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Complicated, inefficient processes are more than just problematic for businesses: they could be the difference between customer service success and failure. In order to mitigate this risk, many are employing specialist software to streamline how their business operates on a daily basis.

CRM software is one solution — but what is it and how does it work? Here, Datawright, a leading provider of process manufacturing software, demystifies this essential software.

CRM software: what is it?

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is a system that aids the management of all of your company’s relationships. This can be existing and potential clients, employees, suppliers and anyone else your business may work closely with.

If you currently use the term ‘management’ loosely in regards to your relationships, CRM software can help. If current opportunities are tracked via multiple versions of the same spreadsheet and meetings are scribbled in diaries, you can definitely benefit from CRM software.

Essentially, CRM software is a large database of your business-critical information. By having one centralised hub of information, everyone has access to the up-to-date data they need.

The benefits CRM software can bring

Using CRM software can be beneficial across a variety of sectors — including manufacturing. Below, we explain how some of the most important features of the software and how they can benefit your business:

Communication

There is no denying the importance of communication in business, especially those that are rapidly expanding. Think of it as a game of Chinese Whispers — the more employees or people playing, the longer it takes for a message to be passed around.

CRM software is suitable for use across workforces of all sizes. Knowledge will vary across departments in bigger workforces: for example, the customer relations team may know about a client’s future plans, which would naturally benefit sales and marketing. By using a centralised system, all of this knowledge can be collated in one place, keeping everyone up-to-speed. Ultimately, this means greater opportunities for you and improved customer experience.

Up-to-date information

How much time has been wasted through incorrect records, or employees working from the wrong resources? Outside of a centralised management system, multiple versions of the same documents can exist on localized systems — like an employee’s desktop, for example — meaning everybody has access to different information.

If the wrong information is used, how will the correct end-product be delivered? The impact this issue has can be even more severe within field service management. Your field service engineers are already disconnected from HQ — CRM acts as a remote connection, ensuring they have access to the up-to-date information they need.

Above all, an effective CRM system provides the latest information to all that need it, eliminating potential risk.

Accountability

What may seem like small inefficiencies within your business could become large-scale failures for your business. As you switch from spreadsheet to spreadsheet or messages fail to be passed on, information is lost. The more information is lost, the less business intelligence you have—and the less able you are to deliver exceptional customer service.

Through implementing CRM software, you can improve accountability throughout your workplace. This means that when things go wrong, you can easily work out where the issue came from and put processes in place to ensure a similar problem doesn’t happen again.

Account management

Whether it’s a prospective customer or an existing client, a CRM system allows you to monitor everything from contact information to order history, quotations, sales calls and complaints.

Through effective data management, you can increase business intelligence and therefore the overall service you can deliver. Offering a more tailored service could be the deciding factor in a client choosing your brand or one of your competitors.

Scalable

CRM systems are fully scalable, meaning they can grow as your business does. For you, this means you won’t have the hassle and cost of transitioning to a new system, moving across the information and retraining staff to use the new software.

Task automation

In a world where stress levels are high, CRM software can take the pressure off your employees, giving them more time to work on the stuff that really matters. The everyday tasks may be vital, yet through automation and readily accessible data, the time they take can be significantly reduced. All of this works to boost the efficiency of your business.

Here at Datawright, our CRM software is integrated into our K8 Manufacturing solutions, minimising the hiccups that can be caused from jumping from one software system to another. 

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