Advantages of merging CRM and BPM
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) lets organizations build strong relationships with their customers. CRM software stores data on customers and provides insights to generate more leads.
Whereas, Business Process Management (BPM) defines logical methods to make business processes more time and cost efficient. BPM software automates some of the processes, gives visual tools to improve on weak areas and gives useful metrics to keep an organization aligned with its business objectives.
It could be easy to assume that CRM software involves only customer-centric processes. But today, its use has become all-pervasive for both large and small businesses. CRM software revenues are expected to reach over $80 billion by 2025. It has gone beyond providing customer-focused insights and started changing how business processes work within an organization.
Different business processes may have functions of their own but after all, they exist to generate revenue and so are interdependent. BPM software can help them run smoothly.
If you run a business, you must be aware that buyer personas evolve continually – now more rapidly than ever. Standalone use of BPM cannot always adapt to such quick changes for customer-focused processes or integrate them well for other business processes.
Today, software solutions that combine CRM and BPM applications to manage all the business processes in a company (including the ones that manage customer relationships) are sought-after.
Some examples of merging CRM and BPM
For starters, merging CRM and BPM software make data accessible by storing it all at one place.
Timely and accurate notifications
When a lead is generated through email it can be delegated to a sales representative through a CRM integrated with BPM software. In addition, other sales opportunities and transactions can be monitored.
Managing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
By combining CRM and BPM, relevant KPIs can be set and tracked.
Cross-functional collaboration
Different business process can share updates on product development, product costs, customer feedback in real-time.
Automation
Some processes like updating the contacts of customers, or distribution of information for new employees could be automated. This results in better time and resource management.
Let us consider another example. When you integrate SaaS financial applications with business processes like HR and CRM it is possible for you to adopt changes based on your organization’s performance.
What can your organization gain by merging CRM and BPM?
Better customer experience
With integrated BPM, CRM can provide your customers with additional support from other business processes. Your customer management processes will have access to resources from other departments and provide your customers with solutions on time. The result can be a reliable customer service and a good image of your brand in the market.
Better consistency
Integrating BPM and CRM makes it convenient for your organization to measure KPIs. It can help you to identify areas of improvement more efficiently. It can also fine-tune all your processes by standardizing them. This will ensure that your workforce is compliant with any regulations or policies.
Uniform distribution of information across all channels
CRM in combination with BPM can give you tools to share information evenly across all processes. Every member involved in a business process will have access to the same information. Consider how beneficial this can be for your customer management teams. With access to uniform data, they will be able to give your customers consistent information.
Valuable insights on profits and loss
By including BPM in your CRM application you can measure the profits you made with each customer, the number of leads generated and lost, and any losses that you may have incurred. It can enable you to understand different buyer personas as well.
Enhanced sales processes
It will improve your organization’s selling prospects as well as the ability to forecast revenues. This can help you to leverage your business and marketing strategies and eliminate efforts that are not beneficial.
Improved ability to adapt
With all your data on a single platform you can recognize the business processes that need to adapt to the industry’s trends.
An integrated CRM and BPM software aims to make business processes uncomplicated and more transparent. So, employees are not expected to be experts in technology to use such a platform.
All said and done, every organization will have its own benchmarks, opportunities and risks, and consequently different business processes. Before investing in a combined CRM and BPM software your organization must consider certain factors. If you choose any software with a one-size-fits-all approach it could result in a waste of your resources.
Cautions to consider before merging CRM and BPM
Ideally, a merged CRM and BPM platform should be used to incorporate the best business practices in an orderly way. Their recurrence should be optimized for effective time management and cost-effectiveness. It should be able to handle workflows of different capacities.
But a combined CRM and BPM solution can be difficult to choose. And before you decide, you must know your target audience thoroughly. You must be aware of your existing customer outreach strategies and the interdependence of your business processes. You must consider if the chosen software is compliant with regulations and legal policies. You must know if your organization has systems that are compatible with such a merged platform. If not, then you must find out the kind of technology you would you need and its cost.
The software you invest in should be mobile-friendly, mobile-responsive and cloud-based so that it is well-matched to the current industry’s standards.
Merging CRM and BPM should replace and maximize your investment as compared to using CRM or BPM software separately.
Ultimately, the purpose of combining CRM and BPM should be to boost your customer management strategies and accommodate them in your other essential and recurring business processes.
With Solastis CRM+BPM, it can be possible to sync your customer-focused processes with other business functions through a simple cloud-based platform.