There will come a time when you will need a data management system, such as CRM and ERP software, to be able to collect and interpret this data. These systems will help you maximize performance across the entire business.
If you’ve been asking yourself “CRM vs. ERP, which should I choose?” this article will help you find the answer, see their pros and cons, and decide what to do next.
To help you interpret acronyms and industry jargon, we’ve broken down two of the most powerful solutions: customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP).
The differences between these systems can be overseas chinese in uk data confusing, as their functions seem to overlap in some places. However, there are differences, and knowing which strategy or software is best for your organization is critical to efficient growth.
We are here to explain in detail about the question of "ERP vs CRM":
Who are CRM and ERP for?
Why choose one or the other (or both)?
The key features they offer, to make your life easier
Download your Sales and Marketing Strategy Guide
Boost your business with our step-by-step guide (and template) to creating a sales and marketing strategy.
Work email
I want the E-book
Your data is processed in accordance with our privacy notice . You may unsubscribe at any time.
What is CRM?
The term CRM , or customer relationship management, is a business strategy designed to improve a company's ability to generate leads , maintain engagement with potential customers , build strong relationships with external contacts, improve the customer experience , and close deals.
When we talk about CRM, we refer to two things:
Strategic behavior and guidelines help make the sales process more efficient and successful, both with existing and potential customers.
Feature-rich software designed specifically to streamline a company's sales process.
While the software aspect of CRM isn't the only part of the strategy, it is the key piece that makes it possible. A good CRM strategy implements the data that CRM software provides about how to best build relationships with leads, customers, and more.
Who is CRM for?
The primary function of CRM software designed for sales teams (and this is often the case) is to provide a clear picture of who your prospects are and where they are in the customer journey. This software offers tools to help you move leads through the sales process, providing insights into how to refine your sales techniques .
One of the advantages of this system is that other teams can also use information stored in a sales CRM. HR and customer service departments can access communications between the company and the buyer, to better understand a customer's position.
Marketing teams can review the number of qualified leads a previous campaign produced for the sales team to determine how effective it was. At the same time, senior management can use CRM software to review sales forecasts for the upcoming month and predict revenue (rather than having to manually consult a spreadsheet, which increases the risk of human error).
With the insight a CRM system provides into your leads and customers, you can identify and maximize your sales opportunities by collecting customer data about how you sell and who exactly you sell to.
CRMs used to be an expensive undertaking for a business, but with the shift to the cloud in recent years, ERP and CRM for SMBs have become affordable. Subscription-based models eliminate huge upfront costs, and CRM vendors take care of server storage.
Many vendors also have mobile apps , so as long as you have an internet connection, you can access your CRM database on the go – extremely convenient for sales reps who are on the go frequently.
When to use CRM?
It’s never too early to implement a CRM strategy. Even if you’re a startup, you should have predefined guidelines for how to manage prospects at various stages of a deal, how best to communicate with potential customers, etc.
