4 benefits of ERP and CRM Integration

ERP and CRM integration is a successful technique in the automation process. ERP and CRM integration are obvious choices for businesses wanting to deploy technologies that help them organize corporate resources and improve customer relationship management.

There are several benefits to ERP and CRM integration. But, before we continue with the example, let's look more closely at each system's definitions.

What is the difference between ERP and CRM systems?

While both ERP and CRM work in tandem, they are also designed to achieve different and specific objectives. They can each be applied separately in businesses to obtain desired results - whether it is in customer relationship management or business operations and processes.

However, the beauty lies in ERP and CRM integration. Why? Simply because both systems can communicate with each other. This makes for a more seamless overview and easy integration when it comes to businesses that have both ERP and CRM systems.

CRM platforms

A customer relationship management system is a software that allows you to manage your client relationships in steps. Prospecting, acquisition, integration, retention, and other aspects of customer management can all be separated and optimized.

Each of these stages is standardized in CRM systems to make them more automated. As a result, the program is able to handle each of the marketing contacts while also collecting key consumer data such as phone numbers, emails, purchase and payment patterns, and so on.

ERP platforms

ERP software (known as Enterprise Resource Planning) is a necessary tool for a company's effective financial administration. Its primary responsibility is to manage all the organization's resources, including financial, material, and human resources. Inventory management is intertwined with accounting and payroll administration. The benefit of using ERP systems is that it provides a comprehensive financial overview of all your operations.

CRM or ERP, these two types of business solutions, may help you run a successful business by allowing you to maintain robust databases. Customer data is managed by customer relationship management, whereas accounting data is managed by ERP.

Why have ERP and CRM Integration?

These software solutions, which are often utilized individually due to their complexity, become an even more powerful resource when combined, since they give an unparalleled supply of information about every aspect of the company's activities. Hence, this is the main reason of having an ERP and CRM integration platform for your business.

The first benefit of ERP and CRM integration is the improvement of data quality

Data consolidation is without a doubt the first benefit of ERP and CRM integration. Not only would integrating these two software help you to consolidate your data, but it will also allow you to centralize your database into a single location. You offer yourself every chance to make better informed management decisions by increasing the quality of your data.

You will reduce the blind spots even in the most difficult situations by combining data from the sales department with financial data. This highly simplifies business processes and make it more efficient for you to have an overall view of your business data.

Whether it's accounting or sales, today's excellent management is all about data management. Executives who have access to high-quality, trustworthy, and validated data make the best decisions for their organizations' future. The quality of information is only further increased by combining data in two strong technologies, namely by having an ERP and CRM integration.

The second benefit of ERP and CRM integration is how easier it is to discover information and increase productivity

It is considerably easier to find and process information after your databases have been unified using a clear ERP and CRM integration method. Most managers overlook just how much time their employees spend looking for information. ERP and CRM integration can thus reduce the time spent searching and increase team productivity.

However, productivity is more than just a matter of time. Employees with quick access to information that affects them have higher success rates, and their degree of responsibility adds to employee retention. An individual who has a sense of independence in his or her area, like any human resource, is more devoted and loyal to the business. Your teams become more productive and efficient as your turnover rate decreases.

Due to better business processes, the supply chain management becomes easier for your team, with better customer interactions. Gone are the days of manual data entry to update customer information. Thanks to ERP and CRM integration, you can enhance the customer experience with better business operations, all in one system.

Through automation, integrating CRM and ERP system shortens sales and accounting processes. Quarterly closings, for example, can be sped up by several days with proper ERP system calibration. Meanwhile, your salespeople will be able to finish sales transactions faster and enhance client satisfaction with CRM system.

The third benefit of ERP and CRM integration systems is a global view of all activities

ERP and CRM integration is like working with two extra-large screens: combining these two programs gives you a 360-degree picture of your company. Full visibility gives you a complete overview of your business, whether it's the sales figures or its financial condition.

It's like running your company with a dual dashboard that allows you to know the health of your organization at any time and from any location, as well as monitor future trends while keeping its history in mind.

The benefit of ERP and CRM integrations is this comprehensive vision: you can identify the finest goods or services at a glance, thanks to the data collected by the sales department, and then implement the most suitable marketing plan. You may also call attention to underperforming goods and determine whether to create a promotional offer to revive sales, or whether to renew stock, for example. Hence, you have a better control over your supply chain management.

ERP and CRM integrations are key to simplifying business processes. Thanks to the integration platform, CRM system and ERP software can work in tandem to store customer information such as purchase history, while enhancing business functions and operational efficiency.

The facts will speak for themselves once ERP and CRM are integrated: is your highest-volume customer also your best payer? What percentage of your invoices are collected? Is your cash flow keeping your business afloat financially? The enormous dashboard that is ERP and CRM integration has all the answers to these questions that you're probably already asking yourself.

The fourth benefit of ERP and CRM integration is involving the sales staff into all processes for better reactivity

The ultimate benefit of ERP and CRM integration is that it establishes a link between the two teams, namely the sales team and the administrative and accounting personnel. ERP and CRM integrations ensure that information flows easily between departments, hence you have a strong possibility of successfully influencing organizational thinking inside your teams.

Your sales and marketing teams will be able to modify their tactics based on the observed outcomes and known performance if financial data is available to them. The sales team's reaction time is sped up as a result of their autonomy, as successful teams are built on agility. However, decision-making cannot be based just on intuition: data highlighting sales strengths and shortcomings is crucial for success.

With ERP and CRM integrations, you may build a link between the two worlds without having to move from one to the other, as the databases can be accessed in a fluid and effective manner.

This is a fantastic gift to offer your sales team: the increase in customer satisfaction in firms that have integrated a CRM with an ERP software is astounding. There will be no more passing the burden from one employee to the next to handle the same client issue: both the sales and after-sales departments will have access to the same customer data and will be able to handle the matter from the same location.

ERP and CRM integration; do you really need both?

Despite the numerous benefits of ERP and CRMf integrations, you may be unsure if you require both. CRM and ERP solutions erase data silos and risks of duplicate data to provide a more seamless platform where the sales process, customer records, business process are all kept into the integrated system.

• Is it necessary to examine your sales cycle?
• Do you wish to automate some aspects of your client relationship management?
• Do you want to make changes to your marketing approach depending on your sales results?
• Do you want your sales staff to have a deeper understanding of your customers?
• Are your administrative personnel getting bored with repeating the same activities at the end of each accounting cycle?
• Have you experienced payment delays as a result of a reminder or communication issue with your customers?
• Is it tough for you or your staff to acquire all the essential information when launching a new project or strategy?
• Do you want your staff to be able to make well-informed decisions?

Different systems merged into one: ERP and CRM integration

If you responded yes to most of these questions, you most likely need both CRM and ERP tools to help you out. And the best thing would be an ERP and CRM integration to increase your team's performance while also improving the efficiency of your organization.

In this case, the ERP and CRM integration is essential for increasing sales and maintaining a healthy financial position. Integration solutions can help you a lot, especially when it comes to having the same data available across different departments. There is also better customer engagement and customer interaction for customer success.

Challenges with ERP and CRM integration

ERP and CRM integration is a transformative step for businesses, but it comes with its share of challenges. One of the most significant issues is the persistence of data silos, which hinder the seamless flow of information between the two systems. For instance, sales teams often struggle to access a unified view of customer information due to fragmented databases. This problem is exacerbated by redundant data entry, leading to inefficiencies and potential errors like data duplication. Such challenges disrupt the ability to effectively manage customer data, which is critical for tracking the customer lifecycle and ensuring that both sales and operational teams are aligned.

Another key challenge lies in aligning the workflows of sales reps and operational teams to create a cohesive ERP and CRM integration strategy. CRM systems focus on managing customer interactions and sales teams, while ERP systems are designed for backend operations like inventory and accounting. Bridging this gap requires a robust integration framework to prevent misaligned processes and inconsistent data reporting.

Additionally, technical ERP and CRM integration challenges, such as syncing complex systems or customizing software to match unique business needs, can create delays and higher costs. Addressing these hurdles is essential to unlock the full potential of ERP and CRM integration and foster better collaboration across departments.

ERP and CRM integration with Gestisoft

Gestisoft are experts in ERP and CRM software, especially when it comes to integration solutions. When you use our services, you can expect a seamless and functional ERP and CRM integration right away. To find out which software solutions are best suited for your business, contact our specialists today. Our team collaborate with you to ensure that the two systems work seamlessly together for personalized customer experiences and to have better control over risk management.

At the end of the day, Gestisoft works to ensure your business growth, by removing repetitive tasks and providing you with two systems in one that can help optimize your business processes with real time data access.