Onebox is software package, which includes at once a CRM system, an ERP system and business process management (BPM).
What is a CRM system?
CRM system is software for organizing and automating work with customers. CRM is short for Customer Relationship Management. CRM systems are designed to maintain a database of potential customers (in the modern slang “leads”, lead), organize work with existing customers, organize and automate sales departments and marketing and lead generation tools.
Generally speaking, a CRM system:
- stores and processes the entire database of existing customers;
- gives employees an interface to manage clients, their tasks, segmentation. Usually the interface is intended for sales managers and marketers;
- accepts various streams of leads (new requests from potential customers);
- automates repetitive operations with the client base, for example, such as sending an SMS or a letter, reminding about a call or a meeting;
- allows you to do analytics on the above data.
- Sales management (from the English Sales Force Automation, not to be confused with SalesForce): a sales manager sees his clients and the tasks that he needs to do in relation to each client.
- Marketing automation: organization of lead flows, lead warming, automation of mailing lists, trigger letters, etc.
- Automation of loyalty programs: each client is identified, lined up bonus program. Client identification can be carried out different ways: from mobile phone to plastic cards, face recognition, etc.
- Organization of call centers or customer support systems: processing incoming requests from customers, generating outgoing messages, further processing customer requests (tickets).
What is an ERP system?
An ERP system is a software for managing a company's resources. ERP is short for Enterprise Resource Planning. Any company has three types of resources:
- finance;
- employees and their time;
- warehouse and production operations.
What is BPM or business process management?
BPM is a mechanism for managing a company's business processes. The BPM concept assumes that all actions performed by employees can and should be systematized and shifted to electronic business processes. Each action is a business process with predefined instructions and stages.
BPM is modern analogue job descriptions and functional duties at the enterprise.
Each employee knows for which business processes or parts of business processes he is responsible. Since these business processes are electronic and work is performed on them in the BPM system, the employee does not need to constantly read the paper instructions, the BPM system suggests it itself.
When automating business processes, the BPM system is forced to integrate with CRM and ERP. For example, customer cards are taken from CRM, and shipment operations are initiated in ERP. For example:
- the employee clicks to ship the goods in the BPM interface at a certain stage of the transaction (business process);
- a client card with his data is obtained from CRM;
- an application for the shipment of the necessary goods is sent to ERP;
- the results of the operation are shown to the employee on the screen.
CRM and ERP are two systems that are designed to automate enterprise management processes. Systems are similar to each other primarily by the idea laid down by the developers. ERP is needed for mass automation of the enterprise. If we talk about CRM, then this is application software that allows you to automate routine processes and methods of work for clients. Many experts call the two products competitors, but are they really? This topic deserves a separate discussion.
System differences
With the help of ERP, a company can effectively implement the process of managing databases with information about enterprise resources. Working with this information makes it much easier:
- issues of planning the volume of raw materials required for production;
- personnel policy;
- carrying out modernization of equipment.
The difference between CRM lies in the functionality. The program helps to effectively fight for the consumer in the face of fierce competition. To increase sales, you need to establish effective interaction with customers (potential buyers). The software automates all the stages that make up the relationship of partners.
If it’s easier to talk about CRM, then it does the job of an organizer, as it can take into account even the smallest details (data that no one paid attention to initially). But in the end, it is this unrecorded data that can have a decisive impact on the outcome of the transaction. This is the difference. ERP is focused on company management processes, and the most important task of CRM is to increase sales plus profit.
These two systems cannot be called obvious competitors, but they oppose each other. Nevertheless, if you use them correctly in tandem, the company will only benefit from this.
ERP is a system for large-scale production automation. It is suitable for largest enterprises, which always work at full capacity, have a huge staff, and the number of customers in the hundreds of thousands. This whole huge machine will be fully automated. No need to think about synchronization with other systems, improvements. In addition to sales control, personnel accounting, management, accounting activities, and other activities are systematized. All divisions of the enterprise, no matter how large they are, will operate in one system. ERP is becoming a manager's or manager's tool that allows you to monitor the work of the enterprise on a "single screen".
What to choose: CRM or ERP
Before moving on to comparing ERP and CRM, it must be said that the latter software is better suited for small industry companies. This system is always tailored to a specific industry and has advanced analytical functionality. CRM eliminates unnecessary paper workflow, completely takes over the daily routine processes. CRM is a good alternative to the rather heavy ERP, but you need to choose the right one functionality. It is important that the functions of the selected software are relevant, if not now, then at least in the near future. Overloaded with a set of unnecessary tools, confusion with access - all this will easily confuse the staff and not only will not lighten the load, but will also make it unbearable.
Systems Integration
It is impossible to dispute the benefits of ERP. In fact, any company can organize efficient operation at each of the production stages using this software. But it is not easy to implement the system, it takes up to 3 years to do this and to significantly adjust the usual activities of the enterprise. There is a lightweight version that integrates much faster and adapts to the characteristics of the team already employed at the enterprise. This simplified system can be launched at the enterprise by its full-time system administrator.
The crm integration process is much easier. Specialists selling licensed software can make all the settings and complete the implementation process at the request of the client. Also, many service providers offer a training course on implemented software for staff. CRM integration will allow you to form a single customer base in which you can track the entire history of his relationship with the company and with a specific manager in particular. Information about the client will automatically generate personal and profitable proposition. The integration will help collect all the analytical data and find out at which stage of the process the problems are the most. As a result of integration and customization of various scenarios, the system will be able to automatically create tasks for managers.
In general, the integration of both systems means complete control and automation of all processes. Orderliness, lack of chaos in work, warning about emerging problems - all this makes it possible to devote more time to clients and work with them effectively.
Finally…
Majority leaders modern companies are seriously thinking about automating workflows. But the main difficulty in this is the lack of experience, understanding of business processes and the peculiarities of the work of CRM / ERP themselves. But this does not negate the indisputable fact: systems greatly simplify the internal life of an enterprise if they are properly implemented and used. Which one is better? It's a matter of choice. For small organizations that sell their own products, CRM is suitable. For huge enterprises seeking total automation, the best option is ERP.
Business process automation is very important task for every company that is focused on continuous growth and development. Criteria that determine when it's time to automate certain processes, develop or integrate existing IT solutions, depend on the size of the company and the stage of its development. At the first step, most companies implement CRM, then ERP, and when the business grows up, they think about BPM. What is hidden behind these abbreviations and at what point should each of the solutions be applied in your company?
Build relationships with clients
A CRM system is perhaps one of the first IT solutions that a company selling goods or services to customers should implement. If your business is not a shawarma stand near the metro or a manufacturing company with a single customer, CRM will definitely come in handy. A good sign that you have arrived is the fact that you can no longer keep all the arrangements and interactions with current clients in your head.
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management, so it's not just a database with addresses and phone numbers of clients and transaction amounts. First of all, it is a system that helps build stable relationships with your users. And this includes not only leading the client through the sales funnel - from application to transaction - but also the participation of the entire user base in email marketing, trigger mailings, special promotions and as a result - repeat sales.
Without a CRM system, a business can grow “in breadth” within certain limits (due to the influx of new customers), but it will be quite difficult for it to increase average check, profit from one client and increase the base of loyal users.
“We have a phased approach to automation: as the number of orders increased, we standardized and automated business processes using ready-made solutions on the market. First of all, we automated our work with clients as much as possible so as not to waste time searching for important information and to give the fastest possible response to our customers' requests. We have implemented a CRM system to see and constantly analyze the history of relations with the client - calls, orders, correspondence, Feedback. If suddenly you need to quickly raise the order history, and the responsible manager falls ill, these systems make life very easy. If you need to transfer cases to a new employee, then this is also not a problem.", - says Evgeny Nepeyvoda, managing partner of the Kinodoctor company.
Automate processes within the company
During the first months and even years of its life, a company can grow and develop spontaneously: new departments and functional divisions appear, tasks are split up, the workload is redistributed among different employees. At this point, confusion can arise: who is responsible for which tasks? When should this work be completed?
If such questions have become relevant for your company, then it's time to automate processes within the organization. For this use ERP systems (Enterprise Resource Planning - enterprise resource management). ERP helps to integrate all departments and functions of the company into a single system. As a result, all employees work with a single database, it is easier for them to exchange various kinds of information, distribute tasks (both within a department and between different departments).
“A signal that it’s time to start automating resources within the company is problems with the organization of processes at the department level and between departments: the process may not be followed, slowed down or be incomprehensible to the performers and management”, - Maxim Kainer, business analyst at DIRECTUM, says.
Dive deep into business processes
If the main task of ERP is to optimize business processes in a company by reducing material and time costs, then systems BPM (Business Performance Management) solve higher level problems. We can say that ERP systems are geared towards solving tactical issues, while BPM is more about strategy. While ERP is based on resources and the current state of the business, BPM helps to look deep into business processes. A BPM system is needed when a company has several non-trivial business processes (which can constantly change), and there is a need to speed them up, make them more standardized and transparent.
“Business automation is simply necessary at the stage of active growth of the company. Without it, you will be tied to your company with a thick rope, moreover, it will be difficult to achieve significant business scale.
Two of my companies are now fully automated. This means that without me, both sales and marketing functions and managerial functions making decisions, including strategic ones.
You can implement automation of this level when you already know your business thoroughly. When should it be done?
● When the company starts to grow and it becomes impossible to manage it in a "manual" mode
● When there is a need to free up your time or the time of managing managers
● When you began to feel depressed and completely unwilling to further develop this business on your own
● When you want to run new project
● When you need time to figure out how to explode your current business
In order to competently implement automation, it is necessary to understand very clearly all business processes, the sequence of actions that need to be automated - which is why you first need to go through the path of "manual" work. But it is important not to “hang” in the stage of manual labor for a long time. Corresponding habits and norms are so ingrained within the business and the team that automation becomes alien and difficult to implement., - says the founder of the network of photo schools Like and the network of urban cafes "Sweater" Galia Berdnikova.
Own or factory?
During the automation phase, many companies face the dilemma of whether to write own decision or use the "box"?
Most large IT companies such as Microsoft, SAP and 1C provide ready-made automation systems for business. There are also many smaller vendors that offer out-of-the-box solutions - with smaller scale, you can achieve more customization with these vendors for your business. However, many companies are trying to make do-it-yourself solutions.
« When I worked in a small SEO company, the need for a service for assigning tasks to copywriters, monitoring their execution and tracking time appeared with a staff size of more than five people. Initially, a self-written solution was used. But it became difficult to maintain, and it ran out of functionality after a year and a half, with a staff of 15 people: three account sellers, four programmers and a copywriter department. We purchased an annual subscription to a cloud solution that combines CRM, simple workflow and time tracking.
This is a typical scenario: at first, managers think “we will do everything ourselves,” but then there is an understanding that there are ready-made solutions on the market from vendors who have been developing and improving them for years for a reason.
There are cases when, even with a staff of more than 20 people, companies manage with self-written services, but for this you need your own IT specialist who will constantly work on this solution - this is not cheap, ”says Maxim Kainer.
But still, ready-made factory programs cannot solve all the problems of the customer - you must always understand that they will have to be adapted to your needs.
“Be prepared for the fact that any “box version” of an IT automation product will not be able to take into account all your specifics and will require additional customization for your processes. And the refinement of the system will continue in the future as your business grows and becomes more complex.” says the managing partner law firm Revera Dmitry Archipenko.
How to choose the automation system that suits your business at this stage? Leave your email and we will send you a list of suitable solutions!
This question appears on the agenda in almost all companies that have implemented a CRM system.
I will not discuss the feasibility of introducing CRM-systems, as such, here. Moreover, I have a separate post on this subject. We will assume that you have already implemented a CRM system.
After a very short period of time that has passed since the end of the successful implementation of the CRM system, the company's management begins to understand not that the uselessness 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) car and, very quickly, the road runs into the forest and it’s not clear where to go further.
Indeed, in fact, CRM is only the very beginning of the business chain. Getting Started with a Client. What to do next? After all, the cycle has only just begun. Well, all right, you brought in a client, well, formed an order, well, let's say you even issued an invoice. What's next? Further payment, money, purchases, warehouse, delivery, God forbid, production, etc. I'm not talking about all sorts of contracts, acts, invoices and other important documents and processes.
The company quickly comes to understand that it is impossible to work like this. It is one thing when a company does not only have a CRM system, but no system at all, and everyone works in the usual (and, unfortunately, habitual) informational mess and chaos, no matter how ridiculous it may look. And it’s a completely different matter when you have a small piece of business processes that are still decently automated by the same CRM system. Terribly annoying when a part is well solved, and then chaos again. I really don’t want to use such a familiar product called “exeleemayloaskovordokskypotelefonokurilka” for information support of 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”. What to do is clear. Implement some product that can do this. Let's call these products ERP systems. It makes no sense to decipher the abbreviation, not so much because everyone already knows, but because this abbreviation has become just a household name and does not need to be deciphered at all. Like a copier (Xerox) in Russia. Everyone knows that this is a machine that makes copies.
After the choice of an ERP system is made, a new headache comprehends you - what to do with the CRM system that you are so anxious about. After all, several precious months (and sometimes not only months) were spent on its implementation. You can’t just throw it away (although I personally recommend doing just that when it comes to implementing ERP). So you are asking 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 dances with tambourines and attempts to cross a crocodile with a hippopotamus begin. I'm not saying that it's impossible to cross a crocodile with a hippopotamus, but it just involves "some" difficulties.
Difficulties will be not only technical, but also ideological.
Well, here are the simplest examples:
You have entered the client into the CRM system. Now this record should "leave" in ERP. But what a nuisance - when entering a client in the ERP system, a certain field is mandatory, and there is simply no similar field in the CRM system. But this is not even a problem, but just a minor nuisance.
Solving the problem of multi-format data is much more difficult. When in one system the field is numeric, and in another the same field is text. Or, for example, with addresses. For example, 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. Of course, you can agree with managers 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 do not believe in such discipline of managers. So you will have to rake this comment in search of the street, city and country. And, of course, reap the benefits of various "interpretations" of the names of cities and villages.
What will some directories in the ERP system turn into as a result joint work these two products is also easy to assume. For example, a job directory. 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.
And if the client has been changed in the ERP system? This should now be reflected in the CRM system, right? This means that integration should be full-fledged, two-way. And close to on-line. You won't wait until tomorrow for the name to change.
A client called you, you brought him into the CRM system. And you need him right now to deliver cargo to him. You've been "spudding" this client for six months. And it is necessary to have such trouble that the integration, as luck would have it, just today broke down due to the fact that yesterday a new version of the CRM system was installed. This new version, unfortunately, was not compatible with the site responsible for the integration. No, of course, everything will be fixed one of these days. But the client will not wait. Just a CRM system and ERP system produce completely different companies who 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 worst 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 talking about the complexity 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.
Uncle Fedor from Prostokvashina spoke the wisest phrase: "To sell something you don't need, you must first buy something you don't need." I'm not saying that the CRM system is completely "unnecessary", but you won't be able to sell it either. 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 Prostokvashina.
I would like to hear the comments of those who personally "drank" a similar scheme of work.
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