You Have An ERP System … Why Do You Need CRM Software?

ERP and CRM Software Benefits

ERP and CRM software benefits both contribute to the success of your organization. However, they are not interchangeable. A CRM and ERP are complementary technologies that help run a business effectively. As business management evolves, business owners and executives have found a much greater need to implement (SaaS) software as a service technology. Business strategies with such tools are incorporated to increase revenue and productivity.

An enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution improves the efficiency of business operations. This is done by automating processes and leveraging a unified data source across finance, inventory management, procurement, human resources, and other critical organizational functions.

A customer relationship management (CRM) solution drives customer acquisition and retention and helps increase sales. CRM stores current and potential customer information and automates processes connected to a customer’s journey. This system synchronizes interaction data between sales, marketing, and customer support teams.

Just as a CRM system cannot perform the functions of an ERP system, an ERP system cannot replace an effective CRM solution.

ERP Benefits

Your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is designed to manage your business’s operational and transactional sectors. Information such as payroll, raw materials, business commitments, purchase orders, and capacity for distribution can be found in your ERP. ERP benefits can be seen across many departments throughout your company.

• Product Information Management
• Human Resources and Payroll Management
• Financial and Accounting Management
• Inventory and Supply Chain Management
• Sales Quoting and Order Management

CRM Benefits

Working with customers and creating new leads can be a challenging task. CRM software opens opportunities for small businesses, mid-size companies, and large enterprises across the board. A CRM gives businesses the central location for all customer data with tracking of all customer interactions. CRM benefits include sales automation, reporting and analytics; forecasting, quote and order management; customer service and support; marketing automation; e-commerce; customer tracking; partner relationship management, and mobile access.

• Marketing Campaigns
• Company and Contact Profiles
• Lead Management
• Email Integration
• Sales Activity Management

ERP and CRM Solutions have Independent Benefits

Both are powerful systems in themselves but offer independent benefits. To meet the needs of their clients, many ERP systems have added CRM and contact management features that are intended to help their clients maintain a customer database at a fundamental level. While this simplistic version of CRM may meet the needs of some organizations, these embedded solutions generally lack the functionality and usability required to have any significant impact.

Once an organization reaches the functional limits of the CRM embedded within their ERP system, they typically choose to look to other solutions to fill those gaps. The limitations can introduce new challenges as many external CRM systems don’t communicate with the existing ERP system, resulting in duplication between the two systems and extra work for sales teams required to access different systems for different needs. To eliminate these challenges, it’s essential to look for a system with experience integrating with your ERP system.

For most companies, both systems are essential. They create even greater efficiency helping leaders make better business decisions and ultimately driving profitability.

What are some typical objectives of implementing a CRM system?

• Centralize customer information and increase its visibility throughout the organization
• Track and manage sales pipelines, including implementing more effective opportunity management and quote follow-up processes
• Improve sales activity tracking, logging, and key performance indicators
• Provide outside sales reps with mobile access to CRM and ERP data through a single easy-to-use, mobile-friendly portal

White Cup offers a full suite of revenue intelligence solutions specifically designed for the distribution industry. Our software connects data across critical business systems, reveals industry-specific analysis, and provides the tools needed to take action for revenue improvement.