Lead acquisition process automation

Lidea’s goal was to increase operational efficiency by making better use of electronic communication channels, improving the quality of its customer database within the CRM system, and processing inquiries faster. To achieve this, a bot was developed and launched to automate the process of managing leads and sales opportunities. This process involves the acquisition of contact data from electronic media – Facebook Ads and the contact form on the lidea-seeds.pl website – and its subsequent entry as new leads into the SAP Cloud for Customer (C4C) system.

Before launching the bot, data from Facebook and the website was retrieved manually. After logging in with their Facebook account, employees searched the contact center, and whenever they found valuable data from ad responses, they manually entered it into the C4C system. In the case of the website, they exported data from two lists available in the CMS and manually entered it into the system. Information entered by customers was often incomplete, requiring additional processing, verification, and completion. Data from postal codes was mapped to the appropriate voivodeships, and additionally, individuals responsible for sales support in a given region had to be assigned to each lead.

As a result, although the data obtained from these channels was often valuable for sales, the acquisition and processing of data – and the subsequent creation of new opportunities – were considered inefficient. Overall, the entire process involved repetitive (read: boring) and time-consuming tasks and was also prone to errors and mistakes. Furthermore, it limited employees’ ability to focus on more strategic and creative tasks.

This process was automated using RunBotics, an RPA (Robotic Process Automation) platform. The prepared main process and its subprocesses support:

• Retrieving data from Facebook using the API,
• Retrieving data from a form on the lidea-seeds.pl website,
• Mapping data from a dedicated Excel spreadsheet that supports lead assignment to the appropriate sales representative,
• Importing data into the SAP C4C system.

The bot runs daily from Monday to Friday and completes all steps sequentially. New contact data from Facebook is collected by connecting to the platform’s API and retrieving new responses submitted through forms linked to ads. To retrieve website contacts, the bot opens a browser and logs in as an administrator. It exports the data to Excel files and loads the new contacts.

The next step is data processing – mapping and downloading additional information from a dedicated Excel file.

To create leads in SAP C4C, the bot logs in to the system via a browser. It then navigates to the lead generation view and enters the data retrieved from Facebook and the website. Finally, it assigns a status to each lead according to a predefined algorithm.

As a final step, the bot generates a daily report on the work performed. It includes the number of leads created and information about any errors (if applicable). The completed report is sent via email to the person responsible for the process.

On average, 25 new leads are created in C4C each day. The data is 100% accurate and enriched with additional attributes. The entire process takes just 30 minutes and requires no human involvement. Employee intervention is required only in rare error cases.

Key benefits of automating lead acquisition from Facebook and the website include freeing up employee time and eliminating monotonous tasks. Human errors have been eliminated. This has had a positive impact on employee motivation and engagement. Automation has also created capacity to pursue other lead-generation activities using other data sources, conduct deeper data analysis, and support customer outreach and sales processes.

Another major time-saver is faster customer service. Leads generated in response to customer inquiries are available in the CRM system no later than the next business day, significantly reducing the time between a customer inquiry and customer follow-up. Bot-added information enables the distribution of sales opportunities among employees according to established rules (for example, geographic division).

The entire process has become more efficient. The spend on Facebook Ads is used more effectively, and customers are served faster. The solution is scalable – in both the number of inquiries processed and the types of information captured.

Integration with SAP Cloud for Customers enables better utilization of the potential of this CRM system.

Anna Domoradzka, CRM & Data Analyst at Lidea Seeds, emphasizes: “The new process has significantly simplified our daily duties by automating repetitive tasks that previously required manual work. This has reduced the mental burden and frustration associated with a single, monotonous task. As a result, we have more time and energy to focus on more strategic and creative challenges."

• Average number of leads entered: 25 leads per day
• Process run frequency: daily, from Monday to Friday
• Process runtime: 30 minutes
• Accuracy: 100%

Lidea is one of the leading European seed breeding companies, based in Lescar, southern France. It breeds, produces, and sells certified seed for key crop species. The company operates eight production facilities and 19 experimental stations. The company employs over 2,000 people in total. In Poland, the Lidea brand offers a wide range of seeds, including corn, winter rapeseed, sunflower, soybean, sorghum, alfalfa, wheat, and cover crop mixtures.