How Cohda, an independent quantitative research institute, replaced an ineffective information system with automated contact and billing management, thanks to the integrated solutions Anaba and Sellsy.
Comments collected from Séverine Goasguen, director and founder of the Cohda Institute.
1. The starting point: rethinking management tools
1.1 - Putting client relationships first
In business since 2011, the Cohda Institute generates nearly €2 million in annual revenue and employs 36 people. It differentiates itself through tailored services and personalised interventions, as close as possible to client expectations — end-to-end support, from defining needs to data collection and analysis of results.
In 2021, a gap became apparent between Cohda's highly client-oriented value proposition and its outdated information system, which no longer allowed it to manage client relationships effectively.
1.2 - Moving away from Excel
"Our contact database consisted of several Excel spreadsheets, with all that entails: disorganised management, necessarily manual entry of new contacts as they came in, and inevitable duplicates," explains Séverine Goasguen.
Keeping the database up to date was time-consuming and therefore poorly maintained by the sales team, due to the lack of a suitable solution.
"Over time, we lost contacts, and our connection to the market was unravelling."
At the same time, the company was using outdated and inflexible billing software that no longer met its needs.
Cohda therefore undertook an overhaul of its internal management tools, implementing two integrated solutions: Anaba for contact management and Sellsy for commercial and billing management. Their combined use very quickly allowed the Institute to strengthen relationships with its clients and prospects.
"For us, this transition was a revolution," says Séverine Goasguen, who led the company's digital transformation. Here is how.
2. anaba for effortless contact management
2.1 - The end of manual data entry
It was Anaba that Séverine Goasguen discovered first.
"I was completely won over by this tool, which felt like the ideal starting point for our overhaul. Anaba is a strong entry point because the solution syncs directly with our professional Outlook mailbox, from which it absorbs all contacts as they come in."
Information retrieval is fully automated: each time Outlook is opened, the tool filters emails, extracts new contacts, and identifies updated contact details on existing records (name, email, company, job title, phone number, etc.), notifying the user accordingly.
2.2 - A continuously updated contact database
"The Outlook connection provides instant retrieval and updating of contacts. Anaba also offers a first level of verification to maintain control over what enters our database. This ensures good data quality for use across our information system."
The tool allows new contacts sourced automatically to be validated in one click, and each contact record to be edited and/or enriched before being confirmed and added to the database.
"Thanks to Anaba, our contact database is far more comprehensive. We save a great deal of time on updates and on prospecting. We are guaranteed to have an up-to-date database we can rely on with confidence to target our actions effectively — reaching the right audience at the right time, for example when organising a commercial event."
3. Sellsy for sales tracking and streamlined billing
3.1 - Choosing flexible invoicing and pre-accounting software
Alongside the contact database, another project shaped the discussions around Cohda's information system redesign: billing.
"Everything aligned in our search for a tool. When Anaba came into the picture, we were also looking for an intuitive, easy-to-use invoicing tool that would make the sales team want to use it to log their orders.
The major systems dominating the market disappointed us. Their rigidity didn't suit us. We fell in love with Sellsy — a solution far more accessible and user-friendly than the big players, and with the added advantage of being integrated with Anaba."
Sellsy is used for billing management and sales tracking. "Invoicing is often associated with complexity: client systems vary, billing cycles differ... Sellsy's agility and flexibility allow us to accommodate these particularities. We can easily create our own rules within the tool to meet each client's specific needs — unlike many solutions that force you into rigid formats."
3.2 - A complete view of the sales cycle
Sellsy also serves as a prospecting and sales management tool: it records commercial opportunities and their status (won/lost), linking them directly to the generation of a purchase order and then to invoicing.
"Sellsy gives us significant time savings on invoicing and a real-time view of our activity, right down to cash flow. It connects directly to our bank account. No need to ask our accountant for an update on cash flow or invoice status."
4. anaba + Sellsy for fully automated client follow-up
4.1 - Managing business activity from a reliable database
"Each tool delivers benefits that, combined, are multiplied tenfold," summarises Séverine Goasguen.
The integration between Anaba and Sellsy ensures that all activities managed within Cohda's information system — prospecting, client relationships, accounting, and billing — are carried out on a contact database that is constantly complete and up to date. "Connecting Anaba to Outlook, then pushing updated contact information to Sellsy in one click, guarantees the completeness and accuracy of our client and prospect database."
"Unlike Excel, this automated flow from our emails to Sellsy means we no longer need to manually update our contact database. In practice, Anaba automatically suggests new contacts and information updates to be pushed to Sellsy. All of this is handled through intuitive, easy-to-use interfaces that are fully connected to one another."
4.2 - Simple tools, backed by responsive local support
The company's director and sales team are the primary entry point for new contacts and the direct users of Anaba and Sellsy. They were naturally involved in the discussions around the IS redesign and the selection of new tools.
"I tested Anaba and Sellsy myself first," recalls Séverine Goasguen, "and I instantly felt the urge to share the discovery with the sales team. I believe you cannot impose a tool. It was everyone's buy-in and the shared feeling that things were going to become much simpler that made the switch to these two tools possible."
The responsive local support provided by both publishers was another factor in their adoption: "For me, Anaba and Sellsy are hidden gems. Both teams have a sense of service that is hard to find with larger players. They place great importance on client relationships, service, and support. Their energy is reflected in the highly responsive support offered by their teams and in product developments that directly take our needs into account."
What's next?
"We have just renewed our subscriptions to both tools. After a full year of use, we can see the invaluable benefits they bring, as well as all the possibilities that remain to be explored to further optimise our performance with these constantly evolving solutions. We are approaching the coming months with a great deal of enthusiasm and optimism," concludes Séverine Goasguen.
