"It took 17 seconds to open a page in the old system and the information on it was sketchy, so the salespeople just weren't using it," AXA Australia's national sales promotion manager, Barry Wyatt said. "We needed an information system that encouraged business development managers to use it and see it as a beneficial tool."

The National Mutual Life Association of Australasia Ltd. (AXA Australia) has implemented a new customer relationship management (CRM) application to keep track of its growing network of licensees and financial advisers.With about $62.6 billion in funds under management and administration, AXA claimed its existing system was slow, underutilized, poorly integrated, and could not keep pace with the company's needs.

The new system is based on IBM software developed by local IBM business partner Coordimax.From 2002 to 2005 AXA's partner business had grown from tracking a handful of licensees and 1000 advisers to 600 licensee groups and 15,000 advisers.

The CRM system's ability to improve internal efficiencies was a vital element of AXA Australia's efforts to restructure its sales force.

"Sales went up 32% in 2006 as a result of our move from having a system nobody used to one that works," Wyatt said.

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Prashanth Rai