So, you are comparing CRM software, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and Salesforce.com are your two top options for online or web-based CRM software. Now, you need to determine which system would be the best application for your business. Been there, done that.
A few years ago, as in Los Angeles, we were looking for a CRM solution. We went through an exhaustive evaluation and selection process to find the right one for our organization. At the conclusion of our due diligence phase, it became obvious that there were 3 reasons why Microsoft Dynamics CRM was the better choice: flexibility, productivity and affordability.
Reason # 1: Flexibility
On-premise OR On-demand: Sure, you want to be “in the cloud” today. But will an online solution still be viable for your company next month, or next year? Microsoft’s flexible solution allows you to easily move your entire installation from a hosted environment to your site, with all of your customizations and data intact. Thankfully, we made the right decision, because less than 6 months after we implemented our hosted solution, it was moved on-premise.
Reason # 2: Productivity
Frankly, using Salesforce.com can be as easy as any other CRM system out there, but it can also be a big hassle when it comes to rescheduling activities – I know, because I’ve used it as well. Sales people need to easily and quickly reschedule calls, tasks and appointments, and doing so within Microsoft Dynamics CRM is very easy with native Outlook experience. Other benefits include flexible email smart matching to automatically track incoming messages in CRM and the fact that attachments automatically preserved whether it is the Web client or Outlook client. This not only increased productivity, but proved to our users the power and value of the application.
And the ease-of-use doesn’t stop there. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a natural extension of Microsoft Office and Outlook and that familiar look and feel helps reduce ramp-up and training time. It is also extremely flexible, adapting to your culture and processes rather than forcing you to mold your business to new software.
Reason # 3: Affordability
Lastly, the ongoing costs associated with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online are much lower than Salesforce.com, providing you more value for less money. At $44 per month per user, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online enables your organization to quickly increase your productivity without significant capital investment, while not limiting your future options. Plus, that $44 includes free mobile access, enhanced data import, and customizable views.
Interested in learning more about CRM? Looking to jumpstart your CRM project? Let us help you get started with a Please contact us by email rkuhlmann@advancedsps.com or call us at (310) 844-7865.
Robert Kuhlmann is a Senior CRM Consultant with AdvancedSPS, a California partner. With over 15 years of functional experience successfully developing, implementing and managing CRM systems, Robert now offers his expertise to organizations like yours in order to successfully design, implement and manage CRM solutions.
By: Robert Kuhlmann, AdvancedSPS –
Most people would agree with this, in my opinion the author could not be more right.
Mike: Appreciate your comment. You are right - features don’t solve business problems, and an upcoming article I am writing for this blog focuses on some of the steps necessary for successful CRM implementations and actually will touch on that. The focus of this particular article was to help organizations who have already walked through the steps you refer to, with MS Dynamics CRM and Salesforce.com resulting in their top 2 choices.
SQLCity: There was a change in IT leadership, which resulted in an overall change of IT strategy and philosophy regarding outsourcing in general.
Can you elaborate on why you had to move your hosted solution to on-premise?
It's always interesting watching software vendors and their resellers convince the end user community that this is a feature war. Features don't solve unique business problems. Features do not make a business customer-centric. Operational efficiencies are not where the real ROI is.
Do software companies and software resellers know how to increase customer "loyalty" and customer "lifetime value?"
How can you try to compare one software package against another until you know the unique change that is taking place in a business.
- Align the strategy to the customer
- Align process to the strategy
- Find software that supports the process
This is the order of things in the real CRM world, in my opinion.