Absolutely, plus from a business standpoint, Microsoft Dynamics CRM is more cost effective than other CRM’s or no CRM for that matter.
To start, let’s put it into perspective. All businesses need efficiency and a growing customer base in order to reach the next level.
In order to do achieve that, small businesses must:
- Ensure every team member is carrying their weight (and sometimes a little more).
- Make sure prospects and customers receive the attention they need to foster relationship growth.
- Provide quality customer service when issues arise.
Of course, this is oftentimes easier said than done, which is why implementing an effective CRM system can be highly advantageous. I won’t say that it can’t be done without Microsoft CRM, but I will say that implementing a quality CRM system can save more than a few restless nights of sleep, along with reducing the growing pains a company (and its customers) will experience.
Unfortunately, there is the stigma that Microsoft CRM is better suited for larger businesses with bigger budgets, but I wholeheartedly disagree. The reasons Microsoft CRM 2011 is great for enterprise level companies is the same reason it’s great for smaller companies:
1.) Scalability. Microsoft CRM has the capacity to grow with your business needs and processes, plus it has the capability to integrate with other software systems. It’s common for companies to hamstring themselves by choosing a product that is “good enough” but doesn’t actually fit their business needs, or will limit their ability to change their process in the future. By doing this, organizations unintentionally hinder their process, and run into additional costs in the future associated with migrating data to a better suited CRM system.
2.) Economy. Now that Microsoft CRM is available hosted online by Microsoft, the costs of buying servers and installing software are gone. Companies only have to pay for employees who are using the system. Additionally, the cost of Microsoft CRM is far more economical than other comparable CRMs on the market, but unlike competitors such as Salesforce.com, Microsoft has NO tiered plans. You get full use of Microsoft’s features for one monthly price. Often 30 – 50% less than other CRM systems.
3.) Usability. Implementing a new software system and getting employees on board can be a challenge but with Microsoft CRM, users working directly from Outlook will experience a familiar interface increasing user adoption.
Last of all, I’d also like to address “cost fear” that small to mid-size businesses have when they think of implementing a customized CRM. It’s not uncommon to see companies using Microsoft CRM “out of the box,” which is great. Microsoft CRM offers a lot of usability and the fact that CRM Online meets many needs right out of the gate is a testament to the unparalleled R&D hours Microsoft has invested into CRM. But, one of the key features of the Microsoft CRM product is its flexibility to accommodate the unique needs of each company’s business processes. While it’s true that some implementations can be costly, that’s not the rule of thumb.
To address these concerns and open the door for businesses’ with strict budgets but additional CRM needs, we’ve developed a line of at . This allows companies the power to choose the package that meets their needs, and add additional services down the road if desired. Plus, unlike other firms which are outsourced and can be challenging to get in touch with, if you have any questions about packages or services, we encourage you to give us a call, we are “virtually” around the corner from your office and based in the USA.
By Armanino Consulting - the West Coast’s largest Gold Certified, , Washington, and California.
