CEZ Hungary Ltd. and Salesforce: A Success Story

CEZ Group is one of the top 10 players in the European electricity market. Headquartered in the Czech Republic, the company operates across multiple countries, focusing on electricity generation, distribution, and sales. To enhance sales processes, several CEZ subsidiaries have implemented the Salesforce CRM system in recent years. In Hungary, this implementation was entrusted to Attention CRM Consulting, with the story narrated by Tamás Hiezl.

The Beginning of the Salesforce Implementation

The journey of Salesforce at CEZ Magyarország Kft. began in late 2016 or early 2017, as recalled by the company’s leadership.

“It all started during a management meeting when our Bulgarian colleagues shared highly positive experiences with Salesforce. We ultimately decided to move forward with the implementation based on two key business goals.”

1. Establishing a structured CRM system – The goal was to store business data in a structured, unified database free from duplicates and errors. This covered existing and potential customers, contact details, and invoicing information.
2. Optimizing the quotation process – Previously, all sales-related data was manually handled in Excel, making it less transparent. The company wanted a system where all employees worked from the same quote and contract templates, with controlled access and permissions. The ultimate objective was to automate processes, ensuring that with the same resources and workforce, they could serve more clients and generate more proposals.

How Salesforce Supports Sales at CEZ Hungary

As a relatively small company, CEZ Hungary primarily uses Salesforce to support its sales team. The back-office team also utilizes it minimally for tasks like invoice processing, which has since been integrated.

“For sales, Salesforce is indispensable. It allows us to efficiently manage contacts, maintain accurate records, and generate quotes and contracts at the click of a button.”

The Implementation Process in Two Phases

Tamás Hiezl describes the Salesforce implementation as a massive project, divided into two major phases:

Phase 1: Standard CRM Functions and Data Integration

The first phase involved integrating standard Salesforce functionalities for data storage. This was the easier part of the project.

“Now, all partner and potential partner data—from bank account details to phone numbers, emails, and job titles—are stored in Salesforce. This means any team member can access them anytime.”

Previously, customer-related information was scattered across personal key account manager databases, emails, or phones, posing risks when employees were on leave, sick, or left the company. Salesforce eliminated these inefficiencies by centralizing critical business data.

Phase 2: Custom Developments for Quotation and Contracts

The second phase presented the biggest challenge: developing customized solutions tailored to CEZ’s processes, particularly the quotation process.

As an electricity trading company, CEZ offers multiple product types, requiring a variety of quotes and contracts with numerous parameters. To address this, the company developed a dynamic contract generation system within Salesforce:

“A single contract or quote can be nearly 100 pages long, containing all possible options. The system automatically assembles the final document based on the salesperson’s input and the customer’s needs.”

Salesforce now manages multiple payment terms, currencies, and contract flexibility options. It also determines whether network fees are settled by CEZ or the customer.

The result? Unless there’s a special case, the system automatically generates quotes and contracts with a single click and sends them to customers for signing. Additionally, real-time reporting allows the team to monitor:

• Quote status
• Contracted volumes
• Profit margins

Key Takeaways and Lessons Learned

Underestimating the Complexity of Standardization

One of the biggest challenges was restructuring all quotes and contracts to fit into an automated system. The process was time-consuming and required extensive legal resources.

“We had to break our documents down to their core elements and rethink everything.”

However, this also had a positive impact, as it led to a thorough review and optimization of all contracts.

User Adoption is Key

One of the biggest lessons? A system is only as good as how well it’s used.

“We should have invested more effort in involving users, securing their support, and explaining the benefits upfront.”

Initially, there was resistance to adopting Salesforce. However, over time, employees realized its value—not just for management, but for their daily work. The key takeaway was the importance of early buy-in and involving employees in designing the system to ensure it truly supports their needs.

The Current Status and Future Outlook

As of May 2020, CEZ Hungary continues to enhance and fine-tune the system.

• Ongoing developments ensure all products are fully integrated.
• Operational stability has been achieved.
• User experience improvements are being made based on feedback.
• Customer data restructuring is in progress to optimize efficiency.

“As we continue using the system, we will make refinements that enhance usability and effectiveness.”

Conclusion

The Salesforce implementation at CEZ Magyarország Kft. has transformed sales and contract management, improving efficiency, transparency, and scalability. With a solid foundation in place, the company is now focusing on continuous improvements to maximize the system’s potential.