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Tuesday, 28 October 2014

Integrating customer service management with a CRM tool

10/28/2014 03:30:00 pm

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For many firms, a CRM app is being implemented with the aim to support the varied activities of a particular department like managing sales, functioning of the marketing campaigns or even offering support to the clients. But one must always remember that a CRM tool is more than just a point solution. It can also help in automating the business processes and also integration of all customers facing departments within your firm. The end result is higher client satisfaction levels, better relations, lowering of costs and also enhancement in revenue levels.


Understanding CRM integration across the complete company

It is believed that the core of a CRM app is client data and most of the time; it is being placed in various systems. Apart from developing redundancies, inconsistent pattern can be noted since varied client data is collected for supporting the varied requirements of the different departments. With the integration of the client data into one single platform, it is possible to ensure that the personnel across all operations are functioning with one common data set.

Moreover, with the integration of the CRM tool, one can bring improvement in the communication both inside and outside the firm. It is possible to have access to details about the client interactions, irrespective of the department last contacted. In other words, now giving quick response to any issues becomes hassle and problem free.

Although, a service management module is part of a big CRM application package, but not always it has usage. By taking up a holistic view of the operations, it is possible to find out where to bag the most with the integration of the service management module.

What are the different steps to successful integration?

Obviously, there will be few hurdles and challenges. To counter them, it is important to keep all these tasks in mind –

- Giving proper definition to the problem and also to the business processes
Before the integration of CRM and service management, defining the business processes that throws light on how you want the interactions between varied departments to happen is crucial.

- Offering executive support 
Take necessary time for securing support in the needed direction and plan for the management team. This opportunity can be used for unveiling different initiatives across different departments.

- Training the users 
Offering needed time and resources for offering training to the personnel is important. It is essential to understand that if the adopted approach for the integration of CRM and service management is not easy to use, then its usage level will be poor.

How to select the right approach  

When you opting for an important decision in regard to the incorporation of CRM into your service management processes, the type of business is more relevant aspect to focus on in comparison to the number of employees in the company. For instance, if your firm has a small clientele base but the business follows a client support intensive, it is possible to bag benefits from the integrated service management tactics that helps in lowering of the time spent with clients. While, on the other hand, when the client support interactions have a low volume, an integration approach is not the right thing to do as it won’t help in delivering the desired return on investment.

Joining hands with an experienced service provider that has in the past integrated CRM and service management can prove helpful. It can also make proposals that help in the alignment of the business requirements with the service space.

Examples 

When we talk about a small firm that offers online backup solutions for file storage and protection, an integrated CRM solution is best fit because it can offer service management of the subscription plans, integrated payment processes and also right reporting. The firm would need a website that would act as the marketing channel for the client data and also a backend CRM tool for service management and also reporting.

Once the CRM integration takes place successfully, it helps in offering better and faster services which improves client satisfaction levels and also develop more efficient internal reporting process.
Innovating the business processes.

A holistic view of the CRM has the potential to alter the way your business is positioned and also make uses of services for managing the client relations. With the integration of the CRM across the operational process, it is possible to lower the costs, serve the clients better and enhance the upsell opportunities.

The article is also available at http://goarticles.com/article/Integrating-Customer-Service-Management-With-a-CRM-Tool/9616750/

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