How a connected CRM and ERP system improves customer service
Picture this. Your delivery team goes to drop off an order at a customer location. In a casual chat, the customer asks if there is still more stock available. They confirm that there is. Well, there was stock available when they left the warehouse. The client is excited and sends an email with another order. Sales relay the order to accounts to prepare the invoice, not knowing that the customer hasn’t even processed payments for the order that was just delivered.
Accounts send someone to do a manual stock check, and realize that there is indeed stock available, but not enough for the quantity the customer needs. The customer is disappointed by the email response that they will have to wait a few days for their order and decides to leave a 2-star review on Hellopeter.
Do you blame the delivery team for confirming details they had no visibility of? Should sales not be aware of customer transactions & payment history? Are manual stock counts not time-consuming? This is a typical scenario for small and mid-market businesses whose customer-facing teams still rely on disparate systems. Perhaps the 2-star review and customer dissatisfaction could have been avoided through an integrated CRM, ERP, and Inventory management system.
In this guide, we discuss how a connected CRM and ERP system improves customer service.
Are you carrying your 2005 operational inefficiencies through to a fast-paced 2021 digital business environment? You probably didn’t enjoy repetitive manual data entry in 2005, and your dislike for it has grown stronger over the years. Your marketing team is firing messages to customers, sales are making calls, accounts quoting, and drivers making deliveries. With so many people having separate interactions with the client, it’s easy to get caught in the he-say-she-say’s of misinformation. And, most importantly, missing the opportunity to enhance your customer service.
Real-time visibility across your entire sales cycle
With so many people involved in the interaction with your customers, all parties must have real-time access to the same data. A manually updated document here, and a casual chat there, are a recipe for inconsistencies, misinformation, and operational inefficiencies. With sales being the initial touchpoint, the customer information that they document in the CRM must be readily available for the warehouse, servicing, and finance departments. This allows for enterprise-wide collaboration, but most importantly, a single version of the truth.
Go from quote to cash quicker
With integrated CRM, ERP, Inventory, and Order management, you can create quotes and proposals within a single interface. Even better, turn them into orders at the click of a button. Not only does it fast-track your sales processes, but your team will enjoy the time saved allowing them to focus on more crucial tasks.
Complete visibility and forecasting
Preparing for weekly and monthly status meetings is a drag if you have to track leads and opportunities manually. By consolidating the information into an integrated CRM and ERP system, the time taken to prepare for these meetings is significantly reduced as management has a real-time line of sight of the entire sales cycle.
With all your data integrated into a single system, you can make informed decisions and avoid any blind spots caused by missing information which is common when using disparate systems. Easily analyze customer lifecycles, improve efficiency, increase conversions and improve your customer experience.
It’s easy to see how the entire situation in the example given could be avoided through an integrated system. A connected CRM and ERP system improves customer service and enhances their and your team’s experience.
Need guidance in choosing a system that boosts productivity, facilitates better decision-making, increases profits, and ensures you avoid those dreaded bad online reviews from unsatisfied customers?
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