Illes Improves Customer Service Using QlikView On iPad

QlikTech (NASDAQ: QLIK), a leader in Business Discovery – user-driven Business Intelligence (BI), today announced that Illes Seasonings & Flavors has deployed QlikView on iPad to improve customer interactions by giving field sales representatives access and insight into critical customer data, anytime and anywhere. Using QlikView on iPad, Illes, a Texas-based manufacturer of spice blends, flavors and sauces for restaurants and food companies, can give its customers complete and instant visibility into their product data and transactions, all with the mobility and ease-of-use of the iPad.

“We strive to provide our customers with highly customized solutions,” said Les Howell, Executive Director of IT, Illes Seasonings and Flavors. “To meet that goal, it’s essential for our sales reps to be able to access real-time product data and supply chain updates from the field when they meet with customers. Having the powerful user-driven business intelligence of QlikView on the iPad allows us to greatly improve our customers’ experiences and overall satisfaction. Based on the great results we’ve already seen, we’re in the process of deploying QlikView to our purchasing and supply chain processes.”

According to Howell, “With QlikView on the iPad, reps can now answer customers’ questions instantly during meetings. For instance a customer might give a salesperson a box of something like Rice-A-Roni and say, ‘We like this seasoning. Can you match it and make it better?’ Or, the customer might say, ‘We’ve been buying this seasoning from another vendor but it’s too expensive. Can you make it at a lower cost?’ Rather than waiting until he’s back in the office, the salesperson can use QlikView to tap into company data and work with the customer collaboratively on an immediate solution. This alleviates a sales rep’s need to find more time after the customer meeting to follow up on what they discussed based on the verification of the product availability data. With QlikView on the iPad, the meeting is now based on definitive information that can result in an order on the spot. Customers are impressed because we are using their time well and we are always informed up to the minute.”

Previously, Illes struggled to aggregate timely and accurate data to customers, and sales representatives lacked up-to-the-minute visibility into customers’ supply chains. Gathering information about which products were available and on backorder took too long and customer satisfaction was suffering. To improve its customers’ experiences, Illes rolled out the QlikView on iPad Business Discovery platform to its sales representatives with the help of Axis Group, a QlikView partner and leading BI solution provider delivering the QlikView Business Discovery solution on premise, in the cloud and on demand. Axis Group worked with Illes to quickly develop a sales reporting tool which gave sales reps the visibility they needed to show customers real-time information about products and availability.

After only 30 days, Illes’ IT team, with the help of Axis Group, had run a test case of the QlikView sales reporting tool and presented the solution to its salesforce. In two months, sales representatives and top executives had access to QlikView on iPad and the company immediately began to see results. Employees could now access and analyze customer data in real-time, in the office or remotely, process data, provide more information to customers, and make faster and better business decisions. The improvements resulted in an immediate increase in customer satisfaction.

“We are thrilled to offer our customers QlikView on the iPad technology,” said Randy Gonzalez, Director at Axis Group, LLC. “With QlikView on iPad, companies like Illes have the ability to react quickly and efficiently to data and unlike any other offering, users can interact and analyze that data to help customers make informed business decisions in the field.”

QlikView for Mobile harnesses the immersive, interactive potential of the iPad. It delivers a touch-driven interface that makes BI as easy to use as any consumer app. Users get all the power of QlikView’s Business Discovery approach with none of the complexity of traditional BI. Delivered through the Safari Web browser, QlikView for iPad provides the simple touch-based experience users expect, while giving IT enterprise level governance over the app.

“QlikView on iPad’s ease of navigation and compelling touch interactivity give business users new levels of insight whenever and wherever they want,” said Jeff Boehm, Vice President of Global Product Marketing at QlikTech. “Users can explore information any way they choose, helping sales teams like Illes’ transform the way they collaborate and interact with customers.”

About Illes

Based in Carrollton, Texas, Illes Seasonings & Flavors is a manufacturer of liquid and dry food ingredients for food manufacturers, restaurants and beverage distributors across the U.S. Illes brings unsurpassed integrity, quality and customer service to the manufacturing of its products, which enhance the flavor, texture, aroma, and appearance of a wide variety of meat, food, and beverage products. Founded by A.E. Illes, in 1927, the company is still family- owned and continues to meet the evolving needs of the food industry through its two manufacturing facilities in Texas and a cutting-edge culinary and R & D center that allows customers to sample custom products and interact with Illes’ R&D and culinary team in a personal, yet technically accommodating environment. Please visit Illes at www.illesfoods.com for more information.

About Axis Group

Axis Group is proud to be celebrating its 15 year anniversary. Axis continues to provide value to its clients through the COMPASS product line, managed services division, and QlikView practice to hundreds of satisfied customers at Global 2000 and mid-market organizations. What makes Axis stand out from other Business Intelligence (BI) firms is that it excels at putting all the pieces of the puzzle together. Axis recognizes that people, processes, and technology must all fit together to deliver a successful solution. Axis professionals combine business acumen with technical excellence. By leveraging best practices and a common framework Axis helps its customers understand their key drivers behind their BI initiatives to be successful. Finding ways to help customers improve their business through better information is Axis’s goal. To learn more, visit www.axisgroup.com.

About QlikTech

QlikTech (NASDAQ: QLIK) is a leader in Business Discovery -- user-driven Business Intelligence (BI). QlikTech’s powerful, accessible Business Discovery solution bridges the gap between traditional business intelligence solutions and standalone office productivity applications. Its QlikView Business Discovery platform enables intuitive user-driven analysis that can be implemented in days or weeks rather than months, years, or not at all. The in-memory associative search technology it pioneered allows users to explore information freely rather than being confined to a predefined path of questions. QlikView Business Discovery works with existing BI applications and adds new capabilities: insight for everyone, zero-wait analysis, mobility, an app–like model, remixability and reassembly, and a social and collaborative experience. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, QlikTech has offices around the world serving more than 21,000 customers in over 100 countries.

QlikTech and QlikView are trademarks or registered trademarks of QlikTech or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. Other company names, product names and company logos mentioned herein are the trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners.