CRM is not a technology, it`s a strategic approach that is growing increasingly important amid the economic downturn.
This is according to Chris Baker, Oracle UK, Ireland and SA VP of e-Business, who was addressing the Oracle Think Customers seminar outside Johannesburg yesterday. Baker stressed the importance of simplified business flows as being key to achieving effective CRM.
He reminded delegates to the seminar that acquiring a new customer costs six times more than retaining an existing customer - a factor that is especially important in the current market. A good CRM programme not only retains customers, it also gives better cross-selling and up-selling opportunities, reduces operational costs and allows for better decision-making and strategising, he said.
The Think Customers seminar, promoting the CRM alliance between HP and Oracle, emphasised the importance of full integration of a CRM solution into all facets of a business.
"You must establish a single customer view accessible by all your different departments, such as sales, marketing and finance," said Baker. "The key is to simplify the complex structures by simplifying your business processes, information and implementations. This results in you maximising your company`s efficiency, making better business decisions and delivering rapid benefits."
Oracle`s suite of e-business products provides an Internet-ready platform for building and deploying Web-based applications. HP offers always-on infrastructure to keep these applications running around the clock and accessible from any device. Together, they allow companies to have a complete view of the customer, and provide consistent information and service regardless of point of contact with the company.
Support.Oracle.com, the latest addition to Oracle`s suite of CRM online services, is an online service that delivers the customer care applications of the Oracle E-Business Suite, and is accessible from anywhere in the world. The global accessibility of Support.com eliminates the need for local companies to set up and operate regional customer care operations.
To register for the online seminar, visit http://www.oracle.com/start/thinkcustomers/intro.html.
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