In today’s business world, CRM software has become an integral part of customer relationship management strategy and are driven by technological developments. Businesses are moving data into the cloud, the world is switching to web-based CRM as their solution of choice. Software as a Service (SaaS) CRM services are accessed online, and allows vendors to manage the maintenance of the software and the infrastructure. To know more about the benefits of web-based CRM, follow: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/make-the-move-to-the-cloud-with-webbased-crm-70596

With the advancement of technology, the nature of customer interaction is changing, and firms need  sophisticated systems to stay competitive. Nowadays, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools are becoming vital in every sector. But, the most important question is that why a CRM system is becoming so important these days? According to the author, following points play an important role. They are - Customer contacts are increasingly complex, Data-driven insights provide a competitive edge, Cloud-based systems are lowering prices, Social media is increasingly important to customers and businesses, and It's a platform for other systems such as Hosted PBX. Read more at - http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/5-reasons-crm-software-is-more-important-than-ever-70595

Businesses nowadays are consolidating customer data, from the sales contact history of service data into one place. Everything from the customer's service history of sales records is pulled together in one place. A single view of the customer has many advantages. It keeps everyone up to date and on the same page with the customer, for one thing and thereby increase customer satisfaction, build customer loyalty and allow contacts with the customer to proceed much more easily. Read more at - http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/a-single-view-through-crm-70579

Information plays a vital role in sales. Sales analytics is the application of analytic techniques such as data mining, which helps in sales. It tells in which direction you are going, and also help in finding prospects, target the sales efforts, nurture leads and eventually close the sale. Analytics requires data, rather data from many different sources, and CRM system should be a repository of all your organization's information on customers. Read more at- http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/grow-your-sales-with-analytics-70578

ERP software and databases are not always geared toward presenting management-level views of operations. That’s where the customer relationship management system comes in. One issue companies may face is the quality of CRM data. Author David Gillman (Analyst with Studio B), is assuming that the CRM system hold the detailed sales records along with the history of customer contact. Based on that he writes in his article about some ways in which CRM-based analytics can improve distributor operations. They are - Management-Level Dashboards, Predictive Order Analytics, Trend Analysis, and Marketing Improvement. Read more at - http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/4-ways-crm-analytics-makes-distribution-more-effective-70451

A business can have numerous customers. Any organization needs to segment their customers. While segmenting the customer list can be done by ranking customers by order size. The analytical tools in the CRM package let you go far beyond a simple ranking. You can get a 360 degree view of your customers. You can increase business with these high-value customers by meeting their needs more effectively. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/your-best-customers-your-worst-customers-and-crm-70477

David Gillman (Analyst with Studio B), writes in his article, about five cost points most SMBs evaluate when looking at CRM systems and also companies need their own numbers in the return-on-investment equations. They are – Lost Sales, More Accounts per Salesperson, Reduction in Marketing Time, and Faster and More Accurate Reporting and Forecasting, and Reduced Salesperson On-Boarding Time. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/5-cost-justifications-for-crm-in-small-and-mediumsized-businesses-70452

Businesses are becoming more dependent on cloud customer relationship management systems to provide timely reporting and even predictive analytics to inform future strategy. It becomes important to ensure that the data in these systems are protected against theft or loss.  Rose de Fremery (the founder of lowercase d consulting) writes in this article about some ways in which businesses can take measures to secure their CRM environments. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/4-ways-to-protect-your-crm-data-70455

Nowadays, analytics are helping to get sales insights beyond the traditional pipeline and daily call reports. With these insights, organizations are gaining visibility and organizations can improve their sales process, and also getting a data-driven check on their pipeline. Micheline Nijmeh (the CMO for LiveHive, Inc.), writes in her article about the key areas where analytics are providing new sales insights include – Messaging, Pricing, Team performance, and Hiring. Read more at: http://www.business2community.com/brandviews/salesforce/4-ways-analytics-provide-new-sales-insights-01378360#I8qSZ8lAuCXZU8ic.97

ERP solution takes care of most of back office needs, but organizations still need specialized software within infrastructure for sales, marketing and other departments. Some ERP solutions offer a complete all-in-one solution and include tools like CRM and marketing automation. Integrating ERP with marketing automation and CRM tools is one way to centralize your data and streamline business operations. Another major benefit of integration is improving your customer experience. There are drawbacks of integration. One major barrier to integration is getting a legacy ERP solution to work properly with marketing automation and CRM tools. Read more benefits and drawbacks of integrating marketing automation and CRM with ERP at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/inside-erp/should-you-integrate-your-marketing-automation-and-crm-tools-into-your-erp-solution-70406

CRM tools are important. According to a report, this is a $23.3 billion market and is continually adapting today's sales and marketing needs. CRM companies are now focusing on four major areas as we move into 2016. They are - SaaS adoption, mobile CRM, the impact of IoT and wearable tech, and real-time data. Read more about the trends of CRM tools at - http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/whats-upcoming-for-crm-tools-in-2016-70405

The CRM system is central to a company's business. Anything can happen from a malicious attack to hardware failure. So, we need to back up the data. We all know that there are different kinds of backup systems and some of them take days to restore that critical data. So, a company needs a backup strategy. Your backup strategy has to reflect the needs of your business for continuity on critical systems like CRM. While planning for effective backups, organizations must take into consideration the two most important things. They are Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO). RTO is how fast you need to be up and running and Recovery Time Objective is when you need to recover. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/backing-up-your-crm-70403

Customers want consistency and they value it. A CRM system keeps track of all interactions with customers and helps prevent any aspect of the transaction from failing. It also helps to keep promises to customers, follow up with customer contacts and generally present an effective face of your business to your customers. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/dont-let-your-customers-fall-through-the-cracks-70360

Poor performance of a CRM system is a serious problem. This might be because your business has slowed down or never changed. This slowdown can be due to many reasons. One reason may be the system has become overloaded and too many people are trying to handle too many entries which in turn results in poor performance on any kind of computer system. One solution may be to reschedule the competing application to run at a time when the CRM system isn't as busy. Running applications like accounting programs during off hours is a reasonable way to speed up system performance. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/speeding-up-your-crm-performance-70362

Big Data analytics is coming up in a big way. According to Forrester Research, companies estimate that they are analyzing only 12% of the data at their disposal. The demand for predictive analysis combined with the small number of data scientists explains why 88% of the data captured by businesses fail to produce actionable insights. So, automation in Big-Data Analysis comes to the rescue. Benefits of Big Data Analysis are - Automation supports existing staff, Automation reduces the need for additional staff and extensive training, Automation saves time and money. Read more at:  http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/byod-cloud/the-benefits-of-automating-big-data-analysis-70335

CRM offers excellent customer service because it equips you with the tools you need to understand your customers and their wants and needs. But the effort is wasted if you don't use them properly. You can make full use of your CRM by delivering excellent service. CRM also provides the basis for excellent customer service by giving you a 360-degree view of the customer. Ideally, CRM system should contain records of all your customer contacts with your business, including any problems that might have arisen and especially any promises that have been made to the customer. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/crm-and-consistent-excellence-70338

According to a study, 63% of CRM initiatives fail, costing companies thousands of dollars in out of pocket expenses, which negatively impacts future revenue due to missed sales and opportunities. CRM is effective for those who manage several sides of business, which includes sales, marketing, customer relations, and product updates. There are three reasons for these failures – flawed communication of goals for the CRM system by company leaders, lack of organization-wide use, and inability to integrate with existing tools and applications. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/3-reasons-crm-implementations-fail-70341

Stephanie Khoury (Marketing Manager) writes in her article about small business IT trends of 2015. The number one trend, according to a survey of 500 small businesses, was the increased spending on technology. The second trend is integrated cloud-based systems and the last trend is mobility. In short, small businesses should implement the right systems which will in turn make a huge difference in overall business efficiency. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/grow-software-solutions/small-business-it-trends-of-2015-70323

Web Real Time Communication (WebRTC) is the latest trend in the business world. It allows businesses to leverage the cost efficiencies of online and app-based services while creating a user experience that is more similar to real life by adding audio and video communication and is cost effective. Every tablet, phone, computer, television, or any other connected device is now capable of RTC-enabled communication. JT Ripton (a valued contributor to Business 2 Community), writes in his article about some benefits of WebRTC in business. Read more at: http://www.business2community.com/strategy/5-reasons-business-take-advantage-webrtc-01359173#pHVf8Jm4ajdc6rrH.97

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a management tool that gives businesses the opportunity to engage and interact with current and potential customers. The advantages of CRM are numerous. It streamlines customer service, provides customers with a channel for communication, and allows businesses to manage and control interactions in different ways that benefit the organization and their clients . CRM increases customer satisfaction and improve clients' experiences, integrating CRM with social media provide several benefits to businesses and customers. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/using-social-media-integration-to-optimize-crm-70291