The Zen of a Connected Business

You've heard about the benefits of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, right? You know ERP can help you control your inventory. You know it will enable your team to manage your supply chain. And you know it will make your business more productive.

Or maybe you understand the benefits of a customer relationship management (CRM) tool? You understand that with CRM, your employees can develop better relationships with leads, they can close more sales through a customer relationship management, and that you can make better business decisions.

Since you already know this, I'm not going to tell you about the benefits of CRM or ERP. Instead, I'm going to answer the nagging question at the back of your mind—what would happen if I integrated my CRM and ERP solutions?

With an integrated CRM and ERP solution, you can do the following:

1. Deliver better customer support. Customer service teams can provide better support with an integrated CRM and ERP solution.

For example, if a customer service representative receives a request from a customer for a replacement part, he can order this part and document the outcome of this call in your company' solution.

He can also check existing stock levels and set up automated orders for when stock levels dip below a certain point. This will decrease call resolution times, improve customer relationships, and make your business more efficient.

Being able to collaborate on customer information is one step on the journey toward becoming a more profitable business.

2. Market more effectively. With an integrated CRM and ERP solution, your company can use customer information to create targeted marketing campaigns that deliver a better return on your marketing budget.

For example, you and your marketing team can segment customers based on the frequency and value of their orders and then create more relevant mailing lists.

You can then develop campaigns that maximize opportunities with high-value customers. And you can market surplus stock to customers who previously bought similar products.

A business that actively listens to its customers is able to create more personal marketing campaigns.

3. Increase the productivity of your employees. Employees can avoid duplicating each other's work and become more productive if they are able to collaborate on key business information. When employees have access to connected tools, they can spend time 

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