How CRM and ERP Integration Can Benefit Your Business

There are many enterprise tools  that help your business run smoothly. Two major systems are customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP). Individually they make a strong addition to your business processes. Together, CRM and ERP can keep your business running smoothly. Both systems share a few common functions that can be used interchangeably in your organization, but do have their main functions to contribute to your business model. ERP usually pertains to internal business functions such as human resources, accounting and supply chain, while CRM focuses on external functions for marketing and sales, as well as managing customer data. Technology writer and expert Lauren Hansen share an informative article on CIO Insight explaining how CRM and ERP working side by can greatly benefit your business. Hansen points out that CRM and ERP work with related data, thus are capable of working together. Pairing ERP and CRM benefits company culture, management, HR, and the research and development team through communication, planning, and product information, says Hansen.
  • Communication. “Customer data in the CRM platform is a goldmine of information that informs much of the business’s back-end. Opening CRM data to the rest of the organization promotes transparency and empowers cross-functional collaboration among employees to solve problems.”
  • Planning. “ERP that integrates customer relationship management helps improve business planning. Based on CRM data, a business can better anticipate ebbs and flows in production, delivery needs, and the people and materials required across the supply chain.”
  • Product/service quality. “Integrating your CRM solution with your ERP system helps your business improve product or service quality, based on salespeople’s interactions with clients. When accounting data shows unprecedented returns or when the same complaint gets registered in the CRM, a good ERP system will alert management and point to a bigger internal issue. Effectively addressing product or service issues will reflect happier customer data in the CRM.”

Hansen concludes when your ERP and CRM solutions are integrated, your business can greatly improve with a streamlined data process driven by both systems.

 

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