Meijer streamlines global sales process with Merkato

Client Story Meijer Handling Solutions

In the logistics sector and warehouse equipment industry, Meijer Handling Solutions is a well-known name. The company develops innovative solutions that enhance the efficiency, safety, and effectiveness of internal transport processes. Well-known products include the KOOI® ReachForks – telescopic forklift forks – and KOOI® RollerForks for palletless transport. These are complex products that vary by application and reach the end customer through a layered international sales network.

“Meijer works with a global network of importers. From importer to forklift dealer, and from forklift dealer to end customer. That leads to many sales-related questions throughout the entire communication chain,” says Folkert de Graaf, International Sales and Marketing Manager at Meijer Handling Solutions. So how do you reduce that complexity while relieving the sales department?

Complexity in the sales channel

“Many links. That characterizes our sales network,” says De Graaf. “And that brings risks: errors, delays, and frustration. For example, an importer sends information to our sales department. Based on that, a quote needs to be created. Are there any ambiguities? Then the request goes back – from our sales team to the importer, then to the dealer, and finally to the end user. All that information needs to travel back the same way, which takes a lot of time – especially due to time zone differences – and increases the chance of miscommunication.”

This was reason enough for Meijer to start looking for a better solution.

CPQ solution with ERP integration

Meijer had clear requirements for the new system. “The sales team had to be relieved, and the quotes had to be clear and error-free,” says De Graaf. “We also wanted to manage the system ourselves, and it had to integrate with our ERP system, Isah.”

The search for a stable, user-friendly, and future-proof CPQ solution eventually led to Merkato Group.

“Merkato met virtually all our needs and could easily be integrated with our ERP system Isah. We handle most of the setup and maintenance ourselves, but it’s reassuring to know that the specialists at Merkato Group can support us when we don’t have enough time.”

Clarity and time savings across the network

After implementing Merkato, the benefits quickly became clear — both internally and externally. “We now have one central place where all our data, product specifications, and prices are consistently and accurately available. Dealers benefit from this too. Options can vary by dealer or region, but thanks to Merkato, this is all clearly defined. That avoids confusion and creates a more professional impression,” says De Graaf.

Quotes are now not only error-free, but also delivered much faster. “Now that all importers can use Merkato with ease, it saves our sales department approximately 300 to 350 hours per year. That’s a major efficiency gain we’re proud of.”

Ready for the next step

The ambitions go further. To make things even easier for the end customer, Meijer is exploring the possibility of allowing budget requests or orders directly through the websites of dealers – and possibly even importers.

Since these requests are processed directly within Merkato and flow into the connected ERP/CRM system, the order can be picked up immediately by the dealer, importer, and Meijer.

“Convenient for the end customer, but also for our network. It offers a strong opportunity for lead generation, saves time, and hopefully leads to a lot of new business.”