Business intelligence software comparisons for telecommunications companies
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What this comparison report will help you to achieve
4Determine which functional aspects are priorities for your business.
4Evaluate and understand the functionality that addresses Telecommunications requirements.
4Find the Telecommunications solutions that are most likely to serve your business.
About Business Intelligence Software
Business intelligence (BI) is a decision support tool used to capture, report, and analyze a subset of organizational data without affecting operational systems. The software provides essential business visibility to help clients' businesses grow by giving them the information they need about product, sales, and customer behavior. It allows clients to look at their businesses in different ways, and helps them to understand the core issues so they can take action to improve performance.
The function of business intelligence and business performance
With BI and BPM modules included in the ERP system or as standalone solutions, telco companies can better analyze the very high volumes of data that emerge from the enterprise's operational systems. BI and BPM systems provide the right tools to manage data at the right time, including those that enable dynamic reporting, data mining, online analytical processing (OLAP) services, balanced scorecards, and key performance indicators (KPIs). All of these functionalities—together with corporate dashboards that help telecommunications managers, decision makers, and knowledge workers be better able to interpret and analyze data—enable accurate decision making and the ability to modify business workflows that need improvement.
About TEC BI software comparison
Developed in conjunction with software analysts and the world's leading software vendors, TEC's enterprise software evaluation reports are designed to give manufacturers and service organizations a comprehensive list of features and functions (criteria) for each of over forty different kinds of enterprise software solutions. With over 1000 vendor products available for evaluation, TEC is the largest service of its kind in the industry. kind in the industry. ndustry. kind in the industry.
TEC helps thousands of businesses, every month, evaluate and select software solutions that meet their exacting needs by empowering purchasers with the tools, research, and expertise to make an ideal decision.
Industry standard terminology aids evaluation process
The language used to describe each category and criterion has been vetted by TEC analysts and provides a standard description that is understood and accepted by leading vendors and consultants in each enterprise area. During the RFI or RFP process, users benefit from clear, concise descriptions of critical functions that prospective vendors can respond to without confusion. This leads to better participation by invited vendors and reduces the possibility of errors.
Report uses by role:
IT project managers: Save time and avoid errors in the creation of high quality requirements for a software acquisition. Use the reports help develop all RFI, RFP and software tender documents.
IT Consultants: Use comprehensive criteria to determine build vs. buy analysis and perform gap analysis for legacy systems against the latest software functionality included in the reports. With ratings on over 1000 enterprise software solutions, you have access to the most comprehensive vendor data available.
Software manufacturers and vendors: Compare your system against the combined feature set of the leaders in your category to help prioritize future development. Use as a template of included features for any software bid.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
SAP's on-demand strategy
As SAP's new co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe continue to provide clarity on the vendor's product strategy moving forward, they have been careful not to leave SAP's on-demand strategy off the list. In fact, development and delivery of on-demand software is a big focus for SAP in 2010, as the vendor has cited the cloud as a major way it thinks customers will innovate moving forward.
SAP aims to deliver a hybrid approach to the cloud for larger customers -- providing on-demand, line-of-business applications to complement on-premise deployments of the Business Suite. It's hoping SMBs will look to Business ByDesign -- the notoriously beleaguered SaaS suite for companies between 100 and 500 employees. SAP plans to have the product generally available by July.
In this special report, learn more about SAP's on-demand strategy, including how on-demand and in-memory computing are priorities for SAP in 2010, and why SAP is trying to provide the best of both worlds when it comes to on-premise vs. on-demand BI deployments. Also learn more about why end-to-end process concerns and profitability questions have held up the release of SAP Business ByDesign, and how beta users and analysts think the product is improving.
Deciding whether SaaS is a good decision in an SAP shop
Users think SAP’s slow on SaaS, but they want it, survey reveals
An SAP U.K. & Ireland User Group survey reveals that SAP customers want SaaS and are willing to wait to buy it from SAP -- but not for long.
TCO of SaaS: Is on-premise software a better deal over the long run?
SaaS may not necessarily be cheaper than on-premise software over the long term, but experts say that ease of use outweighs long-term SaaS TCO concerns for many. Read more to get examples of companies that use both on-demand and SAP on-premise software, and learn the benefits and disadvantages of SaaS.
SaaS scores lower than on-premise in business benefits
When it comes to timing and costs, traditional on-premise ERP implementations are taking a back seat to SaaS. But while SaaS may seem like an ideal alternative to on-premise, the road ahead isn't free of potholes.
NetSuite gets German certification for SaaS ERP, takes jab at SAP
In an effort to position itself as an SAP competitor, NetSuite's touted meeting tough compliance standards for SaaS ERP on SAP's home turf.
NetSuite targets SAP R/3 customers with discounted SaaS ERP offer
Trying to capitalize on anger over SAP support fee hikes, NetSuite offered SAP R/3 customers a guarantee to cut maintenance and support bills in half.
Video: Ray Wang on SAP's cloud strategy, SaaS options
SAP recently outlined its plans for on-demand software, which includes a major rollout of Business ByDesign. In this video, Ray Wang, partner at Altimeter Group, gives his take on SAP's cloud plans and offers some advice for prospective buyers.
What's in store for SAP on-demand software for large companies?
SAP co-CEOs to prioritize product development, delivery
SAP co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe feel the need for speed. Learn more about SAP's new focus on delivering product roadmaps faster and how they think agile software development will help.
SAP: We're serious about SAP on-demand
SAP's outline for its product roadmap for 2010 has on-demand and in-memory computing leading the way. Read about SAP's plans for on-demand innovation and in-memory analytics.
On-premise vs. on-demand BI: SAP tries for the best of both worlds
When it comes to the debate over on-premise vs. on-demand business intelligence (BI) deployments, SAP BusinessObjects is trying to be all things to all customers in hopes to provide the best of both worlds.
SAP's Wookey outlines the company's on-demand ambitions
SAP customers won't be able to buy the entire SAP Business Suite on-demand, but will be able to add new, line-of-business apps on a subscription basis. Learn more about SAP's on-demand strategy for enterprises, including what SAP on-demand applications will look like and why they'll be multi-tenant.
SAP's CEO gets down to earth on plans for SAP cloud computing
As SAP shed some light on its plans for cloud computing, former CEO Leo Apotheker talked about why he believed you can't put everything in the cloud.
SAP Business ByDesign: SAP's on-demand strategy for SMBs
Sapphire: Users like SAP's push on mobile, on-demand and in-memory, but aren't ready
SAP reiterated at Sapphire its focus on delivering its software on-premise, on-demand and on mobile devices, and even made Business ByDesign generally available, two years after the on-demand suite for small to medium-sized enterprises was debuted with much fanfare and subsequently pulled back off the market. A new version of Business ByDesign, version 2.5, will be available in July.
Is Business ByDesign the future of SaaS CRM at SAP?
SAP confirmed predictions at Sapphire when it said the next version of SAP Business ByDesign will include a multi-tenancy option, real-time analytics, support for mobile devices, a better UI and a development environment for partners. The product also appears to be core to the new SaaS CRM strategy.
SAP Business ByDesign product demo
Interested in SAP Business ByDesign? SAP's Rainer Zinow recently showed the SaaS-based ERP system's capabilities with a short demo of the long-awaited product.
SAP: Business ByDesign needs more work in process execution, profitability
SAP claimed its on-demand ERP product -- Business ByDesign -- was available, but find out why end-to-end process concerns and profitability questions are holding up its release.
SAP announces Google, BusinessWire mashups for Business ByDesign
Google, BusinessWire and MapQuest mashups will be available for the few dozen users SAP has released Business ByDesign to.
SAP upgrades SAP Business ByDesign, integrates Xcelsius, Crystal Reports
SAP won over some new customers with a recent upgrade to SAP Business ByDesign. Learn about the most recent upgrade, Feature Pack 2, for SAP's SaaS ERP, and why it gained favor from companies like ResearchPoint.
SAP delays on-demand ERP
In early 2008, SAP scaled back development of Business ByDesign, postponing its targets 12 to 18 months. Find out what the delay meant for customers awaiting its release.
As SAP's new co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe continue to provide clarity on the vendor's product strategy moving forward, they have been careful not to leave SAP's on-demand strategy off the list. In fact, development and delivery of on-demand software is a big focus for SAP in 2010, as the vendor has cited the cloud as a major way it thinks customers will innovate moving forward.
SAP aims to deliver a hybrid approach to the cloud for larger customers -- providing on-demand, line-of-business applications to complement on-premise deployments of the Business Suite. It's hoping SMBs will look to Business ByDesign -- the notoriously beleaguered SaaS suite for companies between 100 and 500 employees. SAP plans to have the product generally available by July.
In this special report, learn more about SAP's on-demand strategy, including how on-demand and in-memory computing are priorities for SAP in 2010, and why SAP is trying to provide the best of both worlds when it comes to on-premise vs. on-demand BI deployments. Also learn more about why end-to-end process concerns and profitability questions have held up the release of SAP Business ByDesign, and how beta users and analysts think the product is improving.
Deciding whether SaaS is a good decision in an SAP shop
Users think SAP’s slow on SaaS, but they want it, survey reveals
An SAP U.K. & Ireland User Group survey reveals that SAP customers want SaaS and are willing to wait to buy it from SAP -- but not for long.
TCO of SaaS: Is on-premise software a better deal over the long run?
SaaS may not necessarily be cheaper than on-premise software over the long term, but experts say that ease of use outweighs long-term SaaS TCO concerns for many. Read more to get examples of companies that use both on-demand and SAP on-premise software, and learn the benefits and disadvantages of SaaS.
SaaS scores lower than on-premise in business benefits
When it comes to timing and costs, traditional on-premise ERP implementations are taking a back seat to SaaS. But while SaaS may seem like an ideal alternative to on-premise, the road ahead isn't free of potholes.
NetSuite gets German certification for SaaS ERP, takes jab at SAP
In an effort to position itself as an SAP competitor, NetSuite's touted meeting tough compliance standards for SaaS ERP on SAP's home turf.
NetSuite targets SAP R/3 customers with discounted SaaS ERP offer
Trying to capitalize on anger over SAP support fee hikes, NetSuite offered SAP R/3 customers a guarantee to cut maintenance and support bills in half.
Video: Ray Wang on SAP's cloud strategy, SaaS options
SAP recently outlined its plans for on-demand software, which includes a major rollout of Business ByDesign. In this video, Ray Wang, partner at Altimeter Group, gives his take on SAP's cloud plans and offers some advice for prospective buyers.
What's in store for SAP on-demand software for large companies?
SAP co-CEOs to prioritize product development, delivery
SAP co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe feel the need for speed. Learn more about SAP's new focus on delivering product roadmaps faster and how they think agile software development will help.
SAP: We're serious about SAP on-demand
SAP's outline for its product roadmap for 2010 has on-demand and in-memory computing leading the way. Read about SAP's plans for on-demand innovation and in-memory analytics.
On-premise vs. on-demand BI: SAP tries for the best of both worlds
When it comes to the debate over on-premise vs. on-demand business intelligence (BI) deployments, SAP BusinessObjects is trying to be all things to all customers in hopes to provide the best of both worlds.
SAP's Wookey outlines the company's on-demand ambitions
SAP customers won't be able to buy the entire SAP Business Suite on-demand, but will be able to add new, line-of-business apps on a subscription basis. Learn more about SAP's on-demand strategy for enterprises, including what SAP on-demand applications will look like and why they'll be multi-tenant.
SAP's CEO gets down to earth on plans for SAP cloud computing
As SAP shed some light on its plans for cloud computing, former CEO Leo Apotheker talked about why he believed you can't put everything in the cloud.
SAP Business ByDesign: SAP's on-demand strategy for SMBs
Sapphire: Users like SAP's push on mobile, on-demand and in-memory, but aren't ready
SAP reiterated at Sapphire its focus on delivering its software on-premise, on-demand and on mobile devices, and even made Business ByDesign generally available, two years after the on-demand suite for small to medium-sized enterprises was debuted with much fanfare and subsequently pulled back off the market. A new version of Business ByDesign, version 2.5, will be available in July.
Is Business ByDesign the future of SaaS CRM at SAP?
SAP confirmed predictions at Sapphire when it said the next version of SAP Business ByDesign will include a multi-tenancy option, real-time analytics, support for mobile devices, a better UI and a development environment for partners. The product also appears to be core to the new SaaS CRM strategy.
SAP Business ByDesign product demo
Interested in SAP Business ByDesign? SAP's Rainer Zinow recently showed the SaaS-based ERP system's capabilities with a short demo of the long-awaited product.
SAP: Business ByDesign needs more work in process execution, profitability
SAP claimed its on-demand ERP product -- Business ByDesign -- was available, but find out why end-to-end process concerns and profitability questions are holding up its release.
SAP announces Google, BusinessWire mashups for Business ByDesign
Google, BusinessWire and MapQuest mashups will be available for the few dozen users SAP has released Business ByDesign to.
SAP upgrades SAP Business ByDesign, integrates Xcelsius, Crystal Reports
SAP won over some new customers with a recent upgrade to SAP Business ByDesign. Learn about the most recent upgrade, Feature Pack 2, for SAP's SaaS ERP, and why it gained favor from companies like ResearchPoint.
SAP delays on-demand ERP
In early 2008, SAP scaled back development of Business ByDesign, postponing its targets 12 to 18 months. Find out what the delay meant for customers awaiting its release.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Business Intelligence Software
What this comparison report will help you to achieve
Determine which functional aspects are priorities for your business.
Evaluate and understand the functionality that addresses Telecommunications requirements.
Find the Telecommunications solutions that are most likely to serve your business.
About Business Intelligence Software
Business intelligence (BI) is a decision support tool used to capture, report, and analyze a subset of organizational data without affecting operational systems. The software provides essential business visibility to help clients' businesses grow by giving them the information they need about product, sales, and customer behavior. It allows clients to look at their businesses in different ways, and helps them to understand the core issues so they can take action to improve performance.
The function of business intelligence and business performance
With BI and BPM modules included in the ERP system or as standalone solutions, telco companies can better analyze the very high volumes of data that emerge from the enterprise's operational systems. BI and BPM systems provide the right tools to manage data at the right time, including those that enable dynamic reporting, data mining, online analytical processing (OLAP) services, balanced scorecards, and key performance indicators (KPIs). All of these functionalities—together with corporate dashboards that help telecommunications managers, decision makers, and knowledge workers be better able to interpret and analyze data—enable accurate decision making and the ability to modify business workflows that need improvement.
About TEC BI software comparison
Developed in conjunction with software analysts and the world's leading software vendors, TEC's enterprise software evaluation reports are designed to give manufacturers and service organizations a comprehensive list of features and functions (criteria) for each of over forty different kinds of enterprise software solutions. With over 1000 vendor products available for evaluation, TEC is the largest service of its kind in the industry. kind in the industry. ndustry. kind in the industry.
TEC helps thousands of businesses, every month, evaluate and select software solutions that meet their exacting needs by empowering purchasers with the tools, research, and expertise to make an ideal decision.
Industry standard terminology aids evaluation process
The language used to describe each category and criterion has been vetted by TEC analysts and provides a standard description that is understood and accepted by leading vendors and consultants in each enterprise area. During the RFI or RFP process, users benefit from clear, concise descriptions of critical functions that prospective vendors can respond to without confusion. This leads to better participation by invited vendors and reduces the possibility of errors.
Report uses by role:
IT project managers: Save time and avoid errors in the creation of high quality requirements for a software acquisition. Use the reports help develop all RFI, RFP and software tender documents.
IT Consultants: Use comprehensive criteria to determine build vs. buy analysis and perform gap analysis for legacy systems against the latest software functionality included in the reports. With ratings on over 1000 enterprise software solutions, you have access to the most comprehensive vendor data available.
Software manufacturers and vendors: Compare your system against the combined feature set of the leaders in your category to help prioritize future development. Use as a template of included features for any software bid.
Business Intelligence Software, Tools, & Solutions
Full-Fledged Business Intelligence Software and Tools
A company looking to excel in today's rapidly evolving business environment can't afford to ignore critical data. Yet if you aren't taking advantage of business intelligence solutions, that's exactly what happens. Business Intelligence Software — the tools and technologies that help you make sense of your data – is vital for any company looking to get ahead on the competition. The right Business Intelligence Tools can make all the difference in the world. Gain a competitive advantage with Windward Reports Business Intelligence Software.
With Windward Reports your company can utilize robust Business Intelligence Tools to get up-to-the-minute information on where you've been, where you are, and where you're headed. Windward Reports BI tools turn a mass of jumbled data into key summaries, and detailed Business Intelligence Solutions help guide you through critical business decisions.
With Business Intelligence software from Windward Reports you can:
Connect multiple, dissimilar data sources and quickly define the relationships between data sets, no matter how convoluted they are
Drill in on specific data via a familiar and user-friendly interface
Select data in a narrative style, which is natural to your approach in focusing on desired data
Present meta data as you wish it displayed and described
Display selected data in a spreadsheet with critical numbers represented by a gauge in a summation cell for each row
Generate reports on your schedule that can be delivered to multiple individuals in a variety of ways, including via email, a URL, or direct to a printer
Windward Reports offers a variety of BI software, tools, and reporting solutions including Windward Arrow for Microsoft SharePoint. On-demand access to your company's data coupled with Windward's analysis and distribution tools make Windward Arrow a great fit for companies in need of an effective Business Intelligence software solution.
Full-Fledged Business Intelligence Software and Tools
A company looking to excel in today's rapidly evolving business environment can't afford to ignore critical data. Yet if you aren't taking advantage of business intelligence solutions, that's exactly what happens. Business Intelligence Software — the tools and technologies that help you make sense of your data – is vital for any company looking to get ahead on the competition. The right Business Intelligence Tools can make all the difference in the world. Gain a competitive advantage with Windward Reports Business Intelligence Software.
With Windward Reports your company can utilize robust Business Intelligence Tools to get up-to-the-minute information on where you've been, where you are, and where you're headed. Windward Reports BI tools turn a mass of jumbled data into key summaries, and detailed Business Intelligence Solutions help guide you through critical business decisions.
With Business Intelligence software from Windward Reports you can:
Connect multiple, dissimilar data sources and quickly define the relationships between data sets, no matter how convoluted they are
Drill in on specific data via a familiar and user-friendly interface
Select data in a narrative style, which is natural to your approach in focusing on desired data
Present meta data as you wish it displayed and described
Display selected data in a spreadsheet with critical numbers represented by a gauge in a summation cell for each row
Generate reports on your schedule that can be delivered to multiple individuals in a variety of ways, including via email, a URL, or direct to a printer
Windward Reports offers a variety of BI software, tools, and reporting solutions including Windward Arrow for Microsoft SharePoint. On-demand access to your company's data coupled with Windward's analysis and distribution tools make Windward Arrow a great fit for companies in need of an effective Business Intelligence software solution.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Zoho CRM para Google Apps
Zoho CRM para Google Apps hace más fácil para su negocio a colaborar, comunicarse y compartir información, todo en un lugar único y centralizado. Si su negocio es a través de Google Apps, ahora se puede sincronizar Google Mail y otra información de acceso desde el interior de Zoho CRM.
Ya sea que esté en Zoho CRM o en Google Mail, siempre tienen un control sobre sus comunicaciones con sus contactos. Además, puede adjuntar documentos de Google Docs, eventos de exportación a Google Calendar y añadir contactos de contactos de Google, todo directamente desde el interior de Zoho CRM. Su negocio está seguro de obtener una ventaja con una mejor colaboración y la información del cliente.
Beneficios
Gestiona todas tus interacciones con los clientes de correo electrónico en un solo lugar.
mejor perspectiva sobre las opiniones de sus clientes y las necesidades que puede realizar un seguimiento de las interacciones de correo electrónico Google Mail manejan en el interior de Zoho CRM y viceversa.
Libérese de las molestias de los archivos adjuntos de correo electrónico y los desajustes en las versiones a medida que directamente puede adjuntar archivos de Google Docs en Zoho CRM.
Estar al día con las citas de CRM que la materia mediante la exportación a tu Google Calendar para compartir y colaborar con sus colegas.
Importe fácilmente y tener acceso a tus contactos de Gmail desde Zoho CRM.
el acceso de forma rápida y ver los datos de CRM mediante la incorporación de gadgets CRM en iGoogle, Google Mail y Google Sites.
Entra en Zoho CRM de la navegación universal de Google con su Google Apps para las credenciales.
Zoho CRM para Google Apps hace más fácil para su negocio a colaborar, comunicarse y compartir información, todo en un lugar único y centralizado. Si su negocio es a través de Google Apps, ahora se puede sincronizar Google Mail y otra información de acceso desde el interior de Zoho CRM.
Ya sea que esté en Zoho CRM o en Google Mail, siempre tienen un control sobre sus comunicaciones con sus contactos. Además, puede adjuntar documentos de Google Docs, eventos de exportación a Google Calendar y añadir contactos de contactos de Google, todo directamente desde el interior de Zoho CRM. Su negocio está seguro de obtener una ventaja con una mejor colaboración y la información del cliente.
Beneficios
Gestiona todas tus interacciones con los clientes de correo electrónico en un solo lugar.
mejor perspectiva sobre las opiniones de sus clientes y las necesidades que puede realizar un seguimiento de las interacciones de correo electrónico Google Mail manejan en el interior de Zoho CRM y viceversa.
Libérese de las molestias de los archivos adjuntos de correo electrónico y los desajustes en las versiones a medida que directamente puede adjuntar archivos de Google Docs en Zoho CRM.
Estar al día con las citas de CRM que la materia mediante la exportación a tu Google Calendar para compartir y colaborar con sus colegas.
Importe fácilmente y tener acceso a tus contactos de Gmail desde Zoho CRM.
el acceso de forma rápida y ver los datos de CRM mediante la incorporación de gadgets CRM en iGoogle, Google Mail y Google Sites.
Entra en Zoho CRM de la navegación universal de Google con su Google Apps para las credenciales.
Is Business Intelligence for Small Business, Too?
If you don't know everything you'd like to know about what makes your business tick -- what works, what doesn't and how much it all costs -- you need business intelligence or BI. Business intelligence solutions pull data from multiple operational systems (finance, sales, supply chain management, etc.), integrate it, analyze it and present it in easily digestible form as graphs, charts and dials on screen-based "dashboards."
"Business intelligence is about empowering people with the data that will help them make better decisions," said Dyke Hensen, senior vice president of product strategy at Pivotlink, a vendor of software-as-a-service (SaaS) BI solutions.
BI answers questions such as: Which are my best customers? Which are my most profitable products or services? Which are my most efficient locations? How much will it cost to open a new territory? Where am I wasting money?
Rapid ROI
The classic, often-repeated business case for BI revolves around reducing inventory. If business intelligence lets you see up-to-the-minute sales and/or consumption trends and real-time inventory levels, you can delay re-ordering until you actually need items, saving the considerable costs associated with inventory management.
According to Anthony Deighton, senior vice president of products at QlikTech Inc., a maker of QlikView BI software, the benefits of BI software are enormous.
"It's about being able to make smarter business decisions and gain insights into what drives the business: where the costs are, where the costs are leaking, where the opportunities are -- real tactical issues that make a bottom-line difference in how you run your business," Deighton said.
A study commissioned last year by QlikTech from IT analyst firm IDC concluded that the average payback period for a QlikView implementation was an impressively short 198 days. The average return on investment (ROI) reported across all QlikView implementations was 186 percent, and the ROI benefits included an average 16 percent increase in revenue and 20 percent reduction in operating costs.
Business Intelligence in the Cloud
BI is not the type of software solution SMBs have typically been able to afford, but it has been moving down market in the last few years. SaaS offerings from companies such as myDIALS Inc., Birst, Pivotlink and others have helped make it more small-business friendly -- and more affordable.
"I like the whole SaaS model for business intelligence," said analyst and consultant Laurie McCabe, a partner with the SMB Group. "BI is something that would be tough for small businesses to implement on their own."
Buying a SaaS solution will also save small businesses the cost of setting up and then managing servers and network connections. "It really is a change in the paradigm," said Pivotlink's Hensen. "When done correctly, a SaaS solution levels the playing field for the small-to-medium guys."
But SaaS is not the only route to BI for small businesses. Deighton claims his company's product is easy enough for SMBs to implement quickly on their own or with the help of a consultant.
QlikView is available for anyone to download and use for free until they're ready to roll it out to end users. "Small businesses tend to be risk averse," Deighton said. "This helps take some of the risk out of the buying process for them." (QlikView is also available as a hosted solution from QlikTech partners.)
Do You Need Business Intelligence?
Is BI really ready for small-business prime time? The answer depends on the size of your small business, how data-intense it is -- and how much pain your current lack of insight is causing you.
"The place to start," said McCabe, "is to ask yourself what you need to know about your business that you don't know already. What questions do you have that you can't get answers to today? Everything should be driven from that."
There is a real danger, she said, of small businesses spending too much on BI and ending up with something that's overkill and too hard to use for their requirements.
CRM Overview: 5 Minute CRM
For the 5 Minute CRM, we shall present an executive overview of Customer Relationship Management. Upon completion of this page we strongly recommend further reading in What is CRM? (a more in-depth overview of CRM) and Why use CRM?. Of course we would like to hear from you, and talk in person regarding CRM and your business. Please do not hesitate to Contact Us and see how CRM Systems can benefit you
Minutes One to Three:
What is CRM?
CRM, or Customer Relationship Management can be seen as follows:
CRM is an enterprise wide business strategy designed to learn about customer’s needs and behaviors to organize and manage Customer relationships to maximize profitability and minimize expenses. A well planned CRM can be viewed as a strategic process merging strategy and system to amalgamate information from across the company (sales, marketing, finance, accounting, etc.) to offer a complete view of the customer and develop stronger relationships with them. Information gained from all internal and in some cases, external, sources allows the company to complete a full 360 degree view of their customer in real time.
In effect, CRM allows your organization to develop a relationship with your clients and make your operations more efficient.
How does it do this?
CRM amalgamates information accross your departments into one central system. CRM is NOT just technology and software, it is a process and way of doing business that goes beyond the tools you use. CRM is a new way of doing business.
A CRM system begins with a thorough process review of how your company presently does business and how it would like to do business. Which service levels it would like to reach, which information it would like to collect on it's clients, and where the business wants to go.
In plain words, CRM allows you to get to know your customer extremely well and be able to capitalize upon this knowledge.
Through the collection of information during routine transactions, you will be able to get to know buying patterns and collect information on your customer that helps both sides of the relationship.
For example:
For many companies this is their present situation: Imagine a system in place where the lines of communication and information requests are somewhat scrambled.
Issues:
•Each area has their own system, tracking and keeping records on different software
•Management does not have real time performance information
•Customer Service does not have marketing information for cross sell opportunties.
•Sales does not have easy access to client records
•Customer calls, old system doesn't tie into account, so don't know past order
A CRM system has one central system where all the information is collected and stored in one location.
•Everyone is connected into one system
•People have the information they need to do their jobs
•Sales and Customer Service have a deeper knowledge of the customers.
•Data duplication is eliminated
•Data security is strongly enhanced
•Providing promotions, services and products that are exactly what your customers are looking for
•Offering better customer service
•Cross selling products more effectively and quickly
•Helping sales staff close deals faster
•Retaining existing customers and discovering new ones
•Building a relationship with your customer
history
Minute Four:
What are the benefits of CRM?
Using this CRM strategy, a business can increase revenues by:
•providing promotions, services and products that are exactly what your customers are looking for
•offering better customer service
•cross selling products more effectively and quickly
•helping sales staff close deals faster
•retaining existing customers and discovering new ones
•building a relationship with your customer
CRM involves three overall parts: people, process and technology and sews these parts together in an unobtrusive and harmonious manner. Technology can help automate sales and marketing flow, so that more menial tasks are done by the technology, freeing your people to better do their jobs. CRM helps your people by enabling them to do their jobs even more effectively.
CRM helps your company by automating many processes, which helps to retain knowledge in the company and enhance the customer experience. A customer who makes daily or weekly orders will be treated like a person, not a number. Any special promotions or marketing packages relating to their buying habits can be promoted to them in an unintrusive manner. The key to successful CRM is to woo your customer, not stalk them.
Minute Five:
What is the best way to implement CRM?
A successful CRM implementation begins with a business process review involving all levels of staff. If they don't feel like a part of the process, your system will not be easily pushed upon them. The implementation depends on the size of the project and the modifications involved.
Keys to success: let the employees know from the start and have them help build and test the system.
A successful implementation of CRM is not about new software, it's about following a refined business process. People tend to resist change unless they are a part of that change, and 21CRM system works with your company to guide projects from beginning to completion with staff buy-in.
The past decade has seen incredible enhancements to software that small to mid-market businesses can afford. You can implement CRM at a much faster pace than large companies which take a while to turn around.
For the 5 Minute CRM, we shall present an executive overview of Customer Relationship Management. Upon completion of this page we strongly recommend further reading in What is CRM? (a more in-depth overview of CRM) and Why use CRM?. Of course we would like to hear from you, and talk in person regarding CRM and your business. Please do not hesitate to Contact Us and see how CRM Systems can benefit you
Minutes One to Three:
What is CRM?
CRM, or Customer Relationship Management can be seen as follows:
CRM is an enterprise wide business strategy designed to learn about customer’s needs and behaviors to organize and manage Customer relationships to maximize profitability and minimize expenses. A well planned CRM can be viewed as a strategic process merging strategy and system to amalgamate information from across the company (sales, marketing, finance, accounting, etc.) to offer a complete view of the customer and develop stronger relationships with them. Information gained from all internal and in some cases, external, sources allows the company to complete a full 360 degree view of their customer in real time.
In effect, CRM allows your organization to develop a relationship with your clients and make your operations more efficient.
How does it do this?
CRM amalgamates information accross your departments into one central system. CRM is NOT just technology and software, it is a process and way of doing business that goes beyond the tools you use. CRM is a new way of doing business.
A CRM system begins with a thorough process review of how your company presently does business and how it would like to do business. Which service levels it would like to reach, which information it would like to collect on it's clients, and where the business wants to go.
In plain words, CRM allows you to get to know your customer extremely well and be able to capitalize upon this knowledge.
Through the collection of information during routine transactions, you will be able to get to know buying patterns and collect information on your customer that helps both sides of the relationship.
For example:
For many companies this is their present situation: Imagine a system in place where the lines of communication and information requests are somewhat scrambled.
Issues:
•Each area has their own system, tracking and keeping records on different software
•Management does not have real time performance information
•Customer Service does not have marketing information for cross sell opportunties.
•Sales does not have easy access to client records
•Customer calls, old system doesn't tie into account, so don't know past order
A CRM system has one central system where all the information is collected and stored in one location.
•Everyone is connected into one system
•People have the information they need to do their jobs
•Sales and Customer Service have a deeper knowledge of the customers.
•Data duplication is eliminated
•Data security is strongly enhanced
•Providing promotions, services and products that are exactly what your customers are looking for
•Offering better customer service
•Cross selling products more effectively and quickly
•Helping sales staff close deals faster
•Retaining existing customers and discovering new ones
•Building a relationship with your customer
history
Minute Four:
What are the benefits of CRM?
Using this CRM strategy, a business can increase revenues by:
•providing promotions, services and products that are exactly what your customers are looking for
•offering better customer service
•cross selling products more effectively and quickly
•helping sales staff close deals faster
•retaining existing customers and discovering new ones
•building a relationship with your customer
CRM involves three overall parts: people, process and technology and sews these parts together in an unobtrusive and harmonious manner. Technology can help automate sales and marketing flow, so that more menial tasks are done by the technology, freeing your people to better do their jobs. CRM helps your people by enabling them to do their jobs even more effectively.
CRM helps your company by automating many processes, which helps to retain knowledge in the company and enhance the customer experience. A customer who makes daily or weekly orders will be treated like a person, not a number. Any special promotions or marketing packages relating to their buying habits can be promoted to them in an unintrusive manner. The key to successful CRM is to woo your customer, not stalk them.
Minute Five:
What is the best way to implement CRM?
A successful CRM implementation begins with a business process review involving all levels of staff. If they don't feel like a part of the process, your system will not be easily pushed upon them. The implementation depends on the size of the project and the modifications involved.
Keys to success: let the employees know from the start and have them help build and test the system.
A successful implementation of CRM is not about new software, it's about following a refined business process. People tend to resist change unless they are a part of that change, and 21CRM system works with your company to guide projects from beginning to completion with staff buy-in.
The past decade has seen incredible enhancements to software that small to mid-market businesses can afford. You can implement CRM at a much faster pace than large companies which take a while to turn around.
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