CRM Software – Choosing the Right Package

What is CRM software? The abbreviation “CRM” stands for Customer Relationship Management. CRM is a tool that enables organizations to gain insight about their customers in order to help serve them better. A CRM solution typically allows companies to analyze customer sales data, collect and profile customer information, and refine sales processes including lead generation, customer acquisition, contact management and sales forecasting. Wikipedia offers the following definition:

A CRM solution is characterised by the following functionality:
scalability - the ability to be used on a large scale, and to be reliably expanded to what ever scale is necessary.
multiple communication channels - the ability to interface with users via many different devices (phone, WAP, internet, etc)
workflow - the ability to trigger a process in the backoffice system, e. g. Email Response, ...
assignment - the ability to assign requests (Service Requests, Sales Opportunities) to a person or group.
database - the centralised storage (in a data warehouse) of all information relevant to customer interaction
customer privacy considerations, e.g. data encryption and the destruction of records to ensure that they are not stolen or abused

CRM software can be complex - most CRM solutions are tailored specifically for the requirements of large companies – however there are a number of vendors that provide solutions for the smaller business.

Top CRM software vendors include salesforce.com, Siebel, Amdocs, PeopleSoft, Oracle, SAP
and EDS.