home All about YouTube The information system used was crm erp. What is a CRM system, ERP system, business process management (BPM). Implementation of an ERP business system

The information system used was crm erp. What is a CRM system, ERP system, business process management (BPM). Implementation of an ERP business system

The essence of ERP systems is to automate all business processes using a single integrated package and make you forget about the integration problem. Where did this name come from? First, materials requirements planning (MRP) systems appeared, followed by more complex manufacturing resource planning (MRP II) systems, which involved a higher level of integration. What should we take care of after we're done with resource planning? Of course, about enterprise resource management! But in fact, it was not at all about solving absolutely all issues; in fact, only the abbreviation was changed.

Today, many large ERP system developers sell customer relationship management (CRM) tools.

Can CRM solutions actually work as promised? The fact is that this software only opens the way to maintaining relationships with customers. In this sense, CRM solutions are fundamentally different from ERP systems. When implementing an ERP system, you can choose one of three possible options: accept those business processes that are implemented in the software package, adapt the software to existing business processes, or revise business processes and then customize the software taking into account their features.

That's not how CRM systems work. Enterprise resource planning is not really the main problem solved by ERP programs, while CRM systems are designed specifically for customer relationship management.

If your organization is planning to implement a CRM system, you need to clearly understand the four key concepts that underlie it.

The first of them is defined by customers. As I have said many times, customers are usually the people who make purchasing decisions. This distinguishes them from the consumers who use your products and services, as well as from the “wallet owners” who provide the necessary funds. The CRM system is aimed at consumers. Of course, the task is simplified if the customer, consumer and “wallet owner” are the same person.

The second concept reveals the meaning of the term CRM. A company implementing a CRM system believes that good relationships with customers are among its assets. This means that it strives to maintain these relationships, is ready to allocate funds to strengthen them, and intends to evaluate the return received - the profit accumulated over the period of work with each specific customer. For those who understand this, the difference between customer service and CRM becomes clear - while customer service involves performing only one operation at a time, CRM systems integrate all operations with each customer.

The third concept states that not every organization is ready to accept the conditions of CRM. Similar to models that analyze the existing developments and potential necessary for successful software design and performance of certain work in the field of information technology, there are also models for the implementation of CRM projects. The level of progress varies across industries, but a fairly high degree of development is required to implement a CRM model.

There is a fourth, perhaps the most important concept: relationships with customers cannot be left to fate: you yourself must be their architect. This means that you cannot start with an analysis of existing customers. At the first stage, you should outline to your clients the goals that you set for yourself, and based on this, determine the procedure for building relationships.

Finally, relationships with customers can only be successful if there is ongoing interaction, usually between a specific customer and a specific employee. CRM software is a tool that helps employees perform operations more efficiently.

Today, many large ERP system developers sell customer relationship management (CRM) tools.

That's not how CRM systems work. Enterprise resource planning is not really the main problem solved by ERP programs, while CRM systems are designed specifically for customer relationship management.

If your organization is planning to implement a CRM system, you need to clearly understand the four key concepts that underlie it.

I would like to know how many ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system owners actually use this software to manage their resources...

Today, many large ERP system developers sell customer relationship management (CRM) tools.

Can CRM solutions actually work as promised? The fact is that this software only opens the way to maintaining relationships with customers. In this sense, CRM solutions are fundamentally different from ERP systems. When implementing an ERP system, you can choose one or three possible options: accept those business processes that are implemented in the software package, adapt the software to existing business processes, or revise business processes and then customize the software taking into account their features.

That's not how CRM systems work. Enterprise resource planning is the main task solved by ERP programs, while CRM systems are designed specifically for managing relationships with customers.

If your organization is planning to implement a CRM system, you need to clearly understand the four key concepts that underlie it.

The second concept reveals the meaning of the term CRM. A company implementing a CRM system believes that good relationships with customers are among its assets. This means that it strives to maintain these relationships, is ready to allocate funds to strengthen them, and intends to evaluate the return received - the profit accumulated over the period of work with each specific customer. For those who have not understood this, the difference between customer service and CRM becomes clear - while customer service involves performing only one operation at a time, CRM systems integrate all operations with each customer.

The third concept states that not every organization is ready to accept the conditions of CRM. Similar to models that analyze existing developments and the potential required for successful software design and performance of certain work in the field of information technology, there are models for the implementation of CRM projects. The level of progress varies across industries, but a fairly high degree of development is required to implement a CRM model.

There is a fourth, perhaps the most important concept: relationships with customers cannot be left to fate: you yourself must be their architect. This means that you cannot start with an analysis of existing customers. At the first stage, you should outline to your clients the goals that you set for yourself, and, based on this, determine the procedure for building relationships.

This issue appears on the agenda in almost all companies that have implemented a CRM system.

I will not discuss the feasibility of implementing CRM systems as such here. Moreover, I have a separate post on this topic on LJ. We will assume that you have already implemented a CRM system.

After a very short period of time that has passed since the successful implementation of the CRM system, the company’s management begins to understand not only the futility of implementing this very CRM system, but rather to feel that “the suit is too small.” That is, a company, after implementing a CRM system, finds itself in a situation where you start driving on asphalt in a decent (and sometimes not so good) car and, very quickly, the road ends in a forest and it is not clear where to go next.

After all, in fact, CRM is only the very beginning of the business chain. Start working with the client. What to do next? After all, the chain has just begun. Well, okay, you brought in a client, well, you created an order, well, let’s say you even issued an invoice. What's next? Then there are payments, money, purchasing, warehouse, delivery, God forbid production, etc. I'm not even talking about all sorts of contracts, acts, invoices and other important documents and processes.

The company quickly comes to the understanding that it cannot work this way. It’s one thing when the company doesn’t only have a CRM system, but no system at all, and everyone works in the usual (and, unfortunately, familiar) information chaos and chaos, no matter how funny it may look. And it’s a completely different matter when your small piece of business processes is still fairly automated by that same CRM system. It’s terribly annoying when a part is well resolved, and then chaos again. I really don’t want to use a product so familiar to many people called “ExcelEmailLoaskWordSkyPotelephoneSmokingRoom” to provide information support for business processes.

And now you come to the understanding that you need to move on and make sure that all business processes, and not just their beginning, are somehow “settled down.” It’s clear what to do. Introduce some product that can do this. Let's call these products ERP systems. There is no point in deciphering the abbreviation, not so much because everyone already knows it, but because this abbreviation has become just a common noun and does not need to be deciphered at all. Like a photocopier (Xerox) in Russia. Everyone knows that this is a machine that makes copies.

After the choice of an ERP system is made, you are faced with a new headache - what to do with the CRM system that you treat so reverently. After all, several precious months (and sometimes not only months) were spent on its implementation. You can’t just throw it away (although that’s what I personally recommend doing when it comes to ERP implementation). So you ask ERP implementers to integrate their product with your CRM system. Some, who are smarter, refuse, and some, who are afraid of losing a client, agree.

And then dancing with tambourines and attempts to cross a crocodile with a hippopotamus begin. I'm not saying that crossing a crocodile with a hippopotamus is impossible, but it just involves "some" difficulties.
The difficulties will be not only technical, but also ideological.

Well, here are the simplest examples:
You have added a client to the CRM system. Now this record should “go” to ERP. But what a nuisance - when registering a client in the ERP system, a certain field is required to be filled in, but there is simply no similar field in the CRM system. But this is not even a problem, just a minor nuisance.

Solving the problem of multi-format data is much more difficult. When in one system a field is numeric in nature, and in another the same field is text. Or, for example, with addresses. Let’s say that in a CRM system the client’s address is entered in plain text in one field. And in the ERP system, addresses are strictly structured, where the street, city, country are selected from directories. You can, of course, agree with managers so that they enter the address into the CRM system in the following order: first the index, then a comma, then a space, then the city, then a comma again, etc. But I don’t believe in such discipline among managers. So you'll have to comb through this comment looking for the street, city and country. And, of course, reap the benefits of various “interpretations” of the names of cities and villages.

It’s also easy to imagine what some directories in the ERP system will turn into as a result of the joint work of these two products. For example, a directory of positions. If in the CRM system the position of the contact person is not selected from the directory, then in the ERP system even a plunger will soon not help you to clean the directories.

What if the client’s ERP system was changed? This should now be reflected in the CRM system, right? This means that integration must be complete, two-way. And close to on-line. You won’t wait until tomorrow for the name to change.

A client called you and you added him to the CRM system. And you need him to deliver the goods right now. You spent six months on this client. And such a nuisance must happen that the integration, as luck would have it, broke down today due to the fact that yesterday they installed a new version of the CRM system. This new version, unfortunately, was not compatible with the place responsible for the integration. No, of course, everything will be fixed one of these days. But the client will not wait. It’s just that the CRM system and the ERP system are produced by completely different companies that will never coordinate their actions.

In addition, you will need to get used to the fact that you enter some data in one system and others in another. But the scary thing is that you will also have to look at some data in one system, and others in another. So you will switch between applications endlessly.

I'm not even talking about the difficulties of support. If you have a question about the CRM system, then ask here, and if about the ERP system, then here. I don’t even know how long you can last like this.

Uncle Fyodor from Prostokvashin uttered the wisest phrase: “To sell something unnecessary, you must first buy something unnecessary.” I’m not saying that a CRM system is completely “unnecessary”, but you won’t be able to sell it. So, before implementing a CRM system, keep in mind that it may turn out that you find yourself in an even more difficult situation than the heroes of Prostokvashin.

I would like to hear comments from those who have personally experienced such a work scheme.

ERP system – translated from English means “enterprise resource management”. It is designed to avoid business process integration while ensuring successful automation.

A CRM system is application software for various organizations that helps automate customer interaction strategies.

Differences between CRM and ERP systems

With the help of an ERP system, various departments of the company have at their disposal a database that contains information about the resources of the enterprise. The information contained in this database allows you to simplify management processes:

planning the exact amount of raw materials needed for production;
simplification of personnel policy;
modernization of production equipment.

The functions of a CRM system are somewhat different. In today's market there is fierce competition for consumer preference. CRM helps to win over consumers, thereby increasing sales. Relationships and long-term cooperation between clients and business representatives are being established.

Thanks to such a system, the enterprise has the opportunity to automate all stages of partnership relations. Sometimes it is called an organizer, since even small details and inconspicuous data that can affect the final result of the transaction are taken into account.

We can say that ERP and CRM are not competitors, but opponents. Moreover, using them in tandem always brings great benefit and profit to the enterprise.

Implementation of an ERP business system

The advantages of this system are obvious. Any company will be able to more thoroughly and quickly organize work at all stages of planning, production, and implementation. But for implementation it will be necessary to make significant adjustments to the company’s work. The process is not only not easy, but also quite long (24-36 months).

The lightweight version can be implemented in less time, and will also be maximally tailored to the employees of the enterprise. A simplified ERP system can be installed even by an ordinary company system administrator.