Customer Relationship Management, CRM
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is an application software designed to automate the interaction with customers, in particular, to increase sales, optimize marketing and improve customer service. This is achieved by maintaining customer information, the history of relationships with them, improving relevant business processes, and subsequent analysis of the results.
The CRM model of customer relations suggests that the main goals of the enterprise are to satisfy customer needs, ensure sales and increase marketing efficiency. Accordingly, the following standard applications may be part of the CRM system:
- CSS (customer service & support — automating customer support service). One uses such methods and tools as a database with detailed information about customers, statistics collection, web technologies, bonus programs, etc.
- SFA (sales force automation). It is about managing the activities of agents and sellers. They are provided with information and promotional materials. It is also the analysis of sales progress and agents' results, automatic generation of tariffs and commercial offers in accordance with the existing conditions and the state of the customer base, etc.
- MA (marketing automation). Different methods are used to analyze the target audience and form the set of one’s own clientele, identify and analyze customer requirements, develop marketing campaign plans and analyze the results of these campaigns for each group of clients, telemarketing, and many other methods and tools.
The level of information processing by CRM systems can be significantly different:
- Operational — registration and quick access to primary information on events, companies, projects, and contacts.
- Analytical — reporting and analysis of information in various sections (sales funnel, analysis of the results of marketing activities, analysis of sales performance in the context of products, customer segments, regions, and other possible options).
- Collaborative — organization of close cooperation with customers up to their impact on the internal processes of the enterprise (conducting surveys to change the quality of the product or the order of service, a web page to track customers order status, SMS notifications sending, providing customers with the opportunity to independently choose and order products and services as well as other interactive features).
The Customer Relationship Management (CRM) product, included in the ERP IT-Enterprise system or delivered separately, allows you to personalize each client and create the most effective strategy for working with him, which leads to an increase in sales volumes and strengthening the company's competitive position in the market.