Top 5 Tips to Integrate Your ERP with CRM System

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Top 5 Tips to Integrate Your ERP with CRM System
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Integrate ERP with CRM System
When implementing new ERP solutions for clients,
it is important to view CRM as one of several
necessary cornerstones of the rollout. It is a
fact that CRM systems can often offer great value
at a lower cost compare to a mature ERP system.
More traditional enterprises are usually less
likely to implement entire ERP deployment in one
go. Enterprises usually pursue CRM
implementations without committing to a
full-fledged enterprise solution.
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This trend is also supported by the strategic
activities of CRM and ERP service providers. For
instance, SAP CRM, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, and
Oracle Siebel CRM all these solutions are
marketed as standalone products, and also the
part of all respective vendors full ERP system.
Apart from this, Salesforce has also supported
this trend by offering SaaS-based solution that
emphasizes primarily on CRM functionality. Having
all of these options available in the
marketplace, majority of enterprises have a
multitude of options to select from when
streamlining their enterprise software roadmaps.
To opt for the most suitable and cost-effective
ERP solutions and to integrate your ERP with your
CRM system, there are a few tips to consider
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1. Your CRM Vendor and ERP Vendor May be Different
Just get away from this notion that your ERP and
CMS solution provider should be same. While
majority of ERP vendors also offer CRM systems, a
few may be better than others within this
respective functional area. You can either
consider standalone CRM systems to support your
core ERP software or can also consider CRM
functionality as one of the best criteria when
opting for a new ERP system.
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2. Dont Limit your Options
Although selecting a standalone CRM system is
often a viable decision for several enterprises,
just ensure that your decision should not limit
your options when implementing a new ERP system
in the future. Dont compromise in the
functionalities of CRM for better ERP or vice
versa. It is advisable to understand such
trade-offs before getting too far along in the
process.
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3. Understand the Potential of Integration of CRM
System
Standalone systems like Salesforce CRM have
developed some really robust integration
mechanisms so whether or not a CRM system will
integrate with prominent ERP systems is usually a
point of debate. It is important to understand
how your ERP and CRM systems may integrate at
present or in the future while software
evaluation and implementation planning process.
In addition, you must also understand how the
said CRM or ERP will integrate with third party
software, like quality assurance, product
lifecycle management, or business intelligence
systems.
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4. Implement Systems One By One
It is necessary to make a decision thats the
best for your long-term enterprise solution, it
is not necessarily to implement or buy every
solution at once. CRM system is a separate phase
that needs to be implemented well before you even
start to plan for ERP implementation. Better
progress simultaneously, defining the long-term
systems road map, and then implementing and
integrating the chosen ERP system when they are
ready.
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5. Get your Sales Team on Board
Irrespective of if you choose single ERP
solution, a standalone CRM solution or a SaaS
service, your sales team will be instrumental in
the successful implementation. Sales teams are
prominent in implementing large transformation
projects, as they are the hardest employees to
get on board as it creates extra work for them.
So get ready to have a strong sales team on board.
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The simplicity of a CRM implementation could be
appealing compare to the risks of ERP
implementations. It is necessary to understand
the long-term implications and risks of the path
you may select. Make sure that you follow the
above tips to get the best dividend of CRM and
ERP implementation.
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