What needs improvement with Campfire Interactive?

Communication is important when discussing how Campfire Interactive can be improved. Another potential improvement would be more thorough testing on the Campfire side before features are released to customers.

The UI itself is not very user-friendly. The reporting out of it isn't very user-friendly either. It's great to get data into, but getting data out of it and analyzing it is less than desired. Campfire Interactive has the ability to capture any information that needs to be captured as it relates to an opportunity. However, the downfall is that reporting on that is very cumbersome. It's all Excel-based, there aren't a lot of visuals, and you really have to think about how you're putting your reports together. It's not very intuitive. The initial deployment of Campfire Interactive was difficult. I think it was twofold. One was that we've never had a system before. When we went live at two years, we didn't know what to ask for. We really relied on Campfire Interactive to tell us best practices and how we should set things up, and we didn't get a lot of that feedback. We ended up with a system with a lot of custom things in it that maybe, if Campfire Interactive would have pushed back on it or stated that this isn't in their core functionality, would have forced us to change our business processes for the better. I think it took longer based on our own internal process issues, but Campfire Interactive could have given us better advice as well. Their responses are usually pretty fast. The initial response is quick. However, the delivery of fixes is not as fast as I would like to see it, or even the scheduling of fixes. For example, we had our last patch of fixes go in during November, and we're still waiting for Campfire Interactive to tell us when they can get us their next patch. I think the overall platform pricing of Campfire Interactive is fine. However, there are some things such as licensing where the pricing could be a little clearer or more cost-efficient. I've been quoted what an unlimited concurrent license would look like, and I thought it was quite high. There are also some things that we are charged for that other software companies don't charge us for. For example, the ability to maintain their SOC certification audit capability involves reports they have to provide to anybody who has to be SOC compliant. They want those customers to pay for this, and they consider that a service. Other customers don't bill us for this; they don't charge us for it because it's something that they have to do and they take on that cost.

What is nice is working with the Campfire Interactive team. If I see concerns or updates that need to be made, they are making it live and in real-time for me. As I am learning more about Campfire Interactive and using it and getting feedback from my team, Campfire Interactive is being responsive and quick, and they are implementing the changes I want to accommodate my teams and specific departments from accounting, sales, finance, and sales. They are gearing it to what I need. It probably can be better for sure, but as of now, they are adapting to what I need to make my life better. I do not see any improvements now. There might be more in the future that I see, but I am pretty confident once I discuss whatever changes or updates I need with Campfire Interactive, they are going to make it immediately as they have so far today. The only improvement I see from a Gentherm-specific update or improvement would be when I have an opportunity and the customer extends the end of production, for example, by one year. I want to be able to capture the additional revenue specific for that one year. For example, if an end of production is extended from 2026 to 2027, I want to be able to capture what that additional revenue is going to be in that one opportunity without having to create another. I proposed this to Dan Stroble at Campfire Interactive and he said it is one hundred percent doable and they are working to make that feature put in Campfire Interactive for me. That is really the only change I have that I would want, but they are already on top of it, which is fantastic.

The issue we are having with Campfire Interactive is that it is basically seen as a standalone system and our company is in the process of trying to implement a full company system, a full process system with Oracle. They are working with Oracle and I have to be the go-between, because Oracle cannot do what Campfire Interactive can do. They tend to tell our management that they can, so I have to defend Campfire Interactive. I would appreciate clearer communication on how I might do that with my company to highlight what Campfire Interactive does. I wish there was a bridge between Campfire Interactive and Oracle. We have been working on that, but I wish that was something that was already developed.

It could be a little bit more user-friendly. I know that there is a version that is more user-friendly than the one we are using, but for different circumstances, we haven't moved to the new version yet. That's something I'm eager to see soon. We sometimes face trouble with space because there is a lot of information saved there, and the system sometimes gets stuck, but I don't think it's a problem from Campfire Interactive itself. It's more about all the applications that are feeding information into Campfire Interactive. Optimizing that would be very useful. For the rest of the things, I've seen the team working closely with us every time we need or request help to make changes or to do things differently, and I really enjoy working with them.

I wouldn't say there are any system issues. There are minor enhancements that we request from time to time, and the Campfire team collaborates with us on those. These enhancements are not system issues; rather, they are opportunities for us to learn how to utilize the system more effectively. As a result, we come up with requests to add different cost categories and additional reporting functionality. When I think about the system, I focus less on issues and more on how the Campfire client integrates it into their business processes and trains users to use it correctly. This integration is really the key point; it's all about how the client incorporates the product into their workflows. Regarding BI Reporting, the standard reporting module within Campfire Interactive primarily gives you an Excel data dump, and while there are some visualizations for creating dashboards, I found those limited for my needs. We started presenting the data to Microsoft Power BI, which is much better for generating the reports I want. The forecast accuracy of Campfire Interactive has been generally good, with no significant issues. However, there are some improvements we could make to achieve more granular data. For example, we have parts that are common to multiple vehicle programs, but the system does not allow for custom volume settings for each program. I've used other systems and each has its pros and cons. Campfire advantages include speed and an easy to use price table. One area for improvement would be the integration of actuals from our ERP systems. There is currently no interface within the Campfire application to assist with the alignment of actual ship records with the forecast part records.

I am disappointed with Campfire Interactive on an overall basis. Currently, the application itself is not serving the needs of the global sales organization in the way that I need. The areas of improvement for Campfire Interactive are in cycle plan management, forward model and backlog planning, user interface and usability, records management, price bump chart flexibility, and creation and facilitation of reports management. I see a specific need for further iterative development and upgrading in Campfire Interactive regarding the connectivity from SNP/IHS. SNP just acquired IHS, and the normalization of the importation of SNP records, or unique IDs. Aligning that across multiple vehicles and multiple powertrain opportunities would reduce the amount of input and time from salespeople and reduce database management time. This would allow us to increase the amount of analysis time. Currently, it requires intensive data management, and it doesn't help me accomplish what I need for forward model and cycle planning. I can complete in Excel in an hour what might take me six hours in Campfire Interactive. It's super easy to scale, but it's not useful when you scale it because the system interface is poor.

I've had recent discussions with the leadership team at Campfire Interactive about several issues. They're fully aware of my displeasure with certain things. Some concerns are not related to the tool itself, although there are some aspects that could be better with the tool. The issues are more related to technical service, specifically when we have an issue or problem with the tool, the communication gap, and the follow-through on issues that need improvement. They're fully aware of that concern, and they're doing things to address it. From a technical standpoint, there are some limitations within the tool that are somewhat out of Campfire Interactive's control because it's a complicated industry to try and have one solution that fits all vendors. There are times when we go to execute reports from their system, and the data does not generate as expected. When that happens, we have to inform the Campfire Interactive IT or Support group what the failure is. They have to research and come back to us. In the meantime, we have 2, 4, 6, maybe 12 hours of downtime where people around the world are trying to use the system. Though it affects less than 50 people, these instances are frustrating.

I recently discussed with them the need for better KPI measurements in the automotive world. A big KPI in the automotive world is the bookings of the future years, and we measure that not in annual revenue but in the lifetime of any given vehicle. Let's say, on average, a vehicle is in the market for five years, so we add up the five years of revenue that is generated with that vehicle. Every region and every account has targets where they have to say, "I'm going to source amount x in the upcoming year." This LOP calculation is not easily done because IHS also has limitations, so right now, it only projects out till 2031 or 2032. For instance, if we launch a program in 2028 that starts in 2030, only two years of data can be seen, and I cannot calculate the life of program revenue. We discussed it with them. They are looking into AI to make longer projections possible and to also improve the quality of the data that we have in the system to calculate this LOP based on historical data or IHS information. They had people who trained our staff, and some people, even though located in the US, were working 24/7 to accommodate our needs in Asia or Europe. These same people also had to implement the system and not just train, which I thought was a bit too much for people to handle. I told them that it would be beneficial to have someone in Asia or Europe to do those types of training during the time when those regions are working. They can have a hotline for simple questions. Sometimes, simple questions disrupt complex tasks. Having dedicated resources for basic inquiries could alleviate this issue. Additionally, it could be beneficial to have training videos within the system to handle routine questions instead of constantly bugging the people who are supposed to do way more complex things than that.