What is CRM.

Customer relationship management. I know what it is it basically a tool which helps you keep in track of customers, but can someone give me a good explanation of this and some examples etc, also what are the pros and cons.

Find more posts tagged with

Save $250 on 2025 certification boot camps from Infosec!

Book now with code EOY2025

Button

Comments

nafsee

Contact management software is used by businesses of all sizes to enhance their CRM, or Customer Relationship Management services. This software is commonly used by businesses that intend to make abundant uses of the Web. It allows sales representatives to keep track of clients and assist them with formulating leads from prospects. While contact management system have advantages, it is important to consider the downsides before pursing them. If you are considering using contact management software, there are some vital points to consider.

The Pros of Contact Management Software

* Helps your sales representatives stay organized by tracking all information in a single location. It stores names, businesses, phone numbers, and addresses in an organized format, allowing your employees to access and share data.

* Contact management eliminates confusion among sales representatives, particularly those working in groups. Often, it is difficult to manage which people talked with which clients and when. This software is equipped with tools that automatically record interactions with clients. Your sales representatives avoid unnecessarily forcing customers to repeat information, while making transactions are quicker and easier.

* Generating reports and charts takes time and effort, time that is taken away from customers. Contact management software assists with forecasting by computing reports and charts necessary to predict future demands. Visual information is produced to assist your business with tracking pipelines and analyzing data.

* Keeping track of a business is challenging with the countless tasks that need to be attended to. Since data is organized in a single location using this software, accessing information you need is more efficient. You can oversee the productivity of your employees and direct them to specific clients based on data obtained from reports.

The Cons of Contact Management Software

* If not Web-based, new software programs are difficult to implement into a company because employees are forced to learn an entirely new system of management. Additional staff is necessary to train your employees about how to use applications effectively.

* Software installation is often a messy processes. Complications arise when attempting to use new software with other applications. A lot of maintenance and upgrading is required in order for the applications to be functional. A Web-based service helps reduce these problems by managing software through outsourced servers and in data centers. No programs are installed directly on you companies PCs.

* Companies PCs have limited amounts of power and space. Sometimes, PCs are not equipped to handle the applications of contact management systems installed on them. As a result, applications are often slow and draining. This is frustrating for many businesses that need to update data and generate reports instantly. Many businesses have looked to Web-based software as solutions to their problems. These services eliminate the strain on your PC hard drives because software and data storage actually takes place on more powerful, virtual servers. Data and programs are instantly accessible online.

* Contact management software installed on company computers may not work with other applications. Do the departments in your business use various programs to perform the functions they require? For many companies, using contact management software applications with other applications that are frequently used among your employees is difficult. Cloud computing services, however, encourage businesses to use Web-based software because applications are easily integrated with others. This creates an environment in which data flow is efficient because it makes use of real-time technologies, and information is always up-to-date. Businesses also have the option of customizing existing applications to meet their needs.

There are many reasons why companies have reached out to contact management software to make organization and work flow easier. However, before pursuing this avenue, there are disadvantages that cannot be overlooked. With new cloud computing capabilities, many of CRM services using the internet have offered solutions to the most difficult challenges.
kindle wireless reading device reviews Electronic Book Reader

willhi1979

I work in Tier 3 support for a CRM Application. The application allows marketing users to analyze purchase trends, manage their marketing output (coupons, offers, etc), and do indepth analysis on their customer base. An example of it would be a retailer calculating when they'd expect a certain group of people to buy something then sending a coupon. Another example would be a telecom company having a new service in a region and offering it to people who lived there.

A pro is that it can enable marketing users to do analysis of their data without requiring a DBA to run queries for them. It can also allow them to automate and better manage their workflow. A con would be that they have to learn the system and learn to do things different. There are also usually an administrator for the system which would be an additional employee at the company. There is also usually an annuity or fee every year that a company has to pay to use it.

ajs1976

nafsee wrote: »

The Cons of Contact Management Software

* If not Web-based,. . .

* . . . A Web-based service helps reduce . . .

* . . . Many businesses have looked to Web-based software as solutions to their problems. . .

* . . .Cloud computing services, however, encourage businesses to use Web-based software because applications are easily integrated with others. . .

Looks like someone is selling a web-based CRM product.

darkerosxx

ajs1976 wrote: »

Looks like someone is selling a web-based CRM product.

Microsoft.

CompuTron99

darkerosxx wrote: »

Microsoft.

Salesforce.com

Bokeh

I couldn't agree more with what nafse said!

We just made the jump from a CRM that used a Borland backend, to the newer version that uses SQL 2008. What a fiasco! Had to upgrade the majority of the desktops and laptops, the installation did not go smoothly (oh it will be a painless installation - BS!). The software retained some of its familiarity but changed quite a bit, leaving my end users to pull out their hair in frustration. Data was lost (actually stuck on the main servers, it never did sync out to the end users - oh we will have to develop a fix for that!).

When it works, its great. When it doesn't - expect major headaches. I am already on my second bottle of Tylenol, lol.

Devilsbane

Bokeh wrote: »

expect major headaches. I am already on my second bottle of Tylenol, lol.

Trade that second bottle of Tylenol for a bottle of Gin, and all of your pain will fade away.

forkvoid

ajs1976 wrote: »

Looks like someone is selling a web-based CRM product.

Nah, just a rip from another site: Pros and Cons of Using Contact Management Software | All Things CRM

Or he's the author. *shrug*

A CRM system, when properly utilized, does wonders for a business. Imagine your pre-sales team is making calls and one hits a lead. They enter all information into the system and change the status to something like 'Lead'. It automatically is assigned to someone who specializes in handling that. Deal is closed, so the sales guy sets it to 'Customer' and enters the order info. Management gets notified immediately with all details, order fulfillment gets notified with all details...

The whole thing can be extremely automated. That's just a small company(we have ours set up something like that). No more emails getting lost everywhere or notes left on desks to get thrown out.

Plantwiz

ipconfig.all wrote: »

Customer relationship management. I know what it is it basically a tool which helps you keep in track of customers, but can someone give me a good explanation of this and some examples etc, also what are the pros and cons.

While there may be some benefit to a glorified address book, the one big problem I see when a team solely relies on a CRM-type of tool for maintaining contacts/projects/etc.. is that it is only as good as the information entered into it.

If you make it too complex, folks will find a way around entering ALL fields (because many times, some clients don't fit into 'ALL' fields).

Another problem I have seen is that it keeps your staff from thinking and engaging with the client. If the information isn't in CRM...it didn't happen. (so if one of the team members 'says "x,y,z"' and that information isn't recorded...no one knows about it, the team member forgets it, and no one is accountable for the conversation.

The more I used a CRM system, the more I shudder at the thought of where customer service will end-up. We're setting up for an automated society without deviation from the flow-chart.

As with most things, "It depends" on whether you find this as a good tool or the end of your team working together...as well as it depends on the team. In the perfect world, CRM could be a very good tool.

ipconfig.all

I had an interview that listed CRM, so was wondering.

Turgon

Plantwiz wrote: »

The more I used a CRM system, the more I shudder at the thought of where customer service will end-up. We're setting up for an automated society without deviation from the flow-chart.

That's already happening. It makes me shudder too.

Plantwiz

Turgon wrote: »

That's already happening. It makes me shudder too.

Indeed!

(particularly in retail and such, I'm seeing it more in service businesses too, real estate, some medical offices, support offices etc..)

Instead of a client entering/phoning the business and asking for "John/Sally" because they like to work with them and in the past always done the little 'extra' to make welcome their business (problems and money when things are good), "John/Sally" now emphasize that the next time the client calls "Bill" can assist them because they know 'all' about their account history or can look it up.

The intimacy of someone investing their time into your situation and recalling it when they see you, the familiar smile of welcoming upon entering the establishment (rather then the 'always happy' drugged approached) or calling you out of the blue because they just saw something, thought of you, and knew you'd want to have it (a sale and commission out of it!!).

Time will tell...I suspect there will be a minority of folks who DO and CAN still operate from memory...I am concerned others will use the crutch and have the excuse of "it's not on the file...sorry".

Turgon

Plantwiz wrote: »

Indeed!

(particularly in retail and such, I'm seeing it more in service businesses too, real estate, some medical offices, support offices etc..)

Instead of a client entering/phoning the business and asking for "John/Sally" because they like to work with them and in the past always done the little 'extra' to make welcome their business (problems and money when things are good), "John/Sally" now emphasize that the next time the client calls "Bill" can assist them because they know 'all' about their account history or can look it up.

The intimacy of someone investing their time into your situation and recalling it when they see you, the familiar smile of welcoming upon entering the establishment (rather then the 'always happy' drugged approached) or calling you out of the blue because they just saw something, thought of you, and knew you'd want to have it (a sale and commission out of it!!).

Time will tell...I suspect there will be a minority of folks who DO and CAN still operate from memory...I am concerned others will use the crutch and have the excuse of "it's not on the file...sorry".

Globalization drives a lot of this. I think people like you and I are old enough to appreciate just how bad it is these days as back in the day there were more mom and pop shops. It's very difficult for the little guy to prosper now with the crushing economies of scale at work today. In terms of IT, many local small firms you might like to offer services to are often part of a wider corporate group with an internal IT policy for support provided by a massive outsourcer. The local IT manager might love to give you some work as what he has from the centre sucks, but he has no budget for it and it's more than his job's worth to gainsay corporate policy. Throw in the constant churn of outsourcing the outsourcing and reorganisations and I think these systems are needed because anyone you talk to..doesn't know you. When I started in the late nineties I got to know the few people I called upon for external support but I saw that change to the portal model soon enough. No relationship then.

It's a bit of a shame because in my UK University we were told in the early nineties by our marketing lecturer how much the US valued service to customers and how anyone in a store would do anything to assist. The goods were not cheap but if you had problems they got sorted out very quickly. He used to holiday there.