an encouraging speech saying, “We are all citizens of the ABA family and this exact sense of belonging is what will help us ‘Move Forward’. There is no opportunity for us to stop now. Given the challenges, competition & the fast changing environment in the market, we need to keep ourselves a step ahead. We need to be effective and efficient. Our work has to get us the results that matter. ‘Let’s make it happen’ should be our motto. I am confident that we will work as a team to achieve more, for the Ali Bin Ali Group and for everyone.”

Also present at the workshop were Mr Marc Karam (General Manager, Pepsi), Mr Ganesh PK (Group general manager – Finance), Mr Viji Kurian (General Manager – International Agencies), and Mr. Philip Cherian (Finance Planning & Reporting manager).

They also added their sentiments focusing on change being important for growth and how future-focused the FORWARD project is. They reassured those gathered that while the journey would include many challenges, the end result would be rewarding for all.

Mr. Nabil Mourad (COO FMCG) addressed the participants via a video recorded message. He emphasized the importance of FORWARD to ABA Group’s future growth, and confirmed FMCG Division’s commitment to the success of Forward implementation.

Adding an element of fun to the event, a team-building activity took place where, participants were challenged to solve three sets of puzzle that revealed the key messages for the Finance and SCM tracks.

The workshop also included a joint presentation made by Youssef Farajallah Mahmoud (ABA Group PMO manager) and Amer Dakhqan (Intrasoft Project manager), during which they briefed Super Users on the status of the FORWARD project, the achievements and goals. They also discussed the challenges ahead and the role of the Super Users in addressing them.

The event was concluded with a thank you note from Mr Bamboukian and the promise that everyone will work together to make the project a success, taking the Ali Bin Ali Group to new heights.