Grain & Protein Technologies: Don’t Let Legacy Systems Hold You Back

Salesforce Implementation

Grain & Protein Technologies is one of the world’s leading agricultural equipment manufacturers, offering innovative solutions across grain storage, drying, material handling, and integrated poultry and pig farming systems under multiple brands. Its brands—Cimbria, GSI, AP, Cumberland, and Tecno—support producers globally.

For a company with such a complex portfolio, precise sales processes and transparent pricing are critical. However, Grain & Protein Technologies had long operated within the limitations of legacy systems: an outdated configurator, immature ERP, and manual processes slowed down quote preparation and decision-making.

With the support of Attention CRM Consulting, the company transformed its sales processes on the Salesforce platform, creating a solution that bridges the gap between old systems and new operations.

The Challenge: Fragmented Processes

Sales projects—such as preparing a quote for a complex grain storage system—ran across multiple systems. Key issues included:

• Disconnected systems: ERP, CRM, and CPQ configurator operated independently.
• Manual data entry: Data had to be entered multiple times during quoting and order processing.
• Inaccurate margin calculation: Incomplete data and Excel-based calculations made profitability difficult to track.
• Non-standardized quotes: Sales reps often used different templates, delivering inconsistent documents to clients.

This not only wasted time but also undermined confidence in business decisions.

The Solution: Salesforce, Quote Consolidator, and Margin Calculator

Attention CRM Consulting implemented a Salesforce-based solution that ensured standardized operations until the new configurator was introduced.

Quote Consolidator

• Stores quote items from multiple sources in a unified way.
• Integrates data from the configurator with manually added products.
• Allows sales reps to supplement quotes with external supplier products or services.

Margin Calculator

• Provides consistent margin calculation for all products across all business units.
• Mandatory completion of missing data ensures accurate reporting.
• Fine-tuning capabilities: dynamic handling of discounts, commissions, and cost structures.
• Executive summaries are always available for real-time decision support.

Transformation: Before vs. After

Before:

• Disconnected systems
• Heavy manual data entry
• Unreliable margin calculations
• Unstructured quote documents

Now:

• Integrated processes with two-way data flow
• Minimal manual work
• Transparent, reportable quotes with accurate margin calculations
• Standardized quote documents for all clients
• Prepared for new configurator adoption

Realized Benefits

• Unified, transparent quoting process – bridging the gap between separate systems.
• Accurate, comparable margin data – accessible at management level anytime.
• Time and resource savings – automation replaced manual Excel work.
• Improved customer experience – clients receive professional, standardized quotes.
• Business agility – Salesforce enables a safe, phased transition to the new configurator.

Key Lessons for Other Companies

• Legacy systems are not obstacles, but integration challenges – a proper CRM strategy can bridge them.
• Data quality is critical – reports based on incomplete or inaccurate data jeopardize decisions.
• Change management is essential – technology works only when sales teams and management are committed.
• Salesforce is a flexible platform – suitable for temporary and long-term solutions while preparing for a new system.

Summary

The Grain & Protein Technologies case demonstrates that digital transformation does not always mean starting from scratch. With Salesforce and Attention CRM Consulting, the company overcame legacy system limitations, giving sales teams clearer, more accurate, and efficient tools.

The result: a future-proof CRM ecosystem that standardizes quoting, delivers precise profitability insights, and paves the way for the next-generation configurator.