Why Integrate ERP and CRM?

In our 20 years of enterprise software consulting, we have come across countless manufacturers and distributors who have already successfully implemented ERP and CRM solutions. With these systems, the businesses experience improvements in front and back-office performance as both platforms manage critical data and processes.

But here’s the kicker—the two solutions are often operating separately. The disparate instances create information silos and require users to perform manual tasks. The implementation of separate ERP and CRM systems solves many major problems, but businesses still experience inefficiencies and leave money on the table. 

Fortunately, the solution is easy: software integration. An ERP and CRM integration creates a central hub of enterprise data, enabling businesses to maximize ROI and improve their performance. Here, we list five of the many reasons to transform your business with a CRM and ERP integration.

1. Eradicate Duplicate Data Entry

Manufacturers and distributors who implement separate ERP and CRM systems drastically cut down on manual data entries since data automatically updates in each instance. This also improves accuracy, as manual data entries expose your business to the risk of using incorrect information. However, these companies still need to dedicate at least one employee to the task of manually entering data from one system into the other.

CRM and ERP integrations eliminate this rote work and duplicate data by automatically syncing information into both systems. That means when you add a custom field, make changes to a database or enter new data, the other system automatically updates in real time to reflect these alterations. These synchronizations power other improvements in efficiency and transparency by ensuring users throughout the enterprise have access to critical information, which leads us to our next point. . . .

2. Easy Access to Data

Imagine the following use case: A salesperson visits with a potential client. To capitalize on potential opportunities with this lead, the sales rep pulls out a phone to check inventory stock, product counts, orders and other back-end data. Using this information, the salesperson turns the lead into a new customer without scheduling additional meetings and going back and forth to the office.

Real-time mobile access to data is achievable when you integrate ERP and CRM. When you have integrated, cloud-hosted software, you gain a comprehensive, up-to-date view of your entire enterprise on any device. This means employees can easily view data whenever and wherever they need it rather than log in to separate interfaces or ask other users for information once they arrive at the office.

3. 360-Degree View of Customers

In addition to the use case we described above, there are other sales advantages of integrating ERP and CRM. Customers have higher standards than ever, making the 360-degree insight into customers provided through ERP-CRM integrations a critical asset in driving sales. Enterprises can leverage the combined advanced analytics technology of their CRM and ERP platforms to build effective strategies.

Every department works to drive sales with this level of insight. Marketing and sales teams can dig deeper into customer habits by accessing order history and account standing to personalize customer journeys. Manufacturers, executives and accountants can use buying habits and preferences to improve pricing and payment plans and modify products to satisfy more customer needs. Service reps can provide faster assistance by having quick access to relevant information. Personalized experiences, better products, faster service—all of this can be gained if a business effectively utilizes integrated software to create customer-centric strategies.

4. Improved Management

Besides automatically updating enterprise data, an integration can also automate other processes. The integration project team can define workflows which automate critical, time-consuming operations. For example, a workflow can be set up to instantly enact a trigger for customer follow up after an order is closed. Users can more effectively manage everything from the quote-to-order process to inventory levels by using automated workflows that reduce wasteful manual labor and guarantee accuracy.

5. More Savings, More ROI

Each of the above benefits helps businesses add to their ROI. Faster enterprise performance and better customer experiences make CRM and ERP integrations one of the most cost-effective investments a company can make. But there are other ways that an integrated solution provides more bang for your buck than disjointed software.

Integrated systems create better user experiences. Each employee gains new insight and functionality while retaining their familiar tools. This makes training quicker and less expensive. Plus, IT costs go down substantially when companies aren’t dedicating time and money to several separate platforms. A manufacturer or distributor that successfully executes their integration will experience cost and time savings in no time, leading to substantial ROI.

Wrap Up

Now that you know why you should integrate ERP and CRM, the next question is how. Datix has the answer. We’re a one-stop shop for all your enterprise software needs. Epicor Gold Partner, certified partner of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Salesforce, integration leader—Datix does it all. With Unity, our pre-built integration application, we can seamlessly connect an array of Epicor products with CRM, eCommerce or Marketing Automation software. Once we’ve installed our scalable integration solution, our consultants will continue managing Unity, taking care of any errors or upgrades throughout your software’s lifetime.

Stop running your enterprise with information silos. Operate out of one robust system with Unity. To check out how it works, watch one of our video demos today. When you’re ready to create a single source of truth, reach out to our software integration experts!