Introduction
Collaboration is the heart of growth. For your business to become the best in the industry, you need your team to work together to accomplish ambitious goals. Manufacturers with departmental silos that “do their own thing” are set up to fall behind and struggle to meet demanding customer expectations. In this article, we will see how an ERP-CRM integration unites organizations by fostering collaboration.
The Production Line
For many manufacturers, the production line is comprised of many departments working on different aspects of the same jobs at the same time. Even for smaller organizations that only make a few different products, it is a challenge to coordinate equipment usage, labor and work orders to maximum efficiency. With an ERP-CRM integration, everyone on your production line will be logging progress into the same system, which can quickly show data like the status of particular jobs, how fast specific shifts or departments are working relative to the others, and recent equipment usage. Managers can use this information for scheduling equipment use, jobs, labor and for offering additional training or incentives. Additionally, one of the largest advantages of the integration is that other sectors of the organization have easy access to this data in real time. Rather than having to ask a manager to make and send out a report that will quickly become out-of-date, your team will see the exact information they need because they are operating out of a single source of truth. With Unity: Integration by Datix, our customers save almost 50 phone calls, 500 emails, and approximately 50 hours of work every month! When you use Unity, your organization will work out of one system that is fully scalable, so you can rest assured that it will meet your business needs as your organization grows.
Research & Development
One department that benefits from intimately understanding how production and sales are doing is Research and Development. By understanding the strengths of your production system (e.g., being able to produce a certain type of product quickly) and what is in demand by customers, R&D can focus on products that will sell and fit well into your existing production structure. Having access to CRM data, like feedback from current customers about ways to improve products, is critical for success. Analyzing ERP and CRM data at the same time is the simplest and fastest way for your team to have the information they need. When you work with Datix, our expert consultants will learn exactly what your business needs to get to the next level so we can set up your integration to maximize results. Once set up, our Support Team will manage your Unity integration, so you don’t have to worry about unexpected issues or downtime.
Sales and Marketing
Sales and Marketing both benefit from understanding what your organization is producing, what customers want and what your organization is bringing to market next. Having data from existing and potential clients in a CRM allows Sales and Marketing to understand how to target their efforts, hear what new customers are looking for and support existing customers. By looking at their ERP data, Sales can easily assist a client who needs to reorder or who could benefit from additional services. Both Sales and Marketing can also use ERP information to share insights with prospective clients, like showcasing a case study for how your products helped a similar client increase output. They will also know what upcoming products have to offer, which can excite both potential and existing customers. Unlike your competitors, your Sales team will also have the information necessary to answer critical questions and close deals during meetings, instead of getting lost in “I’ll have to get back to you” limbo.
Wrap Up
For manufacturers that want to run at optimum efficiency, an ERP-CRM integration lets you take advantage of the best software and avoid departmental silos. No matter how impressive your team is individually, they will never reach their full potential if they are not working together.
At Datix, we strive to Be the Best with the Best and look for partners that have the same mentality. Learn what we can offer you in our Ultimate ERP and CRM Integration eBook.
About Datix
As software solution experts for 25 years, it’s our business to drive results for your company. We execute, deliver, and offer support after you receive your working integration. When you partner with Datix, we act as your trusted partner to remove the hassles of software management and provide guidance as your business needs evolve with your growth.
