Many companies who have been forced to tighten the purse strings to survive the recession are now investigating where best to invest to gain a competitive edge as the economy begins to recover. Customers who may have been struggling financially are beginning to spend again, and organisations looking to capitalise on this need to ensure that their businesses are prepared.

Preparing for success

The key asset at the centre of every business is its customer base. Investing in and nurturing customer relationships is key to developing a sustainable business, and forward-looking companies investing in scalable CRM systems are positioning themselves to thrive as sales activity increases.

Businesses looking to grow during the economic upturn need to ensure that they have reliable, scalable systems in place to manage the additional activity. New social media platforms and technologies are allowing customers to share their opinions more easily and with a wider audience than ever before, making it vital to ensure that every customer has a positive experience. Having the ability to analyse performance and identify which business initiatives are proving most successful can help companies to maximise profitability and address any weak areas.

CRM systems: The tools for the job

CRM is a technology which enables organisations to track every customer interaction and to utilise this information to maximise opportunities and improve customer loyalty. CRM also helps organisations to streamline operations, automating routine administrative tasks and standardising procedures. Ultimately, CRM allows organisations to effectively serve and manage their customers whilst improving operational efficiency.

Compared to setting up a new manufacturing plant or aggressively recruiting additional staff, CRM technology can be implemented rapidly with relatively limited costs.

Correctly implemented, CRM systems can help organisations to:

• Retain valuable existing customers and maximise customer profitability
• Maximise revenue opportunities by optimising marketing campaigns
• Effectively manage and optimise sales resources with dashboards and KPIs
• Streamline business processes
• Improve employee productivity
• Reduce operational costs

Delivering a great CRM solution

It’s important to recognise that however good the technical solution is, effective customer management requires more than just great software. The right values and attitudes underpin customer relationships and without these no software is going to transform a business overnight. With Social Media becoming more pervasive it’s also a challenge to find different ways to engage target markets when looking to find new customers and look after existing ones.

Effective CRM isn’t a simple do it and forget it solution. The most successful projects are delivered as part of a long-term vision but with a series of short-term deliverable stages. Managing people through these deliverables is the single most important factor in achieving a successful project.

When planning a CRM system it is vital to consider change management as well as the technical requirements of the project.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM: An affordable, scalable solution

Microsoft’s CRM system, Dynamics CRM, is flexible and fits with the familiar Microsoft products which many businesses already use including Microsoft Office Outlook. UK customers currently have a choice of hosted or on-premise solutions, with the option to switch between these as their needs change.

Microsoft CRM’s out-of-the-box capabilities include Sales, Marketing and Service Management however the system can be easily customised to meet organisational needs.

Key benefits of Microsoft Dynamics CRM:

• Native Microsoft Outlook CRM experience – easy to use
• Comprehensive Sales, Marketing and Customer Service features
• Choice of on-premise or hosted solutions, with flexibility to switch easily
• Web services integration with existing applications
• Customisable to meet organisational requirements
• Business intelligence, analysis and reporting capabilities
• Business process automation – workflows to streamline routine tasks

Summary

With an economic upturn on the horizon, it is vital that organisations are positioned with a well-considered strategy and the necessary tools to execute it when business does improve. By investing in improving operational efficiency, companies can save money at the same time as providing improved levels of service, strengthening customer relationships and forging a path for sustainable future growth. Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides the right mix of features and flexibility to do just that, with strong corporate viability to help ensure long-term success.

The CRM Business: Request a trial or more information

The CRM Business is a leading UK-based Microsoft Gold Certified CRM partner, with over 5 years experience specialising in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. We work to deliver fixed price – guaranteed success projects to meet client requirements, and have clients ranging from small businesses to large Government agencies.

If you would like more information or a free no-obligation demonstration of Microsoft Dynamics CRM please drop us an e-mail or call us on 0870 766 9875. Alternatively please feel free to sign up for a free 30-day hosted Microsoft Dyanamics CRM trial online.

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As specialists in our field, we have put together a list of 9 top tips for success when implementing a new CRM system.

1. Have a clear strategy. Plan what you want to achieve from the CRM system from the onset. Define goals so that you can measure your success. Ensure that you understand why you are implementing the system, and how it will improve your business. What data / reports will you need from the system?
2. Ensure that you have support from key decision-makers and management teams within your organisation. CRM success will require some changes across the business as a whole, and so support from the top is vital.
3. Understand that you will only realise the full potential of your CRM system if the relevant data is input. Plan how your existing data will be migrated to your new CRM system, and who will be responsible for updating it. Remember that reports and information generated by your CRM system will depend upon accurate, up-to-date data. Ensure that you will have the facility to export your data should you wish in the future.
4. Future-proof your plans. You may only have 5 employees now, but what if your business takes off and has 1000 employees in a few years’ time? Ensure that your chosen solution is scalable, and is capable of changing and growing with your business over time.
5. Consider how your chosen CRM solution will integrate with your existing applications. Does it need to integrate with Outlook, or interface with your telephone system? Perhaps you need to display information from your Sharepoint site, or access your CRM data from your mobile phone or Blackberry?
6. Communicate with your employees. Making changes and implementing new systems will inevitably make changes to peoples’ day to day roles. New processes will need to be followed, and the success of these may well depend upon support from those who will be expected to use the system on a daily basis. Involving as many stakeholders as possible from the early stages of your project can boost adoption, as well as allowing them to contribute ideas and requirements.
7. Train your employees to use the new system. Staff who have been properly trained to use and understand a new system will be more likely to enter data and update records, allowing you to extract more useful information from the database. “Garbage in = Garbage out”, so ensure that your employees know how to use the system correctly.
8. Ensure that you have reliable, efficient support in place for your staff, to ensure that any issues that do arise can be resolved quickly.
9. Review the system. Once your chosen solution has been in place for a few weeks, take the time to step back and evaluate your progress. Is everyone using the system correctly? Are you obtaining the desired results? Do you need to make any changes? Listening to user feedback and regularly reviewing the system can greatly improve the value that it adds to your business and ensure that it continues to meet your needs.

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