Do you dream of maximum data integrity with minimal effort? How about a single interface instead of a myriad of different systems? We’ve got ten benefits of integrated software to whet your appetite.
Integrated software solutions involve bespoke software that can connect CRM, back office, or in fact any systems. Put simply, they sit in the middle of all your systems and connects them (people also refer to it as middleware).
1. Streamlined Business Processes
Are your current processes fragmented, inefficient and time-consuming?
An integrated software solution can be used to connect your CRM, back office or any other systems to amalgamate your data into an accurate and 360 degree view of your prospects and customers. Simplify and speed up data entry safe in the knowledge that the right information is being passed/created in the supporting systems.
One of our customers, Restore Datashred, completely streamlined their quotes and contracts process. In a nutshell, quotes can now be created in their integrated software solution and pushed out to finance departments and customers for approval with digital signatures before being pushed back into CRM and any operational systems. It’s an interface which a lot of people and different departments use, not all of them needing a CRM (or accounting or operational) licence to do so. It automates the whole process at speed, with absolute accuracy, ensuring zero duplication of data entry between systems.
Find out more in our Restore Datashred Case Study.
2. No More Missed Opportunities
Is your business losing revenue opportunities?
Integrated software solutions can help in so many areas:
- Automate creation of quotes, ready to send to the customer.
- Validate data entry to ensure complete and accurate information.
- Ensure your sales teams are selling from the current price book.
- Ensure Contract Renewals are dealt with promptly.
- Reduce operating overheads per sale.
- Increase revenues by managing sales agreement performance.
3. Exceptional Customer Experience
Do you want to integrate your customers with your company, keeping customer experience at the centre of your business?
An integrated software project can include a Customer Portal as a self-service tool for your customers to see their invoices, quotes/orders and customer service tickets. Alternatively, your contract renewals and quotes can be automatically sent to your customers and tracked removing the need for expensive e-signing subscriptions.
4. Keep Costs Down as Your Business Grows
Is your strategy to reduce operating overheads per sale, increase revenues and grow without increasing operating costs?
By all departments using an integrated software solution as the central hub, processes become streamlined and efficient, duplicate entry is reduced, data inaccuracies are eliminated and inter-departmental communication is improved.
Integrated software enables you to build a cost-efficient solution that can be evolved in stages.
Access quotes and service agreement application “outside” of CRM reduces the need to license all users for CRM.
Use an integrated software solution as a quote and service agreement application to create and modify quotes / view service agreements and associated jobs and sales transactions.
Integrated software offers the ability to configure and upgrade your CRM system independent of other systems. Similarly, integrated software can be evolved and upgraded independent of other systems.
Integrated software also offers a solution to centralise CRM, quote, contract data for use at a later date, for example sub business processes, customer portals and apps etc.
5. Accurate Sales Pipeline
Is your pipeline reporting accurate and up to date?
An integrated software solution can seamlessly update CRM Opportunities through processes based on quotes to automate your pipeline and improve accuracy.
Send automated pipeline reports to management.
It can also automate prospect/customer profile information and improve accuracy.
6. Standardised Prices
Do you need to manage a central price list?
Build a price list into your integrated software solution to manage it centrally and link it your CRM and ERP to ensure your sales teams are using the most up to date prices when they raise quotes.
7. Quicker Onboarding of Company Acquisitions
Does your organisation grow through acquisitions?
Acquisitions can be overwhelming if not integrated successfully and quickly. An integrated software solution can help you grow without increasing operational costs by adding the acquired business’ systems to the solution. This leaves the newly acquired staff free to continue using the familiar systems while they settle into your organisation.
At a later date and if appropriate, the acquired business can move over to the centralised corporate systems with minimal effort.
8. Improved Data Integrity
Is your data susceptible to human error?
An integrated software solution ensures that information such as addresses and site information is consistent across all your systems. No more quotes or contracts with inaccurate information.
Your accurate information can then be used to:
- Send notifications to salespeople for customer engagement, based on KPIs.
- Segment customer data to create targeted marketing.
- Integrate with marketing platforms for automated campaigns and communications.
- Improve your Customer Experience (CX) journey.
- Enable quotes to be created speedily over the phone.
Integrated software also empowers field salespeople to quote face-to-face with the knowledge that they are quoting accurately.
Your customers can be updated with notifications at every step.
9. Single Source of Data
Can I use Business Intelligence (BI) with an integrated software solution?
Having consolidated the data across your business into an integrated software solution, you can then point your BI tool e.g. Power BI at this single data source. You can also pull in any additional information not already in the integrated software solution.
10. Personalised User Interface
We already have a Data Warehouse, can we still have an integrated software solution?
Absolutely! An integrated software solution is extremely flexible – it can have its own data “hub” or use an existing data warehouse.
The data warehouse consolidates the data from some or all of your business systems. This data in turn is presented to the integrated software users in a simple and easy-to-use interface.
When planning an integrated software project, it can be broken down into smaller projects with the first step being to amalgamate your data.
What next?
Want to know more about how an integrated software solution can transform your business efficiency, customer satisfaction and revenue? Get in touch.
