Table of contents
What is a CRM system (Customer Relationship Management)?
CRM is the abbreviation for "Customer Relationship Management". A CRM system is used to manage customer-related data in a structured manner in order to optimize operational processes in sales. In integrated business software, the stored customer data is also used for other business processes such as the creation of documents.
Wikipedia defines the term "CRM" as follows:
"Customer relationship management, or CRM for short, refers to the consistent focus of a company on its customers and the systematic organization of customer relationship processes. The associated documentation and management of customer relationships is an important component and enables in-depth relationship marketing. In many industries (e.g. telecommunications, mail order, service companies), relationships between companies and customers are long-term. CRM is used to maintain these customer relationships, which should have a significant impact on the company's success."
A CRM system is therefore used to optimize marketing processes for acquisition and customer retention by bringing together all customer-related data directly in the customer data record.
CRM systems are available as stand-alone software systems and as part of integrated business software. Stand-alone CRM systems can be highly specialized and go far beyond the functions of standard software in certain respects. Customizing systems can be used to add new functions to existing systems according to individual requirements.
What data does a CRM system store?
As a rule, the following data can be stored in a comprehensive CRM system:
- Customer master data with multiple customer addresses
- Classification of contact data into categories (customer, supplier, etc.) and priorities (A-customer, B-customer, etc.)
- Several contact persons per customer with additional data
- Multiple bank accounts per customer
- Action log and resubmissions for processing customer-related events
- Customer-related definitions such as payment type, currency, price group, etc.
- Storage of customer-related external documents, scanning and filing of documents in the customer data record if necessary
- Debtor and creditor accounts for the creation of accounting data
What functions does a CRM system contain?
A CRM system usually has the following functions as part of integrated business software:
- Creation and invoicing of receipts, SEPA mandates, direct debits and credit notes from the customer data record
- Storage of an action chronicle with resubmission lists
- User-defined fields for individual data
- Assignment of external files to the customer data record or to the action chronicle
- Recording of services that can be billed to the customer
- Export address and appointment data as a file and transfer such data to Outlook or the calendar and contacts app
- Scanning of paper documents and assignment to the customer data record
- Route planning with geocoding and saving routes
- Customer-related statistical evaluations
- Printing of contact sheets, lists and labels
- Connection to telephone systems or the Fritz!Box for software-supported telephony
- Importing data from other systems
- Export of data in various formats
What modules is a CRM system connected to?
In integrated business software, the CRM module is connected to many other modules:
- Services to record services to the customer
- Correspondence contains all documents that are linked to the customer.
- Invoicing contains offers, order confirmations, delivery bills, invoices, credit notes, reminders and orders as well as bookings, SEPA mandates, direct debits and credit notes to the customer.
- Project management for creating and managing projects. A customer should be able to participate in several projects and a project can contain any number of customers. A lot of other data can often be saved in relation to projects, such as invoicing documents, project processes, files or contact persons.
In common CRM systems, all data stored for the customer can be called up directly in the customer data record. If a new document is created in invoicing from the customer data record, the system automatically assigns the corresponding customer to the new document.
CRM for Mac, Windows and Apple iOS
The Business software gFM-Business has an integrated CRM system for managing customers, suppliers and other contacts. Based on the FileMaker platform, the software offers many of the functions mentioned in this article and can be run on Mac, Windows and the Apple iPad.
The gFM-Business ERP software offers various modules that can improve operational processes in companies. Here are some of the benefits of the CRM, ERP and billing modules in gFM-Business:
- CRMThe CRM module in gFM-Business enables companies to keep track of customer contact and business relationships. It provides a centralized database for customer data that allows companies to make the sales process more efficient. With CRM, companies can identify potential sales opportunities, automate sales and marketing activities, improve customer care and increase customer satisfaction.
- Merchandise managementInventory management in gFM-Business enables companies to effectively manage and optimize their inventory. They can monitor and control their inventory in real time, manage orders and deliveries, create shipping labels, view order histories and more. Inventory management in gFM-Business enables companies to reduce costs, increase customer satisfaction and avoid bottlenecks.
- InvoiceThe invoicing module in gFM-Business enables companies to automate and simplify their invoicing. It provides a central database for invoices and payments, allowing companies to manage their finances effectively. The module offers features such as automatic invoicing, the ability to create and manage quotations and delivery bills, payment management and the ability to monitor financial data in real time. With Faktura, companies can automate their accounting and finances, speed up their payment processing and save time.
Overall, the CRM, merchandise management and invoicing modules in gFM-Business offer numerous advantages that can help companies to optimize their operational processes, increase customer satisfaction, reduce costs and manage their finances effectively.
