Picanol
Sofon is the bridge between the Belgian head office and China, so to speak
Sherry Xu
SALES COORDINATOR
5 questions for a Sofon User
1 What do you use Sofon Guided Selling for?
“As sales coordinator I use Sofon to put together quotations, commercial information, and for sales support in the Chinese market. Pica-nol develops, produces and sells high tech weaving machines. Currently there are about 110,000 Picanol weaving machines in use in Asia, Europe and the United States. Sixty per cent of them are located in China. The market is still booming. We are therefore very pleased with Sofon, as producing quotations with Sofon is quick, efficient and easy.”
2 When did you become a Sofon User?
“I have worked with Sofon since January of 2005. We have received a lot of support from head office in Belgium on this. They make sure the latest product information is fed into the Sofon system, the information is then sent out all over the world in real time. Sofon is the bridge between the Belgian head office and China, so to speak.”
3 In which language do you produce your quotations? How complicated is this?
“All quotations are produced in two languages: Chinese and English. This does not take any effort on our part; the translation is deliv-ered after only one keystroke. In China it is important to produce your quotations in the national language. This prevents misunderstand-ings during the negotiating process. It also diminishes the distance between the (foreign) manufacturer and the local client.”
4 What are the advantages of Sofon in your opinion?
“As I have said: Sofon makes our job a lot easier. Weaving machines are complex products with many different options and designs. These are all included in Sofon. This makes it possible for us to produce our quotations independently from head office. But not only that, all commercial conditions concerning financing, transport, delivery and payment are covered in Sofon. The head office only comes into the picture for buying, production and transport.”
5 How long does it take you to put together a quotation?
“Well, that’s something we take care of very quickly; in about ten or fifteen minutes, depending on the machines’ design and options. But again, the more you work with Sofon, the easier it gets.”