The Emerging Enterprise - Customer Technologies Aren't Just For Big Biz Anymore

The Emerging Enterprise - Customer Technologies Aren't Just For Big Biz Anymore - Part 2

How to grow the business, keep the customers you have and maintain that Mom & Pop feel.

SMBs first must understand the types of CRM products on the market. The following listings are based on modular components of software "suites". Mid-tier products are usually based on one or two of these components. Hosted services may offer many or all on a pay-as-you-go pricing tier.

Field Sales
- Time Management ı calendaring, task lists, tickler files, email; usually integrated with Microsoft Outlook of similar software
- Sales & Sales Management ı contact management, sales history, sales activity, order history
- Proposal generators
- Configuration Tools ı you pick your requirements and the software generates a price, similar to Dell's build your own PC on-line form
Sales Management ı Pipeline and sales cycle analysis, forecasting, territory alignment and assignments, sales metrics reporting
Telemarketing ı call lists, automatic dialing, script generators, order taking
Customer Contact Centers ı telephony-based but now database and online; incident assignment, order management, contact and contract management, these may or may not be "self-servicing"
Marketing ı campaign Management, customer metrics, partner relationships, lead follow-up, permission-based e-marketing
E-Business ı storefronts, shopping carts, personalization (The Amazon Model)
Field Service and Support-dispatch, parts availability, wireless
Business Analytics ı ash-boards, personalized portals
E-procurement ı management and sales, b-to-b exchanges, logistic exchanges
Multimodal Access ı telephone, fax, web, multiple ways for customer access
Data Sharing ı synchronization of all data

Players

Packaged Software ı Siebel, Peregrine, Oracle, Peoplesoft, SAP, J.D.Edwards, Conjoin, FirstWave Technologies, FrontRange Solutions, Promptu, Microsoft and others
Web-Based Application Service Providers (ASP) or CRM Hosted Services ı Salesforce.com, Netledger.com, Upshot.com, Salesnet.com

Compatibility

Many SMB focused CRM applications interface with applications like Outlook and Exchange and are Windows-based.

In the first quarter, Microsoft released it's first CRM product. Microsoft CRM 1.0 is intended to be low-cost, entry-level software for businesses of 25 to 500 employees, and it is accessible either through Outlook or a browser interface. The product suite, which focuses mainly on sales and customer-service applications, requires Windows 2000 Server, SQL Server 2000, Active Directory, and Internet Explorer 5.5. The company also recommends Exchange Server 2000, and Office 2000 or XP for the CRM software.

For more on Microsoft's CRM solution for small and medium business see Microsoft looks to secure a piece of the CRM market by aiming at small and midsize businesses

Pricing

High-end CRM software can cost $5,000 to $15,000 per user. Entry level software prices vary but Microsoft's CRM 1.0 starts at $395 per user, plus $995 for a server component. Host CRM Service is priced around $65.00 per user a month or $1,000 to $1,500 per user per year.

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