Centralization and Automation with Freshdesk: Tabaqueira Success Story

About Tabaqueira PMI

Created in 1927 and integrated into the group Philip Morris International (PMI) since 1997, Tabaqueira is the largest tobacco producer in Portugal and one of the country's largest companies. Throughout its history, it has been a central element of the national economy.

Challenges

Before adopting a new solution, Tabaqueira lacked a centralized system for managing requests and incidents. Communication was scattered, using channels such as email, messaging, Microsoft Teams, and phone calls, which made it difficult to organize, track, and analyze requests.

Teams received a large volume of daily messages and struggled to track incidents, identify patterns, and ensure appropriate follow-up. This hindered operational efficiency and prevented the creation of reliable metrics.

Since the beginning of 2023, Tabaqueira had been looking for a unified solution, but it was only in September 2024 that this ambition was realized, with the decision to implement the Freshdesk platform.

The Solution

THE Priceless Consulting implemented the Freshdesk platform, in the PRO version, chosen because it meets the specific needs of ticket management and because it is already in use in other markets within the PMI group, which facilitated its internal adoption by IT, cybersecurity and data protection teams. 

The implementation process was smooth, with Priceless ensuring configuration, training, adapting the tool to Tabaqueira's needs and ongoing monitoring.

Criteria for choosing the tool

• Alignment with internal needs
  Freshdesk allowed us to set up teams, user profiles, and specific workflows for each area (Field Sales, Trade Marketing, etc.), which was crucial for covering multiple departments from the start.
• Close partnership with Priceless
  The direct relationship with Priceless Consulting was valued from the first contact: reactive and proactive support, close monitoring and availability across different channels (email, messages, meetings) were differentiating elements.

• Positive experience in other PMI markets
  The tool had already been successfully implemented in other PMI group countries, such as Poland and Romania, which built trust among Portuguese teams and facilitated the decision-making process.

Implementation process

The implementation involved:

• Platform configuration and integration with the channels used by Tabaqueira.
• Training of users and supervisors.
• Creating workflows tailored to different functional areas, such as sales force and back office.
• The progressive expansion of the platform's use over the following months, reaching more than 400 active users.

Results and benefits

Qualitative benefits

• Centralization of all incident communication in a single point.
• Transparency in the management of response times and types of problems.
• Easy access and monitoring via mobile phone by field teams.
• Reduced dependence on human memory, thanks to automatic alerts.
• Very positive internal feedback.

Quantitative benefits

Through an internal survey, it was possible to clearly assess the positive impact of the new platform on productivity and internal communication.

• Time saving

Users surveyed reported saving time with the new system. Saving between 1 and 3 hours per week represents a significant gain for teams with intense sales routines. 

• Perception of improvements

When asked about the main benefits of the system, responses were divided between time savings, faster responses, and higher quality order management.

• More effective communication

Centralizing information and automating alerts contributed to a significant improvement in internal communication. Most respondents reported clear improvements.

Conclusion

Implementing the Freshdesk PRO solution allowed Tabaqueira to centralize and automate incident management, improving internal communication and increasing team efficiency.

Through a well-structured process, in partnership with Priceless Consulting, the company was able to overcome previous limitations and take an important step in modernizing its internal processes.

Testimonials

João Martins l Specialist

"The solution has been essential in meeting the demanding pace of sales teams. Automated alerts and clear workflows have helped us save time and focus. I feel like we've moved from reactive communication to a much more proactive approach."

Susana Sobral – Customer Care Executive 

"Customer support has become more agile and professional. The platform gives us the confidence to respond with data, track history, and ensure a consistent experience. We've gained time, control, and the ability to prioritize what's most urgent."