Choosing a CRM product is big decision for most organisations. It is usually a significant investment and a long-term purchase, so you don’t want to find yourself saddled with a CRM that you don’t like, that can’t keep pace with changes in how we work and communicate, or doesn’t work with any of your other stuff. So hereis my completely partisan view* on why you are picking a winner when you choose Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
First of all, it is important to note that Dynamics CRM is a strategically important product for Microsoft. I think it helps to understand their motivation, which fuels their commitment and therefore investment: Microsoft reason that if you adopt Dynamics CRM into your organisation then you are more likely to stick with, and fully utilise, your other Microsoft products.
As it is strategically important to Microsoft, you can be confident that Dynamics CRM is a sound product and that it won’t suddenly disappear or get sold to someone like Sage or Oracle who will forget about it, ignore it or simply ruin it.
Choose a future proof CRM
A major factor when investing in a strategic solution like CRM is longevity: You want something that is going to keep up with other technologies, working practices, communication techniques and customer expectations. Microsoft spend a reputed $9Billion per year on research and development, a piece of which gets spent on continually improving Dynamics CRM and acquiring other complementary technologies.
Being a Microsoft product also means that Dynamics works with all of your other Microsoft stuff, such as Outlook, Word and Excel, SharePoint, Skype, OneDrive, Power BI, OneNote (I could go on¦). Dynamics CRM Online works especially well with Office 365, as well as clever new bits like Cortana and Delve and the many exciting technical things that are under the bonnet of Azure (machine learning being one).
There’s a host of added value’ Microsoft goodies as well, such as Social Engagement (which we’ll cover in a future blog), digital marketing (also for another time) and customer-facing self-service web portals (yes, you guessed it¦ another blog). You want more? Well, there are a lot of other companies that make great extras that integrate with Microsoft Dynamics CRM (including m-hance).
Choose a mobile first, cloud first CRM
With Microsoft’s new moto being œmobile first, cloud first, Dynamics CRM is accessible on any device from anywhere. The vast majority of customers are choosing the Microsoft cloud-hosted Dynamics CRM Online as it offers an unparalleled level of service and performance at a low monthly price. However, if you need to have your CRM data on premise’ or in a private cloud’ environment, Microsoft offer these deployment options too giving you choice. You can move between deployment options and even have a mix, if the fancy takes you.
It also happens to be the case that Microsoft Dynamics CRM is an extremely good CRM solution, providing excellent functionality around sales, marketing and customer service. It is also highly configurable, meaning that it can be tailored to your needs without expensive customisation. And because of the technology that underpins it, Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a great platform for integration with other systems which is important when you need pull together disparate data for a single customer view and / or streamline cross-system business processes.
Industry analysts choose Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Top industry analystsGartner and Forrester have been consistently putting Microsoft Dynamics CRM at the top of their league tables for years, alongside arch rival Salesforce.com. But with more focus and investment for Dynamics CRM and uncertainly over the future of Salesforce.com, Microsoft Dynamics CRM is looker stronger and safer for the long-term.
All of this means that Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a sound strategic choice and can be tailored to fit your business needs. Crucially, your staff will find it easy to access and use because it works with the stuff they are already working with, it logs them on automatically when they access Office and can be personalised to suit the individual.
* My view is based on quite a long time in the CRM industry, during which I’ve experienced a number of different products and been in the fortunate position to choose which I specialise’ in. I have picked Microsoft Dynamics CRM as the focus of my career based on the points above. So, you can have faith that if I’m wrong about it then it’s an honest mistake.
Articleby:
John Odell
CRM & SharePoint Solution Specialist