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8 Benefits Of CRM Automation

Today’s competitive landscape calls for the need of businesses to have a customer relationship management (CRM) system in place. The most effective way to utilize your CRM system is to automate your processes. Tech Digest has a great article describing how CRM automation can help your business organize and manage customer data efficiently, improving customer relationships and sales processes simultaneously. Below are 8 benefits, according to Tech Digest, that CRM automation can do for your business.

  • Enhanced Customer Service. “Great customer service is the key to any successful business. It’s what keeps customers coming back, and it’s what helps you to stand out from your competition.”
  • Better Data Management. “Data management is integral to any business, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems are essential. Customer relationship management automation can help improve data management in several ways.”
  • Better Decision-Making. “In business, time is money. The faster you can make decisions, the better. By automating CRM tasks, businesses can free up time for employees to focus on more strategic tasks.”
  • Improved Flexibility And Efficiency In Your Processes. “Automation is quickly becoming a staple in the business world as companies race to keep up with the competition. Businesses can improve flexibility and efficiency by automating specific processes and reducing costs. With CRM automation, processes can be streamlined, reducing the likelihood of errors and freeing your team to focus on more critical tasks.”
  • Enhanced Reporting Capabilities. “A CRM system allows businesses to view and analyze customer data in real time. This can help to identify patterns and trends that may take time to be apparent when looking at traditional data reports.”
  • Improved Team Communication. “By automating the process of updating and distributing customer data, team members can spend less time gathering information and more time communicating with one another.”
  • Cost-Effective. “CRM automation can save your business money. By automating repetitive tasks, CRM automation frees up your staff to focus on more critical tasks.”
  • Boost Sales. “Sales representatives are always looking for ways to increase their sales. One way they can do this is by using CRM automation. This allows them to automate repetitive tasks, such as data entry and contact management. As a result, they can spend more time selling, leading to more sales.”

 

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Benefits of Infor’s Multi-Tenant Cloud

With Microsoft’s end-of-life for Windows 2012, and Lawson’s end-of-life coming up in 2026, many organizations are considering a move to a cloud solution.  And Infor’s Multi-Tenant cloud is a true contender.  Here are just a few of the benefits of choosing to move into the Infor Cloud.

Flexibility

Once per year, customers have the ability to request a swap in Infor products.  Swappable Infor products include any multi-tenant products that the customer has subscribed to for at least one year.  Talk about flexible!

If you are already in the cloud, and looking for a technology swap, contact your Infor Account Executive today!  Your AE’s contact information can be found in the Contact widget on your Concierge home page.

Transparency

Pricing for storage, additional non-production environments, and programmatic access can always be found on Infor’s web page.  Non-production environments can be used temporarily as-needed (a minimum of 6 months) to save on costs.  Storage can be requested subject to a minimum amount and time.  Programmatic access, or the interaction between Infor products and third-party programs, will use the Infor OS service and is priced separately.  Again, this pricing is always available on the Infor Docs website.

Support

Severity 1 issues are covered by customer support 24x7x365.  Response times are within 30 minutes from Infor’s receipt of the logged request, and they are working to decrease that SLA all the time.  They are currently working toward a goal of increasing support for Severity 2 issues to 24×7.  And they are improving their response templates to make sure customers are receiving the most accurate and detailed information possible on each ticket.

Availability

Infor offers credits if the Multi-Tenant cloud availability dips below a specified threshold.  This credit would be calculated by the month.

Infor refers to these ideals as the customer’s “Bill of Rights”.  And as great as they are, Infor is constantly working toward improving on these “rights”.  Stay tuned!  More good news is coming!

 

ERP Implementation Best Practices

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is a valuable workhorse for any business striving to improve its operations and every aspect of their business. With an ERP solution, you can improve collaboration, productivity, customer service, and data security, as well as have a macro view of business operations. Don Hall has been employed as an IT Manager and ERP expert Don Hall shares a very informative article on CIO Insight of many best practices to consider when implementing an ERP.

 

Define and revise goals and objectives
In order to maximize your ERP’s capabilities, you must start with correctly implementing the solution. There are two goals that can be viewed in the macro and micro level, according to Hall. The “The macro goal is to implement an ERP solution successfully, whereas the micro goals are all the checkpoints and critical path tasks to help a business reach the macro goal. These micro goals, or objectives, must be assigned specific tasks with realistic timelines.” A guideline Hall recommends is as follows: Planning, Data Analysis and Migration, Design, Development, Testing, Deployment, Support and Updates.

 

Work with third-party ERP implementation experts
Hall points out that most businesses wanting to implement an ERP solution do not have an ERP implementer on staff since it’s a unique skill set. Though not necessary, working with an ERP expert can vastly speed up and improve the implementation process. Even if you are an IT-based company, Hall recommends that it’s wise to consult an ERP implementer to seek advice on avoiding common configuration errors.

 

Standardize vs. customize
Customization is a project within itself when setting up your ERP and/or when new versions of your software is released. Sometimes your customized features may even need to be rewritten. Halls suggests to CIOs and CTOs to minimize customization by purchasing an industry-specific ERP solution.

 

Focus on business-critical requirements
Businesses should continue to meet their primary goals and objectives for critical processes during ERP implementation. These processes, Hall notes, need to be given proper attention during the planning, design, and development phases. “Secondary processes that feed these primary processes, including any internal or external data, must be considered. Scope creep can quickly get out of hand, so careful consideration is paramount in identifying secondary processes.”

 

Validate the implementation plan before execution
Hall notes, “once an ERP implementation plan is formed, CTOs and CIOs can validate the plan to ensure nothing is overlooked. Quality assurance documents, test protocols, and a validation report are part of a comprehensive validation kit to help avoid the common pitfalls of implementing an ERP solution. Moreover, a validation toolkit can help verify that an ERP implementation plan has addressed every concern thoroughly.”

 

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5 Advantages a CRM System Can Bring to your Business

Customer Relationship Management (CRM), while not a new offering, is still a ‘new’ concept for many businesses. What exactly is a CRM? A CRM system is a tool used by a company to manage and track customer interactions within your business. The tools at your disposable in your CRM system are pertinent to learning about your customer’s preferences, behaviors, buying patterns, etc. With this real-time data available at your fingertips, CRM systems prove to be advantageous for those companies wanting to have a competitive edge. An informative article on newswatchtv.com shares five major benefits of having a CRM implemented for your company.

  1. A CRM system can help you keep track of your customers’ contact information and preferences, making it easier for you to provide them with the personalized service they continue to desire.
  2. A CRM system can give you a 360-degree view of your customers, allowing you to better understand their needs and how best to serve them.
  3. A CRM system can automate many of the tedious and time-consuming tasks associated with customer relationship management, freeing up your staff to focus on more important things.
  4. A CRM system can help you track and measure key metrics such as customer satisfaction and lifetime value, allowing you to continuously improve your business.
  5. A CRM system can be a powerful marketing tool, helping you segment and target your marketing efforts more effectively.
No two companies will have the same CRM strategy, but every company can benefit from implementing this tool.

How CRM and ERP Integration Can Benefit Your Business

There are many enterprise tools  that help your business run smoothly. Two major systems are customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP). Individually they make a strong addition to your business processes. Together, CRM and ERP can keep your business running smoothly. Both systems share a few common functions that can be used interchangeably in your organization, but do have their main functions to contribute to your business model. ERP usually pertains to internal business functions such as human resources, accounting and supply chain, while CRM focuses on external functions for marketing and sales, as well as managing customer data. Technology writer and expert Lauren Hansen share an informative article on CIO Insight explaining how CRM and ERP working side by can greatly benefit your business. Hansen points out that CRM and ERP work with related data, thus are capable of working together. Pairing ERP and CRM benefits company culture, management, HR, and the research and development team through communication, planning, and product information, says Hansen.
  • Communication. “Customer data in the CRM platform is a goldmine of information that informs much of the business’s back-end. Opening CRM data to the rest of the organization promotes transparency and empowers cross-functional collaboration among employees to solve problems.”
  • Planning. “ERP that integrates customer relationship management helps improve business planning. Based on CRM data, a business can better anticipate ebbs and flows in production, delivery needs, and the people and materials required across the supply chain.”
  • Product/service quality. “Integrating your CRM solution with your ERP system helps your business improve product or service quality, based on salespeople’s interactions with clients. When accounting data shows unprecedented returns or when the same complaint gets registered in the CRM, a good ERP system will alert management and point to a bigger internal issue. Effectively addressing product or service issues will reflect happier customer data in the CRM.”

Hansen concludes when your ERP and CRM solutions are integrated, your business can greatly improve with a streamlined data process driven by both systems.

 

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The 9 Best Healthcare Technologies That Have Improved Wellness

Technological advancements of any kind should always be recognized for their contribution to society. In the healthcare sector, certain technologies have been essentially “life savers”. Writer Chris Odogwu shares a great article on makeuseof.com highlighting the best technologies that have improved wellness in the healthcare industry. This influx in healthcare technologies will continue to put a positive impact in our overall wellness.

  1. Artificial Intelligence. “Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been around for decades, and it has proven that healthcare technology can be an excellent resource for a better and risk-free future. With AI, you can recreate operational techniques, aid the efficiency of populated healthcare outcomes, and reduce burnout. You can now do away with those time-draining factors and focus directly on improving your health.”
  2. Personalized Wearables. “Personalized wearables have contributed mainly to the healthcare system. You can keep track of your heartbeats and other health-related data by wearing a healthcare device. With personalized wearables, you can become aware of your health status [in real time].”
  3. 3D Printing. “There’s no limit to what the healthcare system can achieve with 3D printing. It’s effective in creating visuals on bio tissue, blood vessels, and artificial limbs. 3D printing is a regeneration tool for human cells or tissues. It’s an effective remedy for diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and many more.”
  4. Amazon Echo Smart Speaker. “Amazon Echo brings a new flare to the healthcare system to ease health-related tasks. With Alexa on Amazon Echo, you can manage and control your blood pressure. Amazon Echo also provides live first-aid tutorials. This technology goes as far as helping to buy and manage insurance claims. It’s an excellent choice for older people.”
  5. Robotics. “Robotics continues to support wellness for humankind. This technology helps ease the surgery process, no matter how complicated it may seem. Helpful in avoiding physical contact with infected persons, Robotics varies and include pharmaceutical robots, disinfectant robots, and exoskeletons. The best part is that they work best for a multi-functional purpose.”
  6. Chatbots in Healthcare. “Chatbots are an intelligent resource for monitoring health. They consist of machine-learning algorithms that aid hospitality and help manage a healing procedure. Due to the sensitive nature of human health, it’s vital to seek professional advice on health-related issues. Chatbots ensure that patients get the medical advice they need without necessarily going to the hospital to see a doctor in person.”
  7. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). “Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) make room for nonphysical interactions. AR helps users engage with digital information from remote locations in real-time. VR provides medical training and helps you become aware of diseases.”
  8. Technology in Mental Health. “Technology in mental health is a powerful form of medical treatment and an awareness tool. Some apps help relieve anxiety, with others monitoring your day-to-day mental health. Hence, the invention of AI, VR, and other digital healthcare devices is replenishing mentally.”
  9. Digital Therapeutics. “Digital therapeutics are different from regular healthcare devices. It must be software-driven, tested, and confirmed to help cure certain health conditions. Digital therapeutics takes the burden of undergoing complex treatments. It feels better to get medical help wherever you are when you need it. With this kind of approach, you can take better care of yourself with fewer resources.”

As time goes by, technology will continue to improve and continue to benefit our lives.

 

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CRM Integration Equals Better Cross-Team Collaboration

Having a customer relationship management (CRM) system implemented is the heart of a business. Integrating your CRM properly is how to take advantage of the entire system to benefit your business. But what exactly is CRM integration? Karl Laughton, president and chief operating officer at Insightly, defines is as the management of your entire company’s relationships and interactions with customers and potential customers to help build relationships, improve customer experience, increase sales, and improve profit margins. A truly integrated CRM system will save you time, money and garner significant returns. Laughton shares an article on Destination CRM explaining how CRM integration aides in better cross-team collaboration. When you integrate CRM with the tools used across your organization, he says you can expect increased customer understanding, reduced manual processes, and improved reporting. CRM integration benefits your business as a whole, with some areas benefitting more than others, according to Laughton:

Finance and accounting. “Integrating the tools your finance team lives in can free them from constant toggling back and forth. Reporting becomes much simpler when your financial apps are integrated with your CRM.”

Human resources. “HR can use CRM integrations to talent management platforms like Greenhouse, to automate referrals, schedule interviews, and gather interview feedback.”

IT and operations. “IT integrations can help detect problems and proactively initiate incident resolution processes. Users can stay up to date with real-time communications via chatbots and collaboration tools like Slack.”

Sales and marketing. “Sales and marketing already share goals, so keeping them integrated in the same tools just makes sense.”

 

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Innovative Ways Tech Has Benefited 3 Different Groups

Technology is a double-edged sword. some tech can be beneficial, others a disaster if used incorrectly. Yet there is little to no doubt that technological innovations make for a better, forward moving society. Entrepreneur Serenity Gibbons shares an interesting article on Forbes of the key technical inventions that have benefited specific groups over the past few years. Each one, Gibbons points out, is a testament to ‘beyond the box’ thinking.

1. Serving as a safe tech ‘bridge’ for young device users. “Children who belong to Generation Z and Generation Alpha wear a ‘tech native’ badge by default. Nonetheless, younger kids and preteens aren’t ready for the responsibilities that come with having full access to the Internet. It’s non-negotiable that they need to learn the skills necessary to navigate the web. They just shouldn’t be exposed to its temptations or dangers too young. Products like the Z2 – a phone specifically made for children and only includes texting, picture-taking, and calling capabilities. – show that thoughtful tech can be used to protect young people against the ‘wild west’ technologies they aren’t ready to face. This allows children to develop smarter tech habits and ease their way into the wider boundaries of the Internet.”

2. Helping low-income families escape from the cycle of debt-related poverty. “Leveraging the expertise he honed while at Harvard, Rohan Pavuluri co-founded Upsolve. The nonprofit focuses on helping struggling low-income families determine whether or not to file for bankruptcy. Those who decide Chapter 7 bankruptcy could better their situation in the long run can go through the process online.  Pavuluri believes Upsolve provides an affordable, equitable platform for those who could benefit from declaring bankruptcy. By making bankruptcy accessible to anyone, he believes his technological solution will give many individuals and families a fighting chance to beat poverty.”

3. Opening doors for remote workers with disabilities. 

“Working from home got a huge boost during the pandemic—but not everyone can easily move from an office to a residential setting. For instance, workers with disabilities can face barriers to engaging with their colleagues or clients when they’re not at the workplace. Like many emerging markets, creating more exclusive work-from-home environments for workers with disabilities is gaining traction. From making biometrics more inclusive to developing training sessions that meet the needs of all participants, the field is ripe for more tech-driven products and services to broach occupational obstacles.”

 

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10 Most Important Benefits of CRM Software

Customer relationship management (CRM) software has increased in demand for its proven ability to organize business data, increase productivity and reduce costs. Effective CRM systems can not only improve relationships with customers, but increase overall revenue. Award-winning public speaker and writer Aminu Abdullahi shares a great read on CIO Insight highlighting 10 of the most important benefits of CRM software.
  • Improve Your Customer Service
  • Improve Your Customer Relationships
  • Increase Your Customer Retention
  • Leverage Detailed Analytics and Reporting
  • Increase Productivity and Effectiveness
  • Centralized Data Dashboard
  • Help You Manage Communications With Leads
  • Increase Your Sales
  • Automate Sales Reporting
  • Utilize Sales Forecasting Tools

Businesses small and large can benefit from a CRM platform. CRMs will provide better customer experiences by ensuring your employees know what information they need to collect about each customer, then leverage that data to provide excellent service and in turn increase revenue.

 

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The Impact of Using a CRM on Business Activities

One of the greatest tools to have in your business is a customer relationship management (CRM) system. This tool can be used for data management, customer engagement, and marketing campaigns to name a few features. Business2Community contributor Matthew Popham shares an article highlighting the impact of using a CRM for your everyday business activities. Popham states that a CRM provides you with a full view of your sales, marketing, and support for every customer and prospect. It also helps solve problems by organizing all the information about customers in one place so that it’s easy to access any time from anywhere. Below are areas in your business that Popham points out where CRM really shines.

Sales. “A CRM system is a great tool for tracking and following up. It’s helpful when it reminds you of past calls/contacts, helps identify troubled relationships with customers, and tracking new deals that need follow-up attention.”

Marketing. “By analyzing your CRM data, you can extract insightful information that helps with marketing efforts. You can generate promotions and qualified leads by targeting specific demographics of customers to grow sales at a low cost-per-lead rate.”

Support and Service. “A smooth customer service support process is crucial for a successful business. The more information you have, such as customer demographics or product history, is only going to help in identifying problems faster and finding resolutions quicker with fewer complaints from customers along the way.”

The Customer. “When customers shop online and add products to their cart, CRM systems could determine if a customer is having issues completing an order. A quick response to technical issues reduces the rate of abandoned shopping carts significantly.”

 

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