How to tackle automation of routine business processes? Find out what are the ways and tools to encourage activity in your company.

CRM solutions on the market

On the CRM solutions market there is an inexhaustible quantity of products with the label CRM. A potential buyer may choose from contact databases with the possibility of storing notes and simple filing of sales opportunities, through more or less successful modules integrated with ERP systems, all the way to sophisticated solutions prepared to measure for selected branches of commercial activities. But how to differentiate the more advanced contact databases from truly active CRM?

Basic

A CRM system in itself ordinarily combines a number of communications devices / channels, by means of which company representatives or salesmen transact the commercial or service agenda of its customers. In modern CRM systems there should not be missing accordingly the most used communications devices such as support for telephony, sms communication or integrated e-mail communication, in some cases instant messaging. Among basic communication devices also naturally belong personal meetings or presentations; therefore it’s advantageous for the system to manage a shared calendar with the possibility of reserving resources for purposes of booking time in a conference room or an automobile for travel to the client. The majority of more advanced CRM systems manage these features, which are advantageously integrated with the features of groupware products. It naturally applies, that the more successful and tighter the integration is, the better it serves the salesman in the automation of the daily routine.

Mid-range

For higher-level active CRM systems it's necessary for the system to contain at least a basic workflow solution on the client side. Some systems solve workflow by a form of best practices in a style of strictly given procedures, which often isn’t possible to alter very much to the measure of a company’s requirements. As a standard, systems provide for instance follow-up actions, which assure planning the next step during the transaction of a current task. After the creation of a business opportunity it’s possible to choose when the salesman should be alerted about feedback and the form of this alert. These solutions aren’t typical workflow systems, but rather simpler substitutes for quality workflow systems.

High-end

More advanced workflow systems are mostly operated on CRM systems built on server technology (that is, typically three or more layer architecture with an application server) or in the best (although financially more exacting) case a workflow system running independently from a CRM system and utilizing its features by means of an API of the CRM system, preferably the Web Services standard. In such a setting it's possible to connect features of ERP systems, consequently finance or management of supplier-customer chains with CRM features such as marketing, sales case management, communication with customers, etc.

Obr. 1: Getting to the client contact is an essential element of most CRM systems. The operator would therefore be more consistent and user friendly.

Automation of a salesman's routine activities

The purpose of the automation of a salesman’s routine activities is to shorten or eliminate the time dedicated to repeated, easily automated tasks. The salesman may dedicate the time saved to searching for new sales opportunities or to the care of existing customers, which manifests itself as heightened success in both sales and in the strengthened loyalty of existing customers.

Acquisition

The manner of addressing a new customer is contingent upon the nature of a sector's operation. Operational CRM systems are best applied in the case when information is known about the partner or customer with whom business should be conducted. The source of this information may often be also various external databases.
Operational CRM is linked to sales activities immediately after identification of the potential sales event. After identification, during which play the largest role analytical CRM tools, follows a number of routine tasks (contacting / presentation / tender / contract negotiations, etc.) It‘s appropriate to describe these routine tasks by means of tools for sales workflow, so that the individual steps concur. At the same time they should ensure sufficient flexibility for the salesman in the event of customer feedback in the form of subsequent identification of new sales opportunities. As a result, the CRM system should guide the salesman to the completion of the acquisition process up to the realization phase.
CRM systems use a number of tools that are suitable to effectively combine, for example:

• tasking (the widest use, enables a wide spectrum of activities, nevertheless often leaves too much leeway)
• transfer cues between departments (e.g., linking to a call center)
• monitoring the state of sales cases (identification for instance of sleeping sales opportunities)
• time-delimited tasks (e.g., after 10 days from the offer to call and obtain feedback)
• document templates and e-mail communications (helping to maintain the look of corporate communications at the required level and at the same time personify the content of the message)
• creation of tenders (flexible tools for creating tenders enable inclusion of items, which the company has not been selling)
• automated monitoring of client reaction (based on the number of criteria it’s possible to obtain by automated feedback through response to an e-mail, integration with web form, etc.)

Obr. 2: Tasks within the CRM system should be automated based on rules entered into the system workflow. Ease of change and adjustment help increase its use.

Maintaining relationships with clients

Reactive approach

A CRM system in relation to existing clients should maintain the salesman(key account) at the center of attention. Identifying key milestones in the relationship with customers is a concern of every businessman. A CRM system should help, on the basis of individual criteria of particular customers, identify a need to take place. Most often it‘s possible to identify customer dissatisfaction (satisfaction is detected with more difficulty). Timely identification of dissatisfaction may avoid conflicts and the eventual loss of a customer. Accompanying signs of problems may be delay in payments, a higher number of complaints or claims, reduced volume of sales, etc. About these changes a CRM system may warn in time the responsible salesman, who can arrange a timely remedy.

Proactive approach

A CRM system should help the salesman identify sales opportunities also among existing customers. In such a case, it’s ideal (often necessary) if the company has its own database of clients. The information contained in it is a useful source of new sales opportunities. It‘s important that the information in the existing client database is well designed and structured, since it will facilitate the selection of customers.

To obtain feedback from existing customers, it‘s appropriate to introduce a campaign with an investigative questionnaire. Questionnaires can be filled in by clients independently, if need be assisted with the help of a salesman or a call center worker. In both cases, the results of the questionnaire should be kept in custody for the client to be available during further sales. Each campaign usually requires the setting of a specific sales workflow, the reward for this is increased success of campaigns. An active CRM system should in this context ensure subsequent steps after execution of the campaign.

Automation of sales

The rate of deployment of active CRM solutions is determined by both the nature of business and the budget invested in the acquisition and implementation of solutions. An important element is the choice of the right technology and the correct solution, which will for a long time affect the sales performance of the whole company.

Obr. 3: Integrated communication tools such as e-mail archive automatically allow traffic in relation to a client, contact or contract.

Basic deployment of active CRM

The goal of the deployment of active CRM should be a reduction of routine activities carried out manually by salesmen. An important point of the implementation and development of a CRM solution in a company is simplification / alignment of sales processes in order to be easily systemized. Simplification will help facilitate the deployment of the CRM system. A greater measure of specific requirements places greater demands on both the integrator and the costs and time dedicated to the project. If many specifics are being introduced, it‘s important with the help of workflow tools to easily implement and in the case of a change requirement also to modify. In often-changing business conditions of a company the tools must be sufficiently flexible not lose their effectiveness.

Sales models based on active CRM

Some business activities are primarily based on the introduction of an active CRM solution that integrates the entire business cycle of the company into one connected whole, and ensures the automation of all sales activities, and subsequent implementation (manufacturing, logistics, services, etc.). The best example is an electronic bank account, which allows communication with the bank without the need for a personal visit. It includes both elements of personalized communication and opportunities to order and implement the services of the provider, ensures feedback, offers support tools, etc.

Rarely is it possible to ensure the automation of the entire company with the help of a single tool, which would in itself combine all tools, from groupware to logistics. In the highest form of deployment of active CRM, which should ensure automated contact with the customer, it‘s appropriate to combine and integrate the systems that manage their area the best and it is easy to integrate them with the help of SOA architecture. In such architecture, however, the CRM system does not play the role of a simple module of a system, which would consume the outputs of the others, but can become the integrating element, which utilizes all outputs of all systems and mutually links them. At the same time it often provides its flexible user interface for the purposes of communication with other systems both to salesmen and directly to customers.

Obr. 4: Integration of CRM with the PBX system has several levels, from simple forms, which only record outgoing and identify incoming calls, to fully automated systems to help the relevant customer service.