Generally, ERP and CRM systems are mostly independent as their origin and architectures make it difficult to create connect seamlessly. ince this is generally true for lot of disparate systems, organizations using these applications have to find new and effective ways to achieve their goals.
Some live examples that we have seen are custom 'point-to-point' integration. This method is fragile, expensive, and difficult to maintain as supply demand ecosystem are constantly changing.
Even if there are configurations (read 'settings and controls') provided to handle such business scenarios, the solution may still not deliver the intended results— leading to modifications to be made to core processes. Such changes impact the entire system, leaving room for errors. These point-to-point integrations deliver a short-term solution, but become overly complicated as businesses grow.
Another method businesses go by is manual data entry. This method requires manually retrieving data from one system and enter it into another. Such a procedure is usually not very accurate and also not an optimal use of time and resources. Whether it’s a CRM user from customer service or an ERP user from billing who updates a customer’s account, any changes implemented in one system will have to be transferred to the other.
Sharing information and providing visibility into both frontend and backend systems increases productivity and simplifies business operations. How well today's enterprises manage their CRM and ERP integration will define the Leaders and Laggards of this digital transformation in driving new business.
The lifecycle of a prospect to customer covering areas of sales, customer support, finance & accounts, these systems can together provide complete visibility into your client requirements, , buying trends, order history, accounts status etc. This information give you better insight into the client account and also helps in forecasting the sales and growth opportunities.
Satisfied customers are the most valuable asset to any business, and having information about all customer orders, billing and stock status along with product pricing and sales schemes and discounts will help in handling customer interaction more efficiently.
ERP systems such as Lighthouse ERP enables a sales team to view a customer’s credit limit, account status based on previous orders and sales transactions; It also gives a complete overview of the customer’s purchasing patterns.
With Lighthouse ERP and CRM integration, businesses can turn proposal generation (created in the CRM) into actual orders (executed and tracked at the ERP level) using one system; reducing time consumption for data management and increasing company efficiency. Furthermore, a sales team would have enhanced visibility regarding order status updates for customers and easy access to make necessary changes if needed.
With a single, unified platform for both ERP and CRM, there is no need of maintaining two separate systems resulting in reduced IT costs. Likewise, with proper integration, the amount of support and training goes down, for training sessions would only be required for the combined system instead of the individual systems.
Lighthouse lets you integrate its Oracle based ERP with Web and Mobile App enabled Sales CRM. This hybrid solution allows business to automate processes and create seamless connectivity. Data is synchronized between the ERP and CRM using a Lighthouse Enterprise Service Bus. Lighthouse gives you the capability to easily create and maintain a clear view of customers, giving insights from both ERP and CRM systems throughout the organization , all through a single interface.
