We Blog CRM

Packaged CRM is available in many forms and the biggest advantage that it offers is that of reduced implementation time, in some cases bringing it down to 65%. The advantages of reduced deployment times include cost savings, quicker ROI, less chances of employee frustrations, more time to focus on customization and to orient the CRM systems with the core business objectives. Faster user adoption and easy integration into existing applications are other benefits.

In addition to greater flexibility and customization, new packaged applications on the market now give organizations flexibility in terms of their delivery model. The solutions can be used through desktop applications, the Web browser or mobile devices. They can be deployed on-site as traditional software or acquired as a service over the Internet. They can also be purchased or rented.

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Oracle has announced what it calls call “enhanced support across Oracle’s core BI foundation software, Hyperion Essbase and Oracle Business Intelligence Suite Enterprise Edition Plus (Oracle BI Suite EE Plus).”

Regarding Oracle BI Applications company officials state that they “offer new support for the Oracle E-Business Suite R12 including pre-built content and adapters for Financials, Human Capital Management, Order Management & Fulfillment, and Supply Chain modules.”

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Gartner has issued some sage advice for CIOs who wish to target, attract, and retain new customers. It is the outcome of a worldwide survey of 1,500 CIOs by Gartner. The research firm has outlined seven initiatives that organizations should focus on to build customer loyalty and satisfaction. 

The suggestions stress those aspects that are actionable without losing sight of the broader business objectives. The suggestions include – 

1. Acting on customer feedback.
2. Design processes keeping customer experience in mind instead of working on operational efficiencies as the prime objective.
3. Keep a single window for interactions with the customer at every channel to ensure that there is no mismatch of information provided.
4. Work hard at being more open and approachable which may imply working extra hours and explore channels for greater interaction with the customer.
5. Try to offer personalized service and products but do consider the costs involved.
6. Recruit the right type of people and train them properly; their conduct is a powerful influencer of customer opinion.
7. Work on the entire customer experience, it should be systematic, events should not happen accidentally.

InfoStreet Inc has announced the arrival of Version 2 of its web-based CRM application suite, StreetSmart. The offering is aimed at SMBs and is significantly cheaper than competing products, it costs around $10/user and allows your business to track leads, gain customers, and manage your business as it grows.

InfoStreet has pitched its CRM as being extremely sturdy and affordable.

The StreetSmart CRM has the following salient features –

•  Easy access via the web that empowers the field staff

• Ease of customization so that your CRM requirements are met

•  Email-based notification to designated personnel regarding information updates

•  Tracking of business opportunities

•  Easy import of current data

Wayne Human, head of Product Strategy and Innovation in the Software Engineering business unit at The IQ Business Group, feels that CRM has generally failed to live up to its expectations. It is only now that the application technology is beginning to deliver desired results.

Early on, the problem with the first- and second-generation CRM systems was that they were too complicated for employee use and were consequently unable to deliver on the promise of customer-centric service. Incomplete deployments and poor user adoption did not help in generating ROI and CRM was in danger of being relegated to a great idea not worthy of the time and effort necessary for a practical application.

Human states that users are now realizing that they do not really need what he calls “have-it-all and do-it-all to benefit from CRM”. Incident management, sales management, and market segmentation are the three main aspects that a CRM should have, feels Human.

The new CRM applications are mature versions of the earlier ones and they no longer pretend to be a cure-all for all your business woes. Their ease-of-use and practicality are turning them into ubiquitous desktop applications and this, in the final analysis, is going to be the major driving factor behind the spread of CRM technology.

Satellite navigation device firm TomTom has moved from an on-premise to an on-demand delivery model for its CRM. For TomTom, CRM is a mission critical system and the company has put full faith in its SaaS CRM from RightNow’s London-based data center. TomTom feels that the SaaS model will allow it to focus more on its core competencies which lie in the field of satellite navigation.

TomTom feels that the SaaS way is a step in the right direction for empowering its agents all over the world so that they can offer better customer service. Tighter cost control, better resource allocation, better use of infrastructure are some of the benefits that TomTom hopes to accrue as it prepares to acquire more customers and braces for exponential growth.

Verint Systems Inc. has announced plans to launch its dynamic Impact 360 with the SMB sector in mind. The Impact 360 offers top-of-the line workforce optimization (WFO) capabilities and will be available only via channel partners and resellers. Impact 360 Express is offered as part of the Verint Witness Actionable Solutions business line’s WFO solution set.

SMB contact centers face multiple challenges, not the least having to face larger competitors that have bigger budgets. The Impact 360 Express targets specific verticals such as the healthcare financial services, telecom and helps them get more sales, control costs, and offer an enriched customer experience.

The solution draws on the salient features of the Impact 360 enterprise version and enables the capture of customer intelligence and optimization of workforce performance. Functionalities offered include recording, workforce management, performance management and eLearning. Compliance and risk management are other aspects that the software helps companies with.
The solution is touted as being low-cost and cutting edge and one that offers increased productivity, reduction in employee churn, and better WFO overall.

SaaS is fast moving from being an SMB-specific service into the mainstream enterprise market. Cost is no longer the driving force that propels SaaS; it is now a legitimate solution for business issues.

Welch’s, a manufacturer of jellies and juices, has opted for a SaaS-based BI offering for managing its transportation logistics. The company is just one of the many enterprises that are increasingly bypassing on-premise solutions and turning to niche SaaS vendors.

Welch’s chose Oco over Oracle in their search for a solution that could offer them the big picture as well as the granular details at the same time without having to summarize the data too much. Oco, which has an established presence in retail, offers data integration and warehousing as well as reporting as a service. Within a few weeks of implementing Oco, Welch’s are talking of increased business opportunities such as obtaining better order sizes from customers who order three-quarter truckloads and in the process the company saves on freight.

Research by Aberdeen Group reaffirms Welch’s decision as a good one; according to a report by the research firm, the top 20% companies that succeed in completing BI projects on time are likelier to outsource their requirements to third-party vendors that include SaaS providers. SaaS providers with niche capabilities help enterprises fill in the gaps with respect to data integration, data quality, and laying down the rules for disseminating information in a better manner to all users.

Vtiger has released vtiger CRM 5.0.4. The new release comes feature-packed and with a number of improvements such as better security, upgraded UTF-8 support for foreign languages, email enhancements include SSL support and rich text mails, you can also export records selectively.

The new product comes with a cool theme selected by the vtiger community, a nice aspect of community effort characteristic of the open source movement. CRM functions offered by the new vtiger CRM 5.0.4 include Sales Force Automation, Customer Support & Service, Marketing Automation, and Inventory Management, Security Management, Calendaring, and E-mail integration with Outlook and Gmail.

The new version addresses more than 900 small and big issues and suggestions for improvement put forward by the vtiger community.

Learn more here.

It’s like an inexorable march of conquest for Web 2.0, with another CRM vendor acknowledging its role in helping businesses connect with customers and potentials. The new range of CRM products from Sage available on-demand and on-premise will provide users with option of collecting data from online resources.

Sage views the incorporation of Web 2.0 standards as a step forward in offering mobile CRM. Sage is confident that it will be able to provide a consistent user experience irrespective of the user’s choice of device. If indeed it succeeds Sage will perhaps have a one-up on mobile CRM efforts of companies like Microsoft which has tied up with iEnterprise and RIM and Oracle which has tied up with Nokia.

Sage has already introduced internet mash-up capabilities for ACT by Sage, Sage CRM and Sage SalesLogix.