Project Management = budgets + people + timesheets + tasks + reports & so much more

Microsoft Dynamics CRM = customers + sales + reports

How do you manage projects today, are you transfer data between different application, excel, MS Project, Outlook and doubling up the work that you need to do?

Can you quickly and easily see all of your schedules , costs and staff availability in one place?

If not Microsoft Dynamics CRM + Assistance PSA is your solution.

PART 2

HOW TO DEPLOY (or what will suit you best)

Areas covered:

1. types of CRM
2. which to choose ( or what will suit you best)
3. jargon buster

1. Types of CRM

In deploying CRM companies have to first consider the different types of CRM available so they make a choice about what will suit them best. Given the huge array of information available you would think this would be an extremely complex process but let me assure you finding the solution is relatively easy , as there isn't a great deal of choice, honestly.

There is an enormous amount of information about CRM, but most of it is about how the gathered information is used by companies and this is often where the confusion starts. Terms such as analytical CRM, operational CRM, collaborative CRM etc , etc, etc to infinitum, as new terms and experts look at CRM is ever increasing manners (See the Jargon buster at the bottom of this email about these 3 terms).

Furthermore these terms are bandied around, I suspect, to confuse customers to thinking they are getting something better/more advanced/progressive/improved than what the last salesman has discussed. But there is a difference between what types of CRM there are and how the information gathered will be used. Remember CRM is a technological tool that holds information in one place, nothing more and nothing less. How you use it is the clever stuff.

What Is CRM.

PART 1

Areas covered:

1. What is CRM
2. How does it work
3. Why have CRM
4. What can be gained from CRM
5. Benefits

WHAT IS CRM

Many people ask what is CRM, should they have a CRM system/solution installed, what are the benefits to their company. We will try to address some of the common issues that arise when considering CRM, over a number of articles starting with this one.

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management but it really doesn't tell you anything else. When thinking about CRM firstly consider how your business would run if you didn't have customers, and it doesn't matter if your customers/clients are business to business or business to consumer. The important aspect is that without customers you are unlikely to have a business. Any company, whether large or small should be trying to keep, nurture and improve any current relationships they have and to enhance and extend your business to new customers. CRM solutions put the customer at the heart of the business process.

The objective of any Customer Relationship Management system (CRM ) is to help you manage your customers more effectively and efficiently, so that you develop a greater understanding of their needs and behaviours, which gives you a better prospect of keeping current and future customers, and an ability to anticipate their needs.

Is Time Money?

The old cliché is that "Time is Money". But is it? Maybe it's time to examine the facts and decide for ourselves.

Service companies sell time, in one way or the other. Whether they work on contract, or on 'time and materials', they still sell time. And they'll tell you that time is the ultimate perishable product. Once an hour is gone, you can't get it back. It doesn't matter how hard you work later that day, you can't go back in time and redo it.