Case Study: CRM Implementation & Workflow Automation
From Manual CPD to Automated Growth Platform: Unified Operations with Salesforce CRM Transformation
Connected Systems & Data Flow to Power Member Management
Project Highlights
Replaced scattered database with a relational Salesforce CRM
GA Core Workflow: custom setup of scheduling, documentation and more
Structured records for glavanising plants, events, and training
Consolidated multi-channel enquiries in one system
Complete CPD certificate cycle with decision-led, minimal staff intervention
Real-time dashboards for engagement and activity tracking
Scalable, future-ready CRM Foundation
Our Mission
To replace the Galvanizers Association’s fragmented legacy SQL database with an intuitive, scalable Salesforce platform—empowering their team with clean data, automated workflows, and real-time insights for growth and member engagement.
What is Galvanizers Association?
Galvanizers Association (GA) is the official voice of the UK and Ireland’s hot dip galvanizing industry. They support a national network of galvanizing plants and stakeholders through technical education, CPD training, industry publications, and design awards. Their mission is to promote galvanizing as a sustainable, corrosion-resistant solution for modern construction and manufacturing.
Why Aweb?
After Aweb successfully redesigned GA’s UK & Irish website, the Association returned to us to transform their internal systems. Our proven partnership had also delivered HDG Magazine and
Feuerverzinken Magazine—a bilingual, no-code publishing platform used by UK and German teams to create content-rich editions with ease.
This same standard of clarity, control, and scalability guided the Salesforce transformation.
GA partnered with Aweb to break free from their legacy systems—not just for a technical rebuild, but to reimagine how they operate. More than a CRM, it was a complete rethinking of how GA functions and grows; a no-fluff approach to data migration and governance—clean, validated, and relational.
The Challenge
Galvanizers Association (GA), UK’s leading galvanizing resource body, was mired in data chaos and operational discrepancies:
Flat, Fragmented Data
Their entire operation ran on an unstructured SQL table. Critical fields pertaining to their many operational activities like awards, CPD history, and contact types were either empty or inconsistent. Duplicates were rampant, and meaningful segmentation and analysis were impossible.
Manual Processes, Repetitive Work
From designing and emailing CPD certificates to publishing dispatch lists, every touchpoint required multiple steps and multiple tools. The admin team spent more time chasing spreadsheets than engaging in member communication—causing hours of repetitive work and frequent errors.
Disconnected Systems
No relational structure to link companies, plants, contacts, or enquiries, leading to lost opportunities and failed communications.
Broken Reporting
Corrupted records and invalid fields meant reporting on member engagement or plant operations was effectively impossible, with no way to link contacts to plants, enquiries to awards, or even to validate active GA members.
Project Snapshot
A complete rebuild of Galvanizers Association’s internal systems—from a flat SQL database to a fully relational, automated Salesforce CRM.
Backed with custom objects for their real-world workflows, integrated automation tools like Makeand Mailchimp, and replaced hours of manual admin with seamless, scalable automation.
Now, GA has clean data, connected teams, and real-time insight into every member touchpoint.
The Aweb Approach
Clean-Slate Architecture
- Built proper Salesforce objects: Accounts → Galvanising Plants → Contacts → Enquiries, replacing the flat-table chaos.
- Enforced validation rules to eliminate orphaned or incomplete records.
Custom Objects for GA Workflows
- Galvanizing Plants: Tracked bath dimensions, lift capacity, regional status, and key personnel.
- GAGA Awards: Managed categories, project details, photographer permissions, and lead sources.
- CPD Sessions & Certificates: Automated session tracking and certificate delivery via OneDrive integration.
Before & After Workflow at GA
Empower with a self‑serve, design‑led publishing platform that:
workflow
Before
After
CPD Certificate Issuance
- staff manually compile the attendee list
- design certificates format in a Word doc
- email PDFs one-at-a-time
- log sends in a spreadsheet
- upload attendee CSV
- automated with Make to auto-generate emails & personalised certificates
- Salesforce tracks status + sends reminders to no-shows
Publication Distribution
- pull mailing list from SQL
- craft emails in Outlook
- manually track opens/follow-ups in separate systems
- one-click “Send Publication” in Salesforce
- Mailchimp handles delivery + follow-ups
- Activity logged automatically, next steps scheduled
Lead Capture
&
Assignment
- web forms land in generic inbox
- leads get buried or misfiled
- no assignment rules
- nurture on ad-hoc basis
- Web-to-Salesforce forms create leads in real time
- round-robin assignment
- auto-add to Mailchimp drip campaigns
- dashboards track rep performance
workflow
Before
(Spreadsheets)
After
(Salesforce & Automation)
tap to see
CPD Certificate Issuance
- staff manually compile the attendee list
- design certificates format in a Word doc
- email PDFs one-at-a-time
- log sends in a spreadsheet
- upload attendee CSV
- automated with Make to auto-generate emails & personalised certificates
- Salesforce tracks status + sends reminders to no-shows
Publication Distribution
- pull mailing list from SQL
- craft emails in Outlook
- manually track opens/follow-ups in separate systems
- one-click “Send Publication” in Salesforce
- Mailchimp handles delivery + follow-ups
- Activity logged automatically, next steps scheduled
Lead Capture
& Assignment
- web forms land in generic inbox
- leads get buried or misfiled
- no assignment rules
- nurture on ad-hoc basis
- Web-to-Salesforce forms create leads in real time
- round-robin assignment
- auto-add to Mailchimp drip campaigns
- dashboards track rep performance
Tech Stack
Salesforce Sales Cloud
Mailchimp
Calendly
OneDrive API
Outcomes & Impact
Automated certificate generation freed up hours per batch
Clean, validated data architecture replaced fragmented silos
Six custom objects and robust relational design ready for future expansion
Unlimited reporting on member plants, CPD attendance, award participation, and lead performance
Looking Forward with GA
Galvanizers Association’s Salesforce transformation is more than a system upgrade—it’s a long-term investment in agility, efficiency, and member value.
With clean, connected data and automated day-to-day operations, GA’s team can shift focus from admin tasks to strategic leadership. They’re now better equipped to deliver sector impact, expand member services, and drive innovation across the galvanizing industry.
This isn’t just a CRM.
It’s the foundation for digital leadership.
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