We are excited to share a recent success story with Modde, a leading Belgian company specializing in roofing, cladding, zinc work, and insulation. By harnessing the power of data and artificial intelligence, we helped Modde take a major step forward in optimizing its sales approach.
Challenges in Sales Follow-Up
For Modde, following up with customers was a time-consuming and intensive process. Tracking sales representatives’ activities and measuring their efficiency presented significant challenges. Additionally, tailoring actions to individual customer needs presents a significant challenge.
To tackle these challenges, we developed the Next Best Actions app - a data-driven solution designed to streamline and optimize sales operations. The app delivers a weekly update of new follow-up tasks for sales representatives.
A Data-Driven Approach to Sales Optimization
Our collaboration with Modde brought together the expertise of both the element61 Data Science & Analytics (DSA) team and the Qlik team to implement a truly actionable and personalized sales solution:
- AI-Powered Next Best Action Lists – Using machine learning, we built different models that generate personalized recommendations for each sales representative, prioritizing the most impactful next steps based on customer data and sales patterns. In the Next Best Action app of Modde, we focus on three key areas:
- Prospect follow-up – We implemented a filtering and ranking system to identify the most relevant prospects from the dataset and assign them to sales representatives based on their proximity to both the prospect and the nearest Modde store.
- Order follow-up – We developed a predictive model that estimates the likelihood of an order converting to an invoice. This, combined with other relevant parameters, allows us to provide sales representatives with a weekly list of high-priority orders for follow-up.
- Targeted sales actions - A customer segmentation model was implemented to provide sales representatives with a strategic action plan for each customer group. Each segment is associated with specific actions, such as recommending a product (calculated via the product recommendation tool we previously developed for Modde) or an on-site customer visit.
- Qlik Report with Write-Back Capabilities – To ensure seamless execution, we developed a dynamic Qlik dashboard that not only presents these next best actions but also allows sales reps to track progress, update interactions, and capture feedback directly within the platform.
Bringing AI Insights into Action with Qlik
The implementation of the solution followed a structured approach:
- Seamless Integration with Databricks – The first step was to integrate the AI-powered Next Best Action List into Qlik, made easy by the built-in Databricks connector.
- User-Friendly and Secure App Design – Using Qlik's native layout container, we created an intuitive interface that combines various visualizations, ensuring an engaging and easy-to-use experience. We also implemented Section Access, restricting data visibility to ensure that sales reps only see their own data while sales managers have access to aggregated insights.
- Interactive Write-Back Solution – To enable real-time interaction, we developed a custom write-back feature using Qlik Application Automation and tailored code. While write-back functionality is not natively available in Qlik, we built a fully integrated solution using only Qlik's native objects and features.
How It Works in Practice
A sales representative simply opens the Qlik app and is presented with a clear overview of all their proposed actions. They select an action, update the status, and press a button - it's that simple! The latest status is immediately visible in the app, and all changes are stored in a History file, allowing sales managers to track performance and analyse trends over time.
The Impact: Smarter Sales, Stronger Growth
Since going live on March 10th, 2025, this solution has transformed Modde's sales operations. Sales reps now follow clear, data-driven action plans, leading to more effective customer engagement, higher sales, and an improved customer experience.
We are proud to partner with Modde in unlocking the full potential of their sales data and look forward to their continued success with this scalable, AI-driven approach.
More information
For more information, please contact us!
