6 Main Advantages of ERP and CRM Software Integration

ERP, which stands for enterprise resource planning is primarily used for effectively managing back-end processes like shipping, billing, order placement etc. On the other hand, CRM, acronym, for customer relationship management is primarily used to keep track of potential and current customers as well as identify their buying pattern in order to improve sales. While both ERP and CRM are useful as standalone systems, integrating them is the key to leverage their benefits. Following are the major benefits of CRM software integration with ERP system: Removes Data Duplicacy Maintaining ERP and CRM systems separately means you will be storing customer-related data twice in both the systems. Data duplication is a cause of conce among many organizations as it often becomes a source of errors. A single integrated ERP-CRM integration completely eliminates data duplication. Integration establishes same set of rules to add/remove records for both CRM and ERP software . So any changes in one system are automatically reflected in the other. Simplifies Quote and Order Management CRM-ERP integration simplifies quote-to-order process. So any quote generated in your CRM will be converted to an order and sent to ERP with a single click. This eliminates the need to re-enter data twice in both the systems, thereby saving a lot of time. Thus, without manual intervention, you can convert an order into a quote, which can definitely help to boost productivity. Lowers Software Maintenance and Support Cost Integration brings two systems together, which means now you have to maintain and support only one system. Hence, not using ERP and CRM as separate systems helps to reduce IT maintenance and support cost. Reduced Training Time and Cost This is one of the most important Advantages of ERP integration with CRM system. Integration not only makes it easier to train your team but also significantly reduces the training time. This is because now you don’t have to take training sessions separately. Now, instead of two, you have to deal with just one integrated system, which also helps to reduce training cost drastically. Ensure Automated Workflow If you are looking to implement workflow automation, it is imperative that you integrate your CRM system into ERP. A tightly integrated system will enable you to automate complex business workflows. Workflow automation improves efficiency and drastically reduces human error as few mouse clicks transfer data from one system to another. Better Visibility Many times, sales reps are given access only to their CRM system. They are denied permission of using ERP applications. In other words, the sales team does not have any access to their ERP systems. As ERP software keeps track of order status, sales reps have no idea about the current status of the order. However, with CRM-ERP integration, your sales team will rapid and accurate updates about order status at any given particular time. This information can be easily communicated to your customers, thereby providing better customer service.