What happened to CRM user satisfaction?

The satisfaction with CRM systems is decreasing, according to the study “CRM in Practice – User Satisfaction, Benefits and Perspectives 2019/2020 ” from Trovarit (published in German CRM in der Praxis – Anwenderzufriedenheit, Nutzen & Perspektiven 2019/2020).  

A total of 669 CRM executives were interviewed between April and June this year.

They reported on how satisfied they were with their CRM systems. All in all, they evaluated 24 characteristics, graded between 1 and 5. 

In general, CRM users are satisfied with their systems. Nonetheless, they still criticize central aspects of their CRM systems, namely in terms of integrating with other systems and flexibility.  

CRM integration and migration 

In terms of the process of implementing a customer management application, more than one out of five complains about difficulties in preparing the necessary data and data migration. From the user’s point of view, this represents the second biggest problem with the introduction of a CRM system. 

In addition to difficulties in data handling, the integration into the existing IT landscape via interfaces still represents one of the most significant challenges in the introduction (18%) and operation (19%) of a CRM solution. Almost one in five users criticizes the lack of connectivity to other systems. They believe this lack of integration can massively impair the benefits of a CRM solution.  

In terms of migration and integration, using a specialized tool such as Connect Bridge can help a lot. If the companies already have the information, this is the most straightforward way of having it migrated or even integrated into the new CRM system. Having the data you need in the new CRM system makes the CRM adoption process much easier. 

Advantages of CRM solutions 

Most of the users surveyed believe the most significant advantage of having a CRM is the collection and presentation of information. Other CRM advantages include quick and easy information gathering (44%) and the reduction of documentation work (38%).  

In terms of performance, satisfaction is actually growing. Many users complained about the sluggishness of their CRM software two years ago. They rated the performance of their customer management applications significantly better this year. The fact that the majority of customer management systems (71%) are now cloud-based might be influencing that. It is important to note that looked quite different two years ago when only 19% were in the cloud. 

With the increase in CRM cloud usage, companies tend to rely on the latest releases from their vendors. In the cloud, CRM producers update their applications twice a year or sometimes even more often. As it is the cloud, the users must follow this upgrade compulsion. 22% specifically complain that it is too much effort.  

This is also an aspect for which an integration based on a tool like Connect Bridge can help. Connect Bridge includes a compatibility guarantee. When there is an update to the CRM system, the integration you created for that CRM system with Connect Bridge will keep working. This is a guarantee, so it involves zero effort on your side. 

Problems with CRM solutions 

Aspects such as usability and interfaces (especially for mobiles), international deployment, and user manuals and documentation have been part of the issues criticized in CRM systems for years. Regarding these points, there was little or no improvement. 

For medium-sized companies, in particular, it is also difficult to have the IT resources to operate the ever more powerful CRM applications and to use them efficiently and effectively. 

The users’ criticism of their CRM systems comes as a surprise as the CRM applications currently used have been deployed relatively recently.  Trovarit’s analysts calculated deployment of the CRM systems occurred, on average, a little over five years ago. On the study done two years ago, the average age of the CRM systems was 7.7 years, so this is a significant decrease. 

Changes and trends

Overall, when you look at CRM user satisfaction, it is striking that the user’s perspective has changed. With the higher prioritization of problems around data and integration, it is not surprising that many companies see legal and compliance issues as a crucial trend. A good two-thirds describe this issue as very relevant (35%) or quite relevant (34%).  GDPR has tightened the rules in dealing with data significantly. Therefore, it is not surprising that many users classify compliance as an essential topic in terms of the CRM environment. 

If compliance is something that is on your agenda, have a look at the newest trend in terms of guaranteeing data integrity and authenticity that help in terms of compliance: Smart Stamp Document Sealing with Blockchain Technology. This is a solution that integrates straight into your CRM and document management systems.

With a single click, you can seal a document, and with a single click, you can verify if no one tampered with it. It is even possible to have the sealing done automatically. All this without the document leaving your company’s infrastructure and complying with GDPR’s right to be forgotten. Talk to our experts. They will be more than happy to show it in action. 

By Ana Neto, 

Software engineer since 1997, she is now a technical advisor for Connecting Software. 

Connecting Software is a global producer of integration and synchronization software solutions since 2004.