| Over the years I have been asked this question | | | | Maximise customer satisfaction, business |
| numerous times, and my response has changed. | | | | performance, profitability and customer |
| 10 years ago my answer would be customer | | | | relationships. |
| database purely on the sheer complexity and the | | | | So CRM is better than customer databases? - |
| poor ROI (return on investment) that CRM | | | | What about the COST? Some of the initial |
| offered small business. Most small business initially | | | | prohibiting factors where the cost, the cost to |
| rely on word documents, spreadsheets, shared | | | | buy the multiple systems and integrate. But know |
| folders, outlook express and paper files. As the | | | | there is a new option Web Based CRM! Deemed |
| business evolves it becomes difficult to access | | | | to be the answer to all our prayers Web Based |
| the necessary customer information when | | | | or Hosted CRM also has its limitations and |
| required, thus customer service is compromised | | | | challenges. |
| and growth is limited due to labour intensive | | | | Web Based CRM - is a new form of cost |
| business processes. At this stage most small | | | | effective CRM delivery. If we consider that CRM |
| businesses will search for a better solution. | | | | Systems are all about centralising all customer |
| So what options are out there? - Tailor made | | | | data you have to be prepared to upload |
| customer database, off the shelf customer | | | | everything, customer data, faxes, sms, emails, |
| database, in-house CRM and hosted CRM. | | | | letters, quotes...etc. What about accounting? Are |
| Customer databases - are great tools they enable | | | | you prepared to upload your accounting data? |
| rapid access of customer information but one of | | | | Product information cost, margin and profit? I |
| the problems is that every business has different | | | | think not. You also need to consider that uploading |
| information requirements. Meaning you are forced | | | | everything is cumbersome and tremendously |
| to look at tailor made solutions or expensive off | | | | slow. What about the difference between web |
| the shelf customisation. Another issue is that | | | | based v Windows based GUI, the quality of |
| most customer databases are limited to storing | | | | windows based user interface are far superior. |
| very basic information, i.e. you can't store faxes, | | | | And most of all differentiation what happens if |
| emails, sms letters, quotes...etc. Even the ones | | | | your biggest competitor has the same capabilities |
| that can, they force you to perform everything | | | | and features. If the product is the same, the |
| manually, wasting valuable human time. The next | | | | service is the same will that only leave price |
| major frustration is the data in your database is | | | | differentiation? Business is all about differentiation |
| limited to your database you can't use it to | | | | demand a system that you can make it your |
| generate documents, letters or messages and are | | | | own WITHOUT expensive customisation. |
| very limited to interfacing it to other in-house | | | | .net to the rescue - with the introduction of .net |
| system and other external systems. | | | | and the thousands of .net components, the year |
| CRM the answer to customer database limitations! | | | | 2008 is the dawn of a new age. CRM solution |
| - CRM solutions are designed to be customised to | | | | providers can now provide all front-end sales |
| each individual business, either by the | | | | systems in a single application delivered at the |
| administrator or by external developers (The key | | | | price of good off the shelf customer database |
| is to find a CRM Solution that can be customised | | | | with numerous advantages. A CRM Solution that |
| by you). They also provide numerous tools to | | | | you own that provides business automation, |
| interface to other systems such as accounting, | | | | workflow management integrated messaging plus |
| retail and messaging systems. The only issue is | | | | much more. |
| the COST; most CRM solutions promote | | | | Don't risk the unknown future costs or the |
| numerous systems and very expensive | | | | unknown business process limitations or the limited |
| integration. The major benefits that some CRM | | | | differentiation opportunities, speak to a CRM |
| Systems provide are workflow management, | | | | solutions provider that will maximise your business |
| business automation and electronic documentation | | | | performance while minimising the overall costs. |
| generation. All these tools ultimately enable you to | | | | |