There used to be a discussion on whether CRM integration was good or bad, but nowadays, CRM integration examples are all around you. Whether to integrate or not is no longer up for discussion. Your CRM will integrate with other software. The question is which software do we choose to integrate with and how to make that integration work to your advantage.
Here are some popular CRM integration examples:
- Document Management
Examples: Microsoft SharePoint, Google Workplace
- Collaboration
Examples: Microsoft Teams, Slack
- Calendar and Scheduling
Examples: Google Calendar, Microsoft Exchange and Outlook
- Accounting and ERP
Examples: Quickbooks Online, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
- Databases and legacy software
Examples: SQL Server, Oracle
- Email marketing and Marketing Automation
Examples: Mailchimp, Marketo, Hubspot
- Industrial IoT sensors and devices
Examples: OPC UA supporting devices
- Business intelligence
Examples: PowerBI, Tableau
- E-commerce
Examples: Shopify, WooCommerce
- Chat and Helpdesk
Examples: Zendesk, LifeChat
Going for CRM Integration to Improve Efficiency
It’s no secret that efficiency is key to increasing profit and staying ahead of competitors. But maintaining efficiency is easier said than done. In fact, 69% of workers waste up to 60 minutes a day navigating between apps. That’s certainly not the best way to be productive.
To avoid wasting time navigating between different applications, companies have found there is no point in forcing their users to stay only in Dynamics 365. This results in Dynamics being used for tasks it is not meant to tackle, such as document management. If you have your documents in the CRM instead of in a proper document management system, you lose on many fronts, like team collaboration and version control.
Here at , we encourage our clients to do it differently by focusing on CRM integration.
Using different apps is not a problem, as long as they are integrated in a way that users can navigate between them quickly or better yet, access them without needing to navigate at all.
A Practical Example: Document Storage
Let’s use storing documents that relate to prospects and customers as an example. Rather than utilizing an outside system for storage, use SharePoint by getting the provided by Microsoft.
Set-up is straightforward, and locating documents is seamless. No more wasted time navigating storage apps.
Is it all good? Well, as in most of real life, there's a catch. If you just go for the Microsoft integration, your CRM documents will be visible to everyone once they are in Microsoft SharePoint. Oh yes, including quotes, invoices and any kind of sensitive information you might have on your CRM. Fortunately, once you are aware of the problem, there is an easy fix. You can guarantee document protection and automate permission replication with CB Dynamics 365 to SharePoint Permissions Replicator.
A Real World Case Study: CRM Integration for Digital Transformation
Digital transformation projects always look good on paper. But many quickly find trying to make these projects work in the real world is not that simple. Recently our team faced such a case with a .
- The challenge: Iperal Supermercati S.p.A. owns and operates over 40 supermarkets and hypermarkets in Italy. They faced a real problem trying to get data into Microsoft Dynamics 365 automatically. They no longer could use the data in their on-premises SQL Server once they moved Dynamics from on-premises to the cloud. This lack of integration presented a problem that ultimately was a deal-breaker for them.
- The solution: After a long quest for the perfect solution, they eventually landed on Connecting Software’s website and found Connect Bridge. Filippo Besana, Business Intelligence Specialist & Data Manager at Iperal Supermercati said:
‘We immediately knew Connect Bridge was what we were looking for’
They found allowed them to keep their existing integration with an on-premise database even when using Dynamics online. They now have the data they need in Dynamics 365 automatically and in real time. You can read all about this case study at the Dynamics Success Stories.
Takeaway
Keeping your team on task and productive should be a top priority.
Rather than wasting time navigating between apps, take advantage of the tools that can help you get the most out of your CRM system. With proper CRM integration, you can seamlessly access the information you need and spearhead efficiency across your company.
Would you like more information on how you can get the most out of your CRM system? Do you want professional solutions to your software integration challenges? Contact us at . Our experienced team will be happy to assist you.
Software engineer since 1997, she is now a technical advisor for Connecting Software.
is a producer of integration and synchronization software solutions since 2004.
We operate globally and we are also a proud “Top Member” and "Top Blogger" at CRMSoftwareBlog.
