Whether can replace ERP with CRM?

However often upon purchase of CRM mean not only maintaining base of clients and all work with them in a system, but also, for example, time-management is the correct planning and expenditure of time which also is a resource of employees. Often other functions of the accounting systems also can be provided to CRM: drawing of accounts directly from a system and tracking of passing of documents, planning of promotion activities and according to expenses on them, planning of motivation for sellers and many other things.

And still ERP systems are directed to achievement of competitive advantages due to optimization of internal business processes, and the CRM system allow "integrate" the client into the organization sphere.

Concerning whether the ERP system can replace CRM, opinions of respondents of TAdviser of experts were shared oppositely. For example, in BMicro company consider that in practice there are no obstacles including the ERP standards in the strategy of CRM. "These concepts compatible, do not contradict each other, approximately as "silent (music) in dark (hall)", - experts of the company said. According to them, it is possible to combine such systems somehow at the request of the customer.

"So in practice most often also becomes – a single system of planning for the majority of resources \transactions (ERP), and at the head (cards, reports) systems – its Majesty Client (CRM)", - say in BMicro.

Experts of SAP CIS noted that ERP is one of main systems for obtaining key information which is used in CRM.

"This information is necessary for customer segmentation, formation of the personalized marketing campaigns, determination of the best offer in sales process, acceptance of service requests, order processing and so on. But the ERP system in itself cannot replace CRM", - consider in the company.

In Monolit-Info said that the question of replacement of a CRM system with functionality of ERP can be raised only in relation to the classical CRM system concentrated on problems of contact management with partners — but not for a management system for mobile employees. In this case, really, in the presence as a part of ERP of the developed functionality for maintaining the reference book of partners, agreements, contacts, etc., the decision on failure from implementation of a separate CRM system for benefit of development of ERP can be under certain conditions made.

Experts selected 6 signs by which it is possible to determine that in this specific project the concept of ERP is more suitable:

Lack of accounting of work with clients

If the company does not need accounting of work with clients, it has no big base of clients, and she is not engaged in permanent search of new clients (i.e. the base of clients of the company was already created) then it is better to consider ERP, but not CRM, consider in Kompas company.

"It how to compare the mobile phone and the camera plus a MP3 player. If you need to call, photograph and to listen to music, then why not to take phone in which already all other functions, let and in a cut form, but are built-in. But if you do not need to call, then it is already best of all to be spent and purchase separately the camera and a MP3 player and to have these functions in high quality", - experts explained the thought.

Large number of transaction transactions

Believe in NORBIT that when at the customer a large number of transaction transactions is supposed – for example, accounting of goods in a warehouse, implementation of transactions with money, is better to select ERP. Those companies at which processes are generally focused in public and communications between them, and ERP that whose processes concern goods need to select CRM.

If in ERP there is a built-in module CRM

If the full-fledged CRM module with the corresponding functionality is already integrated into the ERP system, then in some cases such system can replace separate CRM, consider in BIT company.

"However, stated in the ERP module CRM practically always to like that is not, it is very limited in functionality and performs function of a marketing bait on a fashionable abbreviation", - specialists of this company added.

If the enterprise works in non-market conditions

In "BIT" also considers that CRM not especially will help the enterprise if it works in non-market conditions, his clients are permanent, forced to buy and cannot influence essential conditions of transactions.

Need of accounting of a financial component

As soon as in business process it is necessary to consider a financial component, settlement, the level of receivables is a territory of ERP, specialists note Sitronics. But the expert made a reservation that this border "rather indistinct": as it was already told above, in connection with growth of opportunities and functionality to both ERP, and CRM, each of systems can play "not on the home field".

For example, to "a gray zone" processes of work with accounts and quotas, the sales ledger, managements of the product directory get. As a rule, these processes can be implemented successfully as on the ERP platform, and CRM of the corporate level. However, usually a master system according to the customer base of data is CRM.

Specifics of communication with customers

If the potential customer during negotiations operates with concepts: stock remainders, the commodity nomenclature, management of a production cycle (projects), development processes of technical specifications, control of terms of finding of goods, component parts in way, most likely it needs the ERP system, such opinion hold in FB Consult.

However, if the customer has a problem of control (management) of activity of sales managers, sales agents, "in language" words – lack of history of work with the client, the competition between client managers in discounts for the same client, null information about the missed opportunities, misunderstanding of return from marketing campaigns, low quality of services, misunderstanding of the sales forecast and its compliance to sales plans – in this case it is possible to speak with confidence that such client needs implementation of the CRM system.