Last month, we welcomed Forte Information Solutions (ForteIS) as a Gold Partner of the Drinks Association. ForteIS is an Australian-owned and operated sales automation business committed to empowering sales teams with its innovative customer relationship management (CRM) solution, RhinoCRM.
We took the opportunity to chat with ForteIS’s Operations Manager, Sandy Duncan and Sales and Marketing Manager, Laura Barandiaran, to learn more about the business.
Can you share the story behind how Forte Information Solutions came to life?
Sandy: ForteIS is an Australian-owned and operated business, and I started with its founders around 12 years ago. Our parent company operates in the bookkeeping, payroll, HR and recruitment support space servicing the liquor industry. While looking for an external CRM option, the owners discovered that there was an opportunity to create a simple, easy-to-use platform that was tailored to the liquor industry.
We were fortunate to be able to work alongside sales reps from Premium Beverages, now wholly part of Coopers Brewery, to figure out exactly what they wanted in a sales CRM. A large part of the software development process involved being out on the road with these reps. Once the software was created and tested, a thorough training program was developed and it grew from there.
Since then, RhinoCRM has been through quite a few iterations. It’s become more sophisticated as we continue to cater to evolving customer needs.
Does ForteIS still predominately cater to the liquor industry?
Laura: I would say 90% of our customers are in liquor. It’s quite versatile. We also operate in wholesaling, industrial, healthcare and food services. We’ve been very fortunate that RhinoCRM users (both sales teams and management) see value in our product, and so it has grown quite organically.
We've grown from our founding customer, to now having customers in Australia, NZ, USA, UK and Asia. It's a huge testament to the product, as the majority of new business comes from referrals.
How does your RhinoCRM solution help liquor clients achieve their goals?
Laura: Typically in liquor, sales reps are responsible for servicing customers in a specific territory. RhinoCRM gives them visibility on their territory and allows them to manage it through effective journey planning including map views of their accounts to help them be more efficient with route planning.
They can keep all of the information with regard to one customer in a single repository so every customer call is effective with the information they need right in front of them. They can see things like account information, contacts, call history, photos, distribution audits (including tap counts), promotional activity, sales data and objectives just to name a few. And, in turn, management have visibility on each customer so they can understand what’s going on out in the trade. It’s a measured behavioural tool.
What differentiates ForteIS from other CRM solution providers in the market?
Laura: I would say 100% that it was built by salespeople for salespeople. It's simple, it's relevant, it's tailorable, so each customer can use it slightly differently, and we have that flexibility to work with our customers to make sure that it is suitable for their business.
Sandy: We are a close-knit, passionate team, which requires us to operate with maximum efficiency. We have the flexibility to explore new technologies and make swift decisions without being hindered by bureaucracy. Our strong internal collaboration is mirrored in how we interact with, and support, our customers.
Are there any upcoming innovations or plans for the future that ForteIS is excited to share?
Sandy: Our current major focus is achieving ISO accreditation, which will demonstrate that we've met all global security standards. Product development is an ongoing process, driven by the feedback and needs of our customers. We're also exploring the integration of AI into our product to make the software even smarter and more efficient.
Why have you decided to join the Drinks Association, and what do you hope to achieve by collaborating with us?
Laura: We want to be more involved in the industry, meet more people and help more businesses and continue to shape RhinoCRM to assist the Liquor Industry .
Sandy: Just to add to that, I feel really good that we can lean on the insights from the Drinks Association and share introductions. Collaboration is one of our core values, and we strive to support the industry's growth in a way that benefits everyone.
About Rhino CRM
Developed by salespeople for salespeople, RhinoCRM is a simple, flexible, secure, and cost-effective system designed to enhance sales visibility, territory management, accountability and productivity in the liquor industry. This has also extended to internal teams such as telesales and customer service. Its user-friendly interface ensures that teams find it intuitive and effective for managing their customer relationships and interactions. From a technical perspective, RhinoCRM has an API available for integrations with other systems.
For more information, visit www.forteis.com.au or email info@forteis.com.au
ForteIS is a Gold Partner of the Drinks Association.