• Posted : 23/12/2015 /
• Tags : AI, Business Development, CRM, Digital Transformation, Email Marketing, SEO, Web

Taking into account the following basic points will not only ensure that you get the right system from the start but that your time and money was well invested. A good CRM is an investment that will pay for itself over and over again by increasing profits and helping your company retain clients.

1. Does it Fit Your Budget?

When examining CRM solutions, it is important to know if the benefits will justify the costs for your company. If your first choice costs more than you can afford, reprioritise your list of requirements and compare them with the features of applications that do fall within your budget range. Then determine which features or modules are essential for the success of the project.

2. What is the Implementation Time?

The less upfront customisation your system requires the more quickly the implementation process can be completed. Ask how long the implementation will take and what factors may increase or decrease the amount of time needed.
Discuss expectations surrounding data migration. The consultant should be able to provide a clear estimate on time and cost prior to commencing the implementation and, if you want to save money, assessing the state of your data beforehand will reduce cost if your current database is well maintained and clean.

3. Will the CRM fit all my Business Needs?

While there is tremendous functionality in ‘off the shelf’ CRM software, there is a greater opportunity to maximise the usefulness of its functions by further customising the software to fit your business needs and processes. Does the software allow you to modify any aspects of the system? Do you have the ability to create and modify fields, screens, tables, views, scripts and security settings?

4. Vendor Reliability

Look for a company that is dedicated to regularly providing high quality service to customers and has the resources to deal with product questions, customer feedback, order tracking and software registration.
Because CRM is a long term investment, a good consultant will act as a long term partner with ongoing help desk assistance and support and initial training for all users. Having a long term partner will ensure your CRM and its users will consistently receive the attention they deserve.

5. Your Team and Their Needs

Before you make a purchase, set expectations and align with your team. Get them on board with the benefits of a CRM and get them on your side before you make the product choice. Just a little bit of preparation will help make the transition to a new system much smoother and will ensure that your staff will make full use of the system.
Ask for a free trial or demo and invite the key members of your team who would use the system to come along.

6. Will it Integrate with Existing Systems in Place?

Look for a CRM system that will integrate with a wide range of third party software or other internal systems that you have in place so customer information can be updated in real-time and can be accessed from any location – from headquarters to remote locations and mobile workers.
7. Will it improve efficiency?
A good CRM solution will, without doubt increases internal efficiencies by automating workflow processes, reducing human error, decreasing process time and providing consistency throughout the entire organisation.

8. Real-time Reporting and Analysis

Look for a solution that has the capability to produce the reports your organisation requires. Find out if customised reports can be created with a minimum of time and effort. See if the system will allow you to manipulate the data any way you choose.

9. Scalability

A good software company invests in engineering and develops new product features and enhancements regularly. The opportunity to move to a similar but more powerful product can give your company flexibility as it grows.