As a global leader in airfreight transportation, Lufthansa Cargo delivers shipments to nearly 300 destinations across over 100 countries. With record-breaking growth and ambitious innovation goals ahead, the company required a more sophisticated and centralized method to manage customer service and sales data. The new oneCRM platform, tailored specifically for Lufthansa Cargo, leverages Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales, Dynamics 365 Customer Service, and Dynamics Customer Voice. This integrated system consolidates information and communication channels into a single hub, providing a centralized point for all customer data and related shipments. This seamless, end-to-end approach enhances the organization’s ability to respond to customers more quickly and accurately, fulfilling Lufthansa Cargo’s commitment to delivering exceptional, personalized service experiences.
We get much more processable data out of the system. And this has set the base to foster a Learning Organization that gives us the ability to see where we can continue to improve our services and business processes. This all contributes to an enhanced customer experience.
Michele D’Angelo: Senior Manager of Processes and Performance for Global Customer Service
Lufthansa Cargo
Developing a customer-centric approach to logistics
Over 90 years ago, Lufthansa launched its first cargo routes connecting Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Paris, and other major European cities. Today, Lufthansa Cargo stands as a global leader in airfreight transportation, servicing over 100 countries worldwide.
From transporting high-value museum art and crucial healthcare supplies to delivering Valentine’s Day flowers, Lufthansa Cargo excels in speed, efficiency, and meticulous care. The company is at the forefront of industry innovation, driven by digitalization efforts, a cutting-edge fleet, and a commitment to becoming the world’s most sustainable airline.
Freight ton-kilometers (FTK) measure the volume of freight transported, with one FTK equivalent to one metric ton of cargo moved one kilometer. In 2021, Lufthansa Cargo recorded 7.2 billion FTK, a notable increase from 6.5 billion FTK in 2020.
Given the scale of its operations, ongoing growth, and a focus on customer service and innovation for 2022, Lufthansa Cargo required an advanced system to manage its customer service and sales effectively.
Centralizing cross-team collaboration
An outdated system had left Lufthansa Cargo with fragmented information, data duplication, and limited capabilities. The organization undertook a CRM migration project with the aim of replacing this legacy system with a more streamlined, efficient, and accessible solution. The result was oneCRM, a custom-built platform leveraging Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales, Dynamics 365 Customer Service, and Dynamics 365 Customer Voice.
OneCRM consolidates customer information and communications into a single, centralized location, eliminating the need to access multiple databases. Sales and customer service teams now have comprehensive, real-time insights into cases and customer data, regardless of the number of interactions across various departments. This integration enhances cross-team collaboration and moves away from the previous siloed approach of separate sales and service systems.
“The biggest impact of Dynamics 365 is the centralization of customer information, which saves time and provides a 360-degree view of the customer,” says Petra Velten, Business Expert Customer Service at Lufthansa Cargo. “Our customer service team finds the new CRM system easy and efficient to use.”
The new solution enables Lufthansa Cargo to prioritize incoming cases more effectively and respond quickly, fulfilling their commitment to on-time delivery. “It’s a powerful tool that offers valuable insights, driving customer satisfaction and aiding in generating new sales,” adds Velten.
Designing for productivity and maximum impact
oneCRM is designed to organize information chronologically and intuitively. With Microsoft Exchange directly integrated into the system, the need to search for related emails or piece together customer information across multiple applications is eliminated. Dynamics 365 Customer Service has empowered the case management teams to handle support requests more efficiently, resolving incidents with greater speed and accuracy.
The familiarity of Lufthansa Cargo's sales and service teams with other Microsoft products makes the oneCRM user interface (UI) easy to learn and use immediately. “Staying with Microsoft products makes our lives easier, both in technical and operational efforts,” says Evelyn Frickel, Application Manager and Product Owner of oneCRM at Lufthansa Cargo. Additionally, the advanced functionalities of Microsoft products allow Lufthansa Cargo to build new features while maintaining a cohesive and user-friendly system. “There’s just way more options now than we ever had before,” Frickel explains. “Microsoft Dynamics 365 also reduced our operating costs by 30 percent across the entire CRM solution, while fully supporting our Cloud First Strategy.”
Creating end-to-end customer journeys
Lufthansa Cargo’s customers, primarily B2B clients, often have intricate shipping needs and requests. “The businesses expect us to know who they are and what they need,” explains Andrea Wernecke-Schumacher, Senior Manager of Sales Processes and Tools at Lufthansa Cargo. Enhanced data connectivity makes this possible, providing the insights needed to drive more sales, offer tailored solutions, and consistently deliver exceptional service.
“The major advantage is the level of transparency between the different departments,” notes Michele D’Angelo, Senior Manager of Processes and Performance for Global Customer Service at Lufthansa Cargo. “It ensures we're always talking about the same customer—no matter which of the multiple touchpoints they engage with us throughout their journey.”
D’Angelo adds that with Dynamics 365 Customer Service, the organization can now “globally measure internal performance across all our service teams working with oneCRM” for the first time.
The system also offers proactive content suggestions for customer service solutions, allowing teams to leverage available data for better decision-making. Additionally, Lufthansa Cargo has gained new insights through expanded customer surveys via Dynamics 365 Customer Voice. This has provided a deeper understanding of customer needs and the ability to respond more swiftly. For instance, Dynamics 365 facilitates a guided process for creating customer interactions through surveys, enabling feedback collection and improvements in customer satisfaction. Sales and Customer Service teams work from the same account and contact data, ensuring no information is lost during handovers.
“We get much more processable data out of the system,” says D’Angelo. “And this has set the foundation for fostering a Learning Organization that allows us to identify areas for ongoing improvement in our services and business processes. This all contributes to an enhanced customer experience.”
An infrastructure that transcends boundaries to innovation
For the Lufthansa Cargo team, the successful implementation of oneCRM is just the beginning. “When we started this project, the focus was on migrating existing systems,” says Wernecke-Schumacher. “However, as the implementation progressed, we began developing new ideas and reimagining what’s possible for us.” She notes that the new system has inspired a shift in mindset and allowed the organization to overcome both technological and methodological barriers.
Microsoft is continuing to support Lufthansa Cargo post-rollout. Working with Marc Kloepfer, Microsoft Customer Success Manager, the team participated in a Value Realization Workshop to explore continuous innovation and uncover untapped value in their oneCRM solution. This workshop helped Lufthansa Cargo establish a clear value path for prioritizing developments in oneCRM over the coming months.
“The workshop provided us with a comprehensive overview of the platform’s capabilities beyond our current use,” says D’Angelo. “With this insight, we can approach innovation from a technical standpoint and gain inspiration for business process design sessions. It’s been extremely valuable for us.”
With oneCRM now serving as a scalable information access platform, Lufthansa Cargo teams are thinking more creatively across borders, processes, structures, and organizational goals. “There are many opportunities where we’re still implementing new functionalities,” says Frickel. “It’s just the beginning of our journey to explore what’s next.”
The biggest impact of Dynamics 365 is that the customer information is more centralized, which saves time and gives us a 360-degree view of the customer.
Petra Velten: Business Expert Customer Service
Lufthansa Cargo