Looking beyond customer relationships and expanding your business horizons with xRM

Digital transformation is one of the latest trends that companies are talking about in an increasingly connected world. It’s affecting all industries, and it’s the key driver behind customers demanding more from their “suppliers” and at a much faster pace.

The advancements in technology, not just digital, also include the way we manufacture goods (even buildings some of which are now modular and being made in factories). This has led to what is known as mass customisation.

These combined advancements in technologies and connectivity mean that super connected customers can search for what they want, when they want it and for many items they can have it delivered straight away.

This is all well and good, you might say, for large corporate brands and retail businesses that make goods sold on the high street, and you may be wondering what this has to do with a company like yours in a sector or marketplace that at face value may seem far removed from this.

But our connected world is in the middle of a digital transformation that affects every business in every sector. Somewhere along the supply chain, your company will be impacted by what is happening on the High Street because consumer behaviours, fuelled by these advancements, are changing our towns and cities on levels that we are only just waking up to.

This “customer-centric” focus is what has been driving the development of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems, with companies and brands continually looking at ways of connecting and engaging with their customers, and how they retain their loyalty.

This in turn has given us access to big data. Vast amounts of data are now gathered on consumer behaviour and software programmes turn this into meaningful information that companies can use to shape how they deliver their goods and services to their customers.

The big question you should now ask yourself is: Are your business processes and IT systems capable of providing you with the right tools to help you keep your customers happy?

Having the right software these days is more than simply having a CRM system in place and using this to do your marketing and capture some of the data you need.

If you want competitive advantage, then your business needs to also keep pace with what technology has to offer.

So let’s explore what going beyond CRM means for your business…

Manage all your business relationships with xRM

The definition of xRM is extended relationship management. The x stands for any relationship, thus taking it way beyond simply focusing on your customers. After all, your business doesn’t just rely on customers to succeed. You need suppliers, employees, partners, assets, knowledge bases, and so on.

xRM solutions, built on the powerful foundation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, also offer a unified approach that connects all aspect of your business, bringing together everything from workflows right through to designing forms and document generation. In fact, pretty much everything you need to ensure your business can operate smoothly and effectively.

So, already you can begin to see the power and the “art of the possible” with xRM.

Implementing xRM is easier than you think

Once a company gets beyond being an SME, implementing any system or process can bring with it one almighty headache, and the majority of mid-sized companies don’t have the resources available to larger corporates. We call these companies the “squeezed middle”, and this may resonate with you if you are in an organisation that has disparate systems that no longer communicate effectively or if your business has had a period of rapid growth and your IT systems and upgrades have lagged behind, giving you legacy systems that are no longer able to cope with the demands placed on them.

xRM offers the majority of mid-sized companies the perfect solution, which can be designed around the needs of your business and implemented rapidly.

In addition, xRM is a lot easier to implement than you think. Because it has a low code/no code functionality, it is easier to configure, which in turn makes it a lot more agile and also quicker to develop the platform you need to run your business efficiently. Typically, the whole process from consultation through to go-live can take a third of the time of similar IT projects that rely on complex coding and development. And yes that means significant cost savings too.

When you want agility, rapid deployment and configurations that are bespoke to your business, then you need to talk to Crimson. But don’t just take our word for it. Why not let us demonstrate to you why 99% of our systems deployment are successful through our on-site half day Art of the Possible workshop.

We will take you through what you can achieve with xRM each step of the way. The workshop will be bespoke to your business, and you will benefit from our expertise and guidance on what the right solutions are for your business.

We’re not in the business of implementing IT solutions that don’t work for you. And the first step is to book a Free Discovery Call.