CRM and ERP Solutions for Your Growing Business
CRM and ERP Solutions for Your Growing Business
A growing business needs every benefit to try and get ahead of the competition. To the uninitiated, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software might sound like the newest tech-talk buzzwords. But these software solutions are, in fact, one of the most crucial and time-saving methods to increase your business’ reach and operation pipeline.
The B2B companies we’ve worked with wonder whether to use CRM software or get some ERP tech instead. While they may have different core systems, they both serve the same goal. Here at CreamSoda, we aim to provide startup businesses with the support and information they need to expand. For that, proper background infrastructure will be crucial to your success.
In this article, we will explain the differences and similarities between the two and help you decide what works best for you.
Uses of ERP
ERP software focuses on the foundations of your company: financials and production. An efficient ERP will have modules that correlate to every aspect of your company, be it HR, warehouse stock, or financial records. It allows for collecting, integrating, and sharing any information that the company needs to manage its sales pipeline, resources, and workflow properly.
With enough data, the ERP will provide a comprehensive representation of your company’s current situation, help plan all resources effectively, and alert any departments that might have issues down the line. We strongly believe that preventative measures to alleviate any problems in your company’s workflow will increase your overall output and productivity.
For example, your departments can input all estimated shipments and orders. By collating your necessary output, you can make sure that you don’t overproduce and keep a healthy inventory at all times. Managing your inventory correctly will significantly reduce overhead costs as a result.
ERP’s ability to provide useful data on all departments of your company and the entire workforce can prove invaluable. Never more so than when you want to know what critical issues need to be taken care of at that moment.
- To summarize, an ERP will help you do the following:
- Manage your distribution process
- Improve your financial data accuracy
- Automate and manage employee lifecycles
- Process orders and manage sales
- Remove redundant operations
- Reduce unnecessary purchases
- Manage payroll, benefits, and human resources
Benefits of CRM
A cloud-based CRM software will help you manage all aspects of customer relationships. A CRM tool will automate and organize sales, marketing, and customer inquiries. You will know how to keep your client happy by collating all available data on your customers. As a result, they will remain a loyal part of your customer base. With customer retention guaranteed, we know that your company will prosper.
To illustrate, your marketing representative can have a list of all the available potential customers put together using your CRM system. They can use the information your sales reps entered into the CRM system when they made the lead call to a potential customer. This information can then be used to analyse customer needs and create targeted offers for those customers. You can ensure that your customers keep coming back for your services if you are able to come up with offers that interests your customers.
A cloud-based CRM software, like CreamSoda, offers an additional benefit of being straightforward to use and compatible with mobile devices. This allows you to have everything in the palm of your hand, both in and out of the office. They won’t skimp on security measures, so you can rest assured your company information is protected while you’re on the go.
If you’re a B2B seller, an easy-to-use CRM will help you to stay focused on your sales and make sure you don’t undersell your product. Many CRMs have AI-assistance included in their package, which will sort your priorities and make sure you stay up-to-date on any client requests and concerns.
If you’re a B2B buyer, CreamSoda will also help you with your purchases and enable you to buy cheaper than your competition. It will also tell you in advance if your supplier is experiencing shipment delays – even before you make a purchase.
Using our state-of-the-art software, you can browse through all available suppliers quickly and ensure that you buy your product for the cheapest possible price. We know that purchasing costs can be one of the most challenging aspects of setting up a successful venture, so our software will make sure you have all the help you need.
- Overall, these are some of the benefits of cloud-based CRM solutions for small business:
- Easy-to-use and portable solutions for businesses
- Excellent scaling management, perfect for small businesses looking to grow
- Automation and management of orders and supply
- Alerts about customer delays
- Quick collation of collaboration data
- Creation and management of attractive targeted offers to potential customers
Deciding Between CRM and ERP
Both CRM and ERP systems use different methods to increase profits and manage sales. While ERP focuses on managing your inner production and workflow pipeline, cloud-based CRM software will help you efficiently reach and address a broader customer base. An easy-to-use customer management service will significantly boost sales. In fact, our data suggests companies report up to a 34% increase in sales team productivity and a 771% ROI in CRM when using our cloud-based CRM.
ERP software usually comes with basic CRM functionalities and modules. However, a B2B company that heavily invests in its customer base and prioritizes customer service and retention will want a standalone CRM software. This will take care of the entire sales workflow on a platform designed to do just that one task. Additionally, some companies might not even need an ERP system if their manufacturing and financial systems are straightforward compared to their customer relationship management and sales departments. Having only a separate CRM will save you quite a lot if you primarily require its functionality.
However, for the best end result, you can combine both CRM and ERP systems into an excellent automated management system for your small business. While they will have different core ideologies, both serve the same purpose and provide you with valuable data on how to proceed with your next offer. Both systems can provide its API for use if you purchase it, and third-party software can be used to bridge them together.
One of the main benefits of integrating CRM and ERP systems for B2B companies is faster order processing. With an efficient CRM, you can forward any necessary product information directly to your ERP and reduce the risk of mistakes from manually passing reports, forms, or emails. In our experience, a good CRM will give you excellent results with your customers, but only a proper integration with ERP software will bring perfection.
Growing Your Business with CRM and ERP
While all companies benefit from CRM and ERP software, easy to use CRM software will be vital for any small business. By accessing all your data on customers, you can easily keep track of orders and deliveries. The AI assistant will help you reach your next customer by managing your campaign list for you.
Furthermore, our cloud-based CRM software can set up your employees in efficient and managed teams, so you can keep track of what each of your departments is doing. Each new team member can easily access past data when they have access to the complete history of your offers and transactions. You can use this to reduce training time for new hires significantly, helping your business grow to your next milestone.
With 87% of companies using cloud-based CRM software, it’s vital that you find the best customer relationship management solution for your company.
Your best customer relationship management software solution for small businesses will also include a comprehensive overview of any current offers on the market, regardless of region. By ordering for cheaper, you can ensure a much better ROI compared to your competitors.
Getting the Best Solution
When you’re a small business, you might think you don’t need to worry about automating your processes. However, a great cloud-based CRM software is the solution to the problems you didn’t even know you had. By out-competing your rivals, you can ensure that your company grows while maintaining high profit margins. After all, without a solid customer base, you won’t have a company in the first place.
Here at CreamSoda, we understand the struggles of food industry B2Bs. Our customer relationship management solution for small businesses will help you move your product at a fraction of the effort.
