Applicate: Delivering Operational Agility and Seamless Integration

A telecommunications company aimed to grow its business and improve its customer service strategies alongside. Problems arose when they started facing difficulty in managing their Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 application, which had been deployed by a previous vendor. They deduced that due to a system design flaw that took a toll on the performance and reliability, the installation did not meet the company’s requirements. In implementing a fix for its customer relationship management (CRM) system, they found that the actual upgrade had to be completed within a 24-hour window as it was critical to effective customer service and the company had to find the least busy time of the week to take their systems offline. This is when the telecommunications company sought help from Applicate, a provider of business technology services based on Microsoft technologies and solutions that help maximize business outcomes. Applicate was able to customize the Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 platform according to the client’s specifications, completing the entire process in only 22 hours. With the new CRM system, the company was able to reap benefits from improved customer service, faster customer support resolution times, and easier integration of future business possibilities.

Akin to such stories, Applicate has been building the right technology strategy and roadmap for each of its customer’s enterprise transformation journey by utilizing proven implementation methodologies like the traditional waterfall and agile models. “With Microsoft Dynamics 365, we help businesses manage their relationship and interactions with their customers,” explains Chew Peng Chai, director of Applicate. Be it optimizing business processes—including pushing a lead through the sales cycle or driving case resolution from start to finish—or analyzing the success of marketing efforts, Applicate offers business consultancy and implementation services on-premise or in the cloud. Apart from its expertise in CRM solutions, Applicate offers application development for enterprises using custom .NET applications, Microsoft business intelligence solutions, mobile applications, and SharePoint and other web-based applications. “We provide turnkey development from requirements study and architecture design, system integration testing and user acceptance testing, to deployment, data migration, knowledge transfer, and training,” adds Peng Chai.

Applicate is an expert in serving customers ranging from MNCs to SMBs across industries within Malaysia, helping them achieve a sustainable competitive advantage with long-term business results. After implementing a solution, Applicate offers flexible support options as well. “We provide services for on-going support, maintenance, migration and upgrades, customizations, and even manage and operate our customer’s business applications for them,” states Khoo Mei Li, director of services, Applicate. Behind the success of these services is Applicate’s team of consultants who are Microsoft-certified and possess extensive full-cycle project experience. Additionally, the company ensures that its consultants are kept up-to-date with the latest developments in Microsoft technologies and solutions.

Rather than aiming to be the top service provider, Applicate emphasizes on delivering value for customers by ensuring that the systems it deploys meet the customers’ objectives, and are deployed on time and within budget limits. These values have helped build long-term business relationships with many customers. Nonetheless, Applicate is always on the lookout to adopt new technologies that complement its existing solution and service offerings and help customers remain competitive. The company’s area of focus lies in Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and Microsoft Business Intelligence. Moving forward, Applicate is adding new service offerings for Microsoft Azure. In terms of AI, the company is building solutions—such as a chatbot for customer service—that will complement its product offerings. Along with technology innovation, Applicate intends to expand its operations within the ASEAN region, with Singapore being the first stop.