SPARDA International GmbH is a financial services provider in Germany and Austria that lacked collaboration between its branches. This made it difficult to share sales processes, knowledge, and customer information, limiting cross-selling opportunities. SPARDA implemented the Safebook software from IBM Business Partner INTRANET Software & Consulting GmbH using IBM Lotus Domino Designer and IBM X Work Server. Safebook improved collaboration and added social capabilities. This enabled staff to better understand customers and each other, leading to increased revenue from more efficient cross-selling and up-selling.

1. Case Study
IBM Software Banking
SPARDA International GmbH is a financial services provider for retail
customers in Germany and Austria. Located in Munich, SPARDA is a joint
venture of Sparda Bank Munich in Germany and Sparda Bank Villach/
Innsbruck in Austria. SPARDA’s business is based on providing financial
services through bank branches, mobile sales and alternative channels.
Lack of collaboration limits efficiency and
cross-selling
Tools for collaboration are especially important for geographically separated
firms such as SPARDA, a joint venture of two banks in two countries.
Because the main tool for collaboration was email it was difficult for staff to
share sales processes, product knowledge and customer information. Many
customers were one-product buyers, which could change if SPARDA could
identify unmet customer needs and close opportunities for up-selling and
cross-selling.
A CRM solution to improve collaboration
This led SPARDA to seek a CRM solution to transform its marketing and
sales processes while adding collaboration and social capabilities. SPARDA
sought help from IBM Business Partner INTRANET Software &
Consulting GmbH, which implemented its Safebook software to improve
customer relationship management and online and mobile collaboration.
Safebook was developed using IBM Lotus Domino®
Designer 8.5 software
with its XPages Web development framework, a tool for rapid development
and deployment of collaboration and workflow-driven business applications
that delivers Web 2.0 experiences. For security’s sake, SPARDA deployed
Safebook in a private cloud configuration implemented with IBM X Work
Server software, an application server that also uses XPages technology.
Safebook’s aim is to optimize SPARDA’s communications and workflow
processes in marketing, sales and service. Drawing from nine databases
at SPARDA, the software promotes information sharing and collaboration
among the employees, customers and partners and can be used to manage
customers, sales accounts and product lines.
SPARDA International
improves cross-selling
through social collaboration
Overview
Limited cross-selling
SPARDA struggled to share processes
and knowledge among staff and needed
to understand customers better to improve
cross-selling.
CRM with social capabilities
Safebook software from an IBM Business
PartnerandIBMLotussoftwarewithXPages
improved processes and collaboration on
both Web and mobile platforms.
Higher efficiency, more cross-sales
Social networking and Web 2.0 capabilities
improved staff collaboration while more
customer knowledge increased revenue
fromcross-sales.
Solution Components
Software
• IBM®
Lotus®
Domino®
Designer 8.5
• IBM XWork Server
• Safebook from INTRANET Software
& Consulting GmbH
Business Partner
• INTRANET Software & Consulting GmbH
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2. © Copyright IBM Corporation 2013
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Produced in the United States of America
March 2013
IBM, the IBM logo, ibm.com, Lotus and Domino are trademarks
of International Business Machines Corp., registered in many
jurisdictions worldwide. Other product and service names might
be trademarks of IBM or other companies. A current list of IBM
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This document is current as of the initial date of publication
and may be changed by IBM at any time. Not all offerings are
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THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS
PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT ANY
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND ANY WARRANTY
OR CONDITION OF NON-INFRINGEMENT. IBM
products are warranted according to the terms and conditions
of the agreements under which they are provided. Safebook is
not an IBM product or offering. Safebook is sold or licensed,
as the case may be, to users under INTRANET Software and
Consulting GmbH’s terms and conditions, which are provided
with the product or offering. Availability, and any and all
warranties, services and support for Safebook is the direct
responsibility of, and is provided directly to users by,
INTRANET Software & Consulting GmbH.
LOC14342-USEN-00
Social networking features of Safebook used at SPARDA include:
• iTweet, a Twitter-like feed for sharing information about customers,
products and business processes
• Produpedia, an internal sales wiki for sharing best practices and
knowledge among SPARDA’s sales team
• Customer View, which displays customer personality profiles, that
provide insights to help sales staff and service representatives be
more effective
Additionally, a recommender engine for cross-selling shows SPARDA’s
customers what others have bought that might interest them.
In the future, SPARDA could enhance the social capabilities by integrating
Safebook with IBM Connections social software, a simple task thanks to
capabilities provided by Lotus Domino Designer with XPages technology.
Improved customer knowledge drives
cross-sales growth
Safebook helped SPARDA achieve the following business benefits:
• Improved communication that helped staff better understand one
another, their mutual customers and the products
• Enhanced customer service through greater knowledge of each
customer’s products, needs and service histories
• Increased revenue because deeper knowledge led to more efficient
cross-selling and up-selling
For more information
To learn more about IBM Lotus Domino Designer and IBM XWork
Server software, please contact your IBM marketing representative or
IBM Business Partner, or visit these websites:
ibm.com/software/lotus/products/dominodesigner
ibm.com/software/lotus/products/xwork
Please Recycle
“Our suite of social CRM tools improved internal
creativity, efficiency, information sharing and
collaboration. In addition to helping with product
management and sales and marketing, social
software improved customer service.”
— Marcus Eurskens, managing director, SPARDA International GmbH