Customer Relationship Management: Software or Web Service
Despite the value of Customer Relationship Software to an enterprise, many companies plan their CRM systems without completely integrating them into the rest of their IT systems. Web based CRM solutions are becoming more and more popular as organizations try to outsource business functions that are outside of their core business area. However, web based systems are the least likely to be seamlessly integrated with other business systems such as order processing, order tracking, and invoicing and bulling.
CRM systems typically deal with opportunity management and then drop the ball once the sales opportunity becomes an order. Typical business systems contain jewels of information relating to customers, such as past order history, warranty expiration dates for example. By combining the tools that the sales representative uses to manage prospective customers and opportunities with the information already gathered about existing customers in the business system data mining can become gold mining. For example, if you can know that certain customers have previously purchased products that are ending their warranty period; you could send them an email or mass mailer letting them know they can purchase an extended warranty.
A smart company will take the time to make sure their CRM software is integrated with their Business System software. Although web sites that offer a canned CRM solution may seem attractive, be aware that these will be the least flexible in terms of integrating data across information systems.