Without a doubt there are many CRM systems on the market today. Choosing the best one for your organisation really depends on the company’s needs and what you are looking to gain from it. And choosing one that is not right can have disastrous consequences not to mention prove very costly.
Whether you are looking to manage your marketing, sales or customer service business operations, understanding the way in which various CRM’s can improve a company’s efficiency and productivity will help you make the best choice, and see better return on your investment.
Aside from the obvious benefits such as cost and scalability, it will help to list out your organisation’s needs and what objectives you wish to achieve across the organisation through switching to a new CRM. Below we have listed other key features you may wish to consider:
- Can it be incorporated it to your back office accounting system?
- It is capable of translating to multiple language and converting multi-currency?
- Will you be able to easily customise your solution, so it fits in with your business needs?
- Will you be able to access sales cycle analysis and data?
- Can it support direct flow of information between company systems and remote employees?
- Is it accessible industry-standard technology?
- Can it deliver reporting and analysis in real-time?
- Does it have the ability to create automated workflow?
- Can you manage both contact and campaigns?
- Will it accommodate future business growth?
- How much support do you need and can the provider accommodate this?
- What critical business operations will be affected through downtime?
The list of CRM systems is endless. Handily, companies such as Salesforce.com, inc have provided this ROI calculator. However, once you have your shortlist of potential CRM systems, always seek out other users to find out how they are finding the system, what the capabilities are and any teething problems, so that you can make the best decision for you.