Today, CRM seamlessly integrates into business and is rapidly becoming the system from which 80% of employees conduct 80% of their work.
Having moved from the unknown to the resented in a relatively short space of time, CRM has certainly had a tumultuous time. But today, having evolved into a meaningful differentiator in a highly competitive business world, CRM is one of the leading technologies of 2005.
One of the drivers of this change is integration. CRM is now fully integrated into a business as opposed to being a separate system, which prevents optimum sharing of information.
The best CRM solutions are those that go beyond fulfilling the basic CRM functions.
Jeremy Waterman is MD of Softline Accpac.
Businesses have realised that the benefits of CRM come not only from the product that is purchased, but also from the implementation plan you follow. The more thoroughly a company-wide CRM philosophy is embraced, the more the company will benefit from the features CRM software offers.
One of the benefits of integrating CRM into the back office is that it immediately makes it more approachable, easy to understand and an invaluable tool whether the user requires sales force automation, marketing automation or customer support automation. This integration has largely been driven by global competition and increased customer demand for higher quality service.
Essentially, the `back office integrated CRM system` brings everyone within the organisation onto the same central system. Traditional CRM solutions generally excluded operations, purchasing and accounting employees from the CRM culture. Truly integrated CRM solutions are different because they supply out-of-the-box integration and provide employees with the correct tools to manage and retain customers.
This approach contrasts with the approach of developing accounting products and sales management products as separate islands. As CRM software evolves, traditional suppliers of business applications or enterprise resource planning systems are realising that CRM should not be a separate island of data but must form an integral part of any business application.
The best CRM solutions are those that go beyond fulfilling the basic CRM functions. Systems that integrate back-office accounting software and other business systems give companies an advantage, as they are designed to allow client information to be updated in real-time, while being shared and employed effectively across the entire organisation.
The ideal CRM solution will integrate multiple business channels and provide users with seamless remote access to up-to-date client information. This approach enables a company to provide the kind of informed and personalised service appreciated by customers.
Companies must think about the different interaction points customers currently use, and are likely to use in the future, to communicate effectively. This mix may include corporate Web sites, e-mail, fax, phone and postal mail. Also, look for a system with the ability to support multiple communication devices (such as Web browsers, handheld computing devices and WAP-enabled phones) to give users the convenience of accessing customer data in various ways. A good system will allow a user to retrieve real-time information at any time, and from anywhere.
There is great value in Web-based CRM solutions. One of the key benefits is that it requires a single server installation. Web-based architecture allows users to make changes to the software on the server and then simply refresh the browser for the changes to take effect system-wide. Web-based systems are also easily accessed with a wireless device or PDA.
Beyond the basics of CRM, one of the key factors influencing the success or failure of a CRM implementation remains integration. The best CRM systems offer company-wide integration, which gives companies the competitive advantage necessary in business today.
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