designfunktion

Success through data: How designfunktion rethought sales and marketing

Designfunktion is a leading provider of modern workspace design with 18 locations across Germany. Since 1981, the company has evolved from a traditional furniture store into a holistic consulting and planning partner for innovative spatial concepts.

In close collaboration with Avidly, the company established a new digital infrastructure and fundamentally transformed their sales and marketing.

Success through data: How designfunktion rethought sales and marketing

Challenges

Before the collaboration began, designfunktion faced the following challenges:

No CRM system in place
No shared data basis between sales and marketing
Marketing activities largely offline and not measurable
Lack of transparency over sales pipeline, forecasts, and project data
High administrative workload for the sales team

“We were always just the ones with the pretty pictures. With HubSpot, we suddenly had numbers we could use internally to prove and measure which marketing activities worked and which didn’t.” - Julia Specht, Head of Marketing and Inside Sales, designfunktion

Solutions

CRM Implementation & Change Management

Avidly supported designfunktion in the implementation of HubSpot as a company-wide CRM system. More than 150 users across 18 locations were onboarded during a Germany-wide roadshow.

Typical objections such as fear of “transparency” or “loss of control” were actively addressed through targeted change management. On-site visits, internal champions, an early-adopter campaign, and regular communication led to a CRM adoption rate of nearly 97%.

Website Relaunch & Lead Generation

Since the old website no longer met technical or content requirements, a new website built entirely in HubSpot was launched in 2023.

The goal was to create visibility for relevant topics and enable independent content maintenance. At the same time, a solution was created that could reflect the specific needs of the 18 locations.

Additional Milestones

Integration of the ERP system MARAH into HubSpot for improved revenue tracking
Mapping of the new sales structure in HubSpot
Transition to data-driven marketing and sales

Results & Impact

Following the successful implementation of CRM and marketing solutions and the website relaunch, the results were clear: designfunktion not only increased internal efficiency but also achieved measurable improvements in lead generation, user satisfaction, and data quality.

CRM

50% reduction in administrative tasks and efficiency gains
Tripling of internal user satisfaction
Full transparency over leads, sales pipeline, and forecasts

Website

Lead count increased from an average of 20–30 leads/month to 150+
Location-specific management and content maintenance significantly simplified
Significant improvement in organic visibility

The collaboration with Avidly enabled designfunktion to transition from a traditional, offline-oriented sales and marketing approach to a modern, data-driven organisation.

By implementing a group-wide CRM system, relaunching the website, and engaging in structured change management, not only was efficiency improved, but a foundation for sustainable growth was also established.