In order to streamline all the processes of your operation and make sure everything is running smoothly at all times, you want as many systems as possible to be working together—sharing information, complementing each other’s efforts, and generally enhancing the features the other brings to the table. When your systems are not integrated, you have to devote man hours to communicating information between them, whether that consists of re-entering data or translating the information into a recognizable form the other system can understand. But when your systems are integrated, it takes a lot of the work off your plate and frees you up to get back to the business of overseeing your operations.
What is ERP?
Enterprise resource planning, or ERP, is a type of business process management software. ERP software is used to streamline back end processes of a business. These include but are not limited to financials, human resources, supply chain, operations, reporting, and manufacturing.
What makes ERP software stand out from other business management software is not simply that it is capable of managing all these different areas of business—it is not unique in that aspect. Rather, the defining characteristic of ERP software is that every facet of its management is integrated. Every team within the business knows what the others are doing, thanks to live updates and transparent data reporting. Having ERP software in place is an ideal way to improve communications across your business.
What is CRM?
Customer relationship management, or CRM, technology is a little different from ERP, but in many ways it’s based on the same idea. Although this technology is more outward facing, dealing with your business’ relationships with your customers and how well you’re meeting their needs, transparency is still at the heart of the concept. A CRM system allows everyone in your business, across all departments, to access the information they need about your customers. Having so much communal data from which to pull makes it much easier to coordinate efforts across the business.
Integrating ERP and CRM
A technology partner like MCA Connect can help you integrate your front end and back end. Synchronizing data between the two systems allows you to provide real time information to your customers about your business’ offerings, thus enabling you to serve them better. At the same time, combining systems means that information about your customers and their needs will be shared more broadly throughout the company, and that, too, is better for serving your customers well.
Integration is not only possible between these two systems, it holds great promise for the future. Both ERP systems and CRM systems are quickly developing to better serve the needs of businesses. By integrating your company’s systems, you’re setting yourself up for a brighter tomorrow.