Advantages Of Software As A Service Solutions For CRM Applications

Software as a Service (SaaS) has become widely acceptedin the market of online or on-demand CRM software. The noticable growth of SaaS solutions is based on the disruptive change in the delivery, prices and platform.

The CRM applications are delivered safely through theusers’browsers. Internet facilitates allow for the access andutilizationof the software at any time, any moment, anywhere, with just a computer and Internet connection. These applications are bought or rented, paying a monthly or yearly fee.

We want to quickly expose some of the reasons why online CRM is being the most utilized choice.

- Lower costs. The financial advantage of these typesof applications is obvious. Users save themselves huge amounts of initial investment, which would have been necessary in the case of traditional on-site software, where not only the license and maintenance services have considerable costs, but also the investment of adequate technological equipment. The analyst firm Yankee Group has said that online CRM solutions lower the total cost of ownership (TOC) of the client as the software runs on centralized hardware sites, which dramatically lowers the costs per user. As a matter of fact, online solutions can also diminish the implementation and customization costs with up to 90%.

- No long-term contracts tie you to the service provider. Another advantage of using online applications is that if there is any discomfort or complaint with the service, the client just does not renew their subscription and seeks another vendor. There are various onlineCRM software service providers that are really good and trustworthy. The model of monthly or yearly fees provides the utilization of the software and the technical support which can vary upon the chosen subscription. The user always has the option to change software in a short time and easily if the application does not fulfill their needs or expectations. Obviously, that is something you can’t do with traditional on-site software considering the amounts and time spent.

- Costs prediction. No ulterior surprise costs will emerge from the implementation, technical support or any other unpredictable fact. The software solutions are delivered based on a concise contract and standardized fixed fees.

- Better Investment returns. A research study performed by Nucleus Research found out that while only 40 to 50% of the clients with on-premise applications achieved a positive return on investment, 82% of online CRM clients obtained positive outcomes.

- A beneficial partnership. An important advantage of online modelsis that they align the interest of the client with the interest of the service provider. With traditional software providers, the provider does not have such a strong interest in the actualsuccess of the client, since they have already sold their product and have got paid. On the contrary, with SaaS (Software as a Service) online providers have to assure a continuous success or they risk losing the clients and therefore, their earnings. They need to make sure the clients are happy.

- Longer time of availability. The provider handles and operates technology remotely, offering the client measurable availability, security and performance. They can centralize and use the latest and highest technologies, including redundant databases which ensure the availability of the application and continuity of the business. They havepermanent experts maintaining the software and assessing the clients.

This has been just a mere enumeration of advantages, but in all cases, each client will need to research and evaluate so as to makean informed decision based on their own business needs.

The author - Jack Stephen is expert in the are of customer relationship management. He is happy to share his experience and tips when it comes to choosing CRM solution for your business.

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Building Stronger Relationships With Customers Through A Functional CRM System

The main goal of every business is to capture new clients so as to grow and gain place in the market and also to maintain the loyalty of the buyers that will continue buying the company’s services or products. A CRM strategy is precisely focused on the relationship with the clients, aimed to make them stronger while gaining their loyalty in time. A CRM system designed to help the companies generate loyalty requires some features to be present, it is not just collecting a huge database. Probably the main ability it should have is the ability to identify and predict what clients need. The starting point should be based upon a few simple questions:

• How can I predict the necessities of my clients?
• How can I use the information I have?
• What information is really useful for determining those?
• What is the client requiring from our company?
• How can we serve the client more efficiently?

Definitely, one of the main modules within a CRM system is precisely customer attention services. It will be the tool to gather the information you will have to evaluate in order to satisfy the customers’ needs and claims, enforce the interaction with them, become aware of their needs and consequently, cater them. A satisfied client, who knows they are being paid attention to, will most likely continue to be a client.

When managing customer services, there are basic functionalities that the CRM program must have.

• The database has to include the information about which services and products your client has already bought.
• It should have a knowledge base, a guide of the different problems and the solutions to them for every existing service or product you are selling.
• It is important to have different inter-phases with their corresponding interaction channels, such as chat, email, fax, newsletters, etc.
• Don´t overlook the importance of a self-service functionality through the company´s website. Some customers prefer to find out by themselves in the first place before contacting a representative of the company. It saves time and costs both for the company and the client.
• When the information is about a problem, it must contain some basic facts that will contribute to a faster and more effective solution, such as priority, urgency, type, category, summary, description and keywords.
• It is very useful for the system to possess the capacity of attaching documents and photos or videos to the problem or situation description.
• Along with that, it should be capable of relating that problem with other cases or claims.
• Once the nature of the case or claim has been determined, it should be assigned to the best representative or technician following an automated evaluation of the details and characteristics of the problem.
• In order to handle the clients’ expectations, the CRM application should contain measurable satisfaction indexes and surveys.
• For similar purposes, notifications, alerts and workflow are useful tools to evaluate the clients’ expectations.

Of course, depending on the business´s specific field, each company will require different functionalities.

Jack Stephen specializes in the CRM system development. Hes opinion is that customization of CRM programs to the particular company or business is a must for the success of the implementation of the plan.

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