Alexey Budin: BPM as basis of the effective CRM solution

Alexey Budin: The ELMA BPM platform allows to build flexible information systems which easily adapt to changes of business processes of the company. In turn business processes during the work with the ELMA CRM application + become modelled and performed. But the main advantage consists in an opportunity to combine credentials (databases) with a process component that is necessary for process automation of sales.

Moreover, we have the whole product line based on ELMA BPM: the CRM applicaiton + stores information on the companies, contacts and transactions in uniform structure, helps to conduct sales process monitoring, to support communication with clients. ECM+ allows to pass to the performed business processes and their sharing. Projects + it is necessary for control of project implementation, resource management and the organization of interaction between participants. KPI allows to connect the development strategy of the company, indicators of activity of the company and motivation of personnel. All products of the line are integrated with each other. Thanks to consolidation of modules it is possible to manage business at the same time and operationally (using possibilities of the CRM+, ECM+ applications, Projects +), and strategically – increasing efficiency by means of KPI. The specifics of business of the companies meet different. Proceeding from features of the enterprise, it is possible to create the set of the interacting system modules. Full-function management is бόльшие results and fast development. For example, for make-to-stock production it is required to automate sales processes and service, processes of management of material flows (CRM+ and electronic document management), processes of service and hardware upgrade (Projects +), personnel processes and performance indicators of work of personnel (KPI). Once you refuse at least one module, and processes at the enterprise will begin "limp", and later will pull indicators on several points down at once.

TAdviser: Tell, please, why you went on the way of development of own BPM solution, but not on the way of implementation of ready-made products of mega-vendors how most other integrators?

Alexey Budin: It was important to create own system containing the new mechanism which is essentially distinguishing it from the others. Our BPM solution is, first of all, great opportunities for permanent improvement. We selected the most adaptive and flexible management model, considering that any business does not stand still, it in own way changes or develops, or on the contrary becomes less. A system should not just be in time behind all these changes, but also work for increase in efficiency of activity in any conditions.

TAdviser: If to speak about the BPM direction, then who your main customers? To whom does your platform suit optimum on what target audience you are focused?

Alexey Budin: Solutions based on the ELMA BPM platform are suitable for the companies, productions, the organizations of any scale for which the convenient Business Process Management Suite capable to store the large volume of data is necessary, to control key indicators, terms, resources, the budget. The majority of processes in such organizations require automation for the purpose of saving of time and labor costs.

ELMA considers features of business. Modules are developed for construction companies, for microfinance and financial institutions, for housing and public utilities and management companies, for the companies with a difficult sales cycle, for make-to-stock production and under the order. For the organization the head selects a system itself, depending on desirable feature set. At the expense of flexible tools the platform easily adapts under any specifics of the enterprise.

TAdviser: Language of the description of business processes of BPMN 2.0 is how difficult? Whether it is possible to teach clients "talk" in this language, or at reorganization of processes they should ask you for the help?

Alexey Budin: Our specialists – the first in Russia who executed the translation of a notation of BPMN 2.0 into Russian. On the website of ELMA there is a complete text of a notation in Russian. Also we conduct a practical course of BPMN that any person, without being an IT specialist, could describe business processes. Language is very convenient for the description of chains of works and contains practically all necessary primitives.

TAdviser: What is the most difficult task in project implementation of BPM?

Alexey Budin: As a rule, the most difficult stage when implementing the project – regulation of processes of the organization. An initial task – to consider and combine requirements to the system of all levels of organizational structure of the enterprise: the CEO, the person responsible for the project from the customer, and those who directly should use a system. Make of all wishes uniform regulations – case very labor-consuming. Besides, not all employees are interested in implementation, some do not want to leave a certain "zone of comfort" and show resistance to something new. Also terms are strongly influenced, as a rule, by a human factor, the different organizational moments. For the rest no difficulties arise, our experienced specialists implement a system, and afterwards it successfully works.

TAdviser: Tell, please, how ELMA BPM is built in IT infrastructure of the typical company with what other systems it can interact?

Alexey Budin: After express requirements analysis and tasks of the organization priority candidate solutions are defined, the technical specifications on system implementation are formed. According to the technical project creation of an organization structure, setup of access rights, setup of electronic document management, modeling of processes, etc. Then specialists of the company are trained in work in a system. Test operation, then start is carried out to commercial operation and transfer to the mode of support and maintenance.

Applications based on the ELMA BPM platform can work as irrespective of other systems used in the organization, and interacting with them. There are several additional specific opportunities, for example, ELMA CRM+ has an integration with the IP telephony systems and with all actively used versions of the 1C: Enterprise system - from 7.7 to final version 8.3.

TAdviser: What users of level usually work in your system? How does the interface of the program for them as far as he is ordinary what data he allows to use in daily, routine work look?

Alexey Budin: In the ELMA system it is comfortable to work to absolutely different users: from directors to non-management employees. At the same time when developing and updating a system, we consider that at everyone the level of computer preparation and the requirements to a system. It is important to heads to monitor work of employees at any stage. Employees need the simple and clear interface and an opportunity to easily find the necessary data.

In the ELMA system to each employee in a type, convenient for it, information, necessary for its operational work, opens. There is no need to overload the employee with all data entered in a system. For example, only the main information on the client is necessary for the operator of the Sall-center for daily work. Data on the history of relationship, transactions and bank details can be hidden. For this purpose the form designer who allows the system administrator without involvement of programmers is enough to use, using only a computer mouse quickly to configure a card of the partner.

For the head, in turn, during the work with the ELMA system opportunities for the analysis and control over processes open. Information, necessary for assessment of current situation, is provided in the form of easily readable tables and charts (for example, the chart Ganta or funnels of sales) that considerably facilitates process of acceptance of important management decision. If the head wants to learn in more detail about any specific business process, or to obtain more specific information on the transaction – he can make it in two clicks of a computer mouse.

TAdviser: How it seems to you in what direction market development of CRM systems in Russia will move further?

Alexey Budin: Business processes are what any enterprise or production does not do without. Therefore except accurately built strategy of communication, collection of information about the companies, contacts and transactions, it is important to build and control sales process. Especially in case of the large organizations not to do without use of additional tools. Our system just allows to implement the process approach to management of customer-oriented business. The module ELMA CRM + gives the chance to any employee of the company easily to start customer services. Finally it allows to raise the service level and, as a result, to increase profit.