When recession seems to be over, many companies are now thinking of rearranging their resources and business with the help of technology.
Companies which are dealing with a plenty of customers every day, appreciating the contribution of enterprise applications like CRM. Based on the consistent innovative CRM implementation track record and in depth understanding in CRM domain PenguinCRM has bagged couple of giant turnkey projects from developing countries like India, Singapore, Malaysia etc. As many of them are annual contract based projects Penguinians are ambitious about providing unbiased enterprise consulting to these clients.
PenguinCRM suggests SugarCRM as one of the most known enterprise application which can adapt easily with any kind of complex as well as simple organizational structure. SugarCRM is basically meant for Customer Relationship Management requirements in organizations but if customized wisely it can be extended to the ERP based requirements too. It is possible due its Open Source nature where it gives the freedom to customize up to n – level and use the entire application as a framework for making more complex enterprise applications.
Out of company’s many wins PenguinCRM mentioned a reputed client from India named Infodrive India. It claims to be the first company in India which provides online data of Export and import. It holds a very much data intensive business flow and needs to be standardized and automated with the help of Enterprise application like SugarCRM.
Looking at the growth opportunity, IT consulting companies from Malaysia, South Africa and India are showing interest in partnering with PenguinCRM as an implementation partner for their clients. PenguinCRM is wisely selecting these partners to extend its reach across the world.
Back drops
PenguinCRM is a Hyderabad based SugarCRM consulting company which provides wide range of Open source CRM related services including SugarCRM – installation, hosting, customization, module development, plug-ins, Joomla integration, Asterisk integration, Magento integration, workflows and other custom web based application development. Earlier PenguinCRM was an offshore development center for US based CRM consultants but after getting a vast experience in SugarCRM and other open source product consulting it has now successfully evolved as an innovative CRM consulting company in India.
Enterprise software applications are now defining new heights for Six sigma. As we all are aware that Six Sigma is defining any process in a certain manner so that it can lead to financial and non financial benefits yet with quality result. Where Sigma Sigma defines the process, enterprise software solutions standardize the process and quantify the entire process which can be further used to define six sigma.
Earlier these enterprise applications were considered to be very bulky and expensive. They were often implemented by big and complex organizations only. But now after introduction of Open source applications even SMEs have realized it as an inevitable need for standardizing the business process. It not only standardizes the processes but also cut the cost dramatically. Taking an example of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) needs in any organization, in real scenario any medium size organization normally interacts with hundreds of client in a day. These interactions are done by the customer executives. Now, for higher management it is nearly impossible to track each and every interaction. It is also not possible to find out whether the set standards are being practiced or not. Enterprise applications like CRM help these organizations to keep all the related data in central CRM database and allow the users to execute it whenever required which ultimately leads to more customer satisfaction and better sales management. It helps in quantifying the entire pre sales, sales and post sales process and provides better sales projections.
If we put our eyes deep inside the root values of Enterprise applications and Six Sigma, we can easily identify the areas where both complement each other, like:
a) Six sigma is the statistical modeling of business process; enterprise applications like CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and ERP provide the statistical basis for the modeling.
b) To carry out Six Sigma projects organizations has to follow a defined sequence of steps; enterprise applications can very much help in defining the exactly same sequence of steps throughout the process.
c) One of the most important objectives of Six Sigma is to make decision on the basis of variable data, rather than assumption and guesswork; Enterprise / business applications help the higher management in getting the live data of the related process in more executable way.
So we can see that Enterprise applications, which are often called as Business applications, help an organization to practice Six Sigma effectively. Some well know business applications are CRM, ERP, Inventory management, Project management, Content management applications, Document Management System etc. Out of which, open source CRM like SugarCRM together with Open source CMS like Joomla, Drupal has proven its successful global presence. These open source applications are unlike proprietary applications and adaptable with any type of business environment. Being an Open source these are inexpensive and reach at their ROI very quickly. But, while choosing a proper business application at any organization, the objective should be fixed for achieving six sigma.
As we all are familiar that clinical research in India is booming, advancing and rendering its service to the mankind by providing safety, efficacy and quality of the pharmaceutical products being supported, monitored and guided by authorities like DCGI,FDA and other regulatory bodies. Over the last ten years of its emergence, the clinical research industry has been struggling to take the shape of a well established, structured, organized and reputable device in the society.
For the better and best results, usually any practice should be standardized and benchmarked. Taking this into consideration, our penguin CRM research desk has put forward its efforts with dedication and determination to benchmark and standardize the clinical research practices supported by the collection of inputs and details of the practices and contributions by the professionals of clinical research industry.
Our penguin CRM research desk, with all its potential provided by the expert team, has determined to serve, improvise and enhance the clinical research practices by its research oriented approach to pave the way of clinical research towards Excellence and sophistication with new changing dimensions in the practices with standardized approach by our best and advanced research methodologies.
Earlier, keeping websites considered only for web presence, where interested people might visit and confirm with ones company’s credentials. Later on, even small and medium business also started keeping web sites for showing their presence over web. Dramatically now a days it has became a business tool more than just a display of one’s services and capabilities.
Based on my experience with the industries I would prefer to categorize it in two types:
a) Conventional
b) A business tool
Conventional websites are made for the purpose of display where an organization is willing to show its products, services, infrastructure and many other attributes. For this purpose one need to design the pages in an attractive way for visitors. Content should be kept in an arranged way keeping the visitor’s state in mind. A bit of flash work makes it elegant.
On the other hand, once websites are considered as a business tool; it becomes a complicated application which is developed considering entire internet environment. With the boost in internet availability and efficient search engines this approach is getting good kick. This category is more in demand in US and UK market where they clearly identified the benefits with web marketing and considering their websites as a part of marketing strategy rather than an infrastructural expense.
These sites are based on pull strategy where it attracts more and more visitors straightly from target market. It works in the following order:
Driving more clicks
Driving more clicks from target market
keeping it interactive and dynamic
Driving potential visitors
And finally converting the visitors as a prospect to the organization, through web to lead feature. Where the query of visitor is directly stored in the organization’s CRM and getting assigned to the concerned attendant.
With the dominant presence of internet search engines, Search Engine optimization has abruptly picked up the pace. It simply means optimizing the structure and contents of websites so that it can become search engine friendly and can come up in the priority (1st or 2nd) pages of the search result. Getting higher business from websites is directly proportional to the ranking of these websites on different search engines.
Perfect business websites are created to suit with on page SEO conventions and it directly drives the business toward its organization. Looking at the increasing number of internet users, websites also needs to socialize itself. In the new era of web2.0 technology, CMSs like Joomla and Wordpress are providing feasibility of integrating the websites with various internet communities like Linkedin, Facebook, Myspace etc. which has certainly gave these websites a new dimension.
CRM looks like a simple abbreviation of Customer Relationship Management. But if you are really taking it as cutting edge strategy, which can increase your revenues, then it is better to get a CRM technology which takes care of your complete customer interaction management rather than just a part of it. The time when you are prepared to invest in a technology CRM, which can dramatically enhance your profitability, then it is recommended to evaluate a CRM application on all of the following criteria.
Core CRM features
Presales management: Get a software application which can provide you a complete presales management package. People often call it a “Marketing Software” which works as email campaign management system in addition of mail merge. In today’s world it is also required to be connected with social communities thus consider this also in your presales package.
Sales Management Software: Where presales generates leads for you sales is actually concentrated towards winning the opportunity and generating more revenues for you. So, it can be considered as the most critical part of the profit center in any organization. It serves on various aspects like lead management | contact management | account and activity management | opportunity management etc. Sales process is usually very complex and varies from company to company thus select a CRM which can adapt with your own sales process rather than changing your business flow. Remember user compliance is the biggest hurdle for CRM implementation and you need to be very particular on getting a user friendly application.
Post sales management software: Retaining your customer is less expensive more profitable than winning a new customer. Choose a CRM which first helps in listen to your customer better. It should be capable enough to manage the enquiries against individual customer.
Integration with all possible Touch points
The exact point, where the customer interacts with the organization, is known as the touch point. All possible touch points should be integrated with your CRM application so that you can get the ground details related to any customer.
Manual entry: Your CRM application should be very user friendly where the customer executives don’t have any problem in entering and getting details of the customer at the time of visiting your customer care center.
Integration with email: Customers often send emails to enquire about your offering or to complain. You need an application which can keep these mails against particular leads or customers.
Integration with telephonic system: The quickest way of making enquiries about your products/services and logging complain is via making calls.To get a complete picture of customer’s query or complain while talking over phone, it is very important to integrate the calling system with your CRM. It helps you in winning a new customer exactly over phone.
Integrate it with your portal/website: Company’s website is the first place where prospects lands with their initial queries thus integration of the CRM with the website should be an essential feature.
Should have required workflows
Workflows are the key for automations. If the CRM provides you the adequate workflows defined by your organization then it would certainly end up by standardizing your business process end to end.
Eg.
Auto lead assignment: Whenever a lead comes from North America assign it to Joseph,
Escalation management: If the service executive does not update the ticket within 2 days – escalate it to level 2 managers.
Territory management: If the query arises from south Eastern Asia assign it to Chris.
Notifications: Whenever a task is assigned to sales officers send the notification over email
CRM is a process based application which is made for serving live business requirement. You cannot imagine it without reports and dashboards to get the better insight to your business. Particularly a drill down feature in the dashboard makes it a fun to analyze your business movement.
If you are dealing with a large chunk of data then it is very tough to get the complete visibility of the business process with the help of simple reports and dashboards. It would be excellent if you can get it integrated with a flexible business tool to get the intelligent answers of your intelligent queries. Business intelligence tool provides the power of what if analysis which ultimately ends up with the better projections and valuable management decisions.
Remember: Getting an entire CRM suit may not be the good way of implementing this ambitious application but phase wise implementation will really do wonders!!
Whenever you are planning or thinking of CRM implementation at your organization, the first question you should ask form yourself – Why you need a CRM? And the answer should be an outcome of a deep analysis by including the key people from all the related departments.
While finding out the answer you need to work on following factors:
How much monetary loss your organization is incurring due to related problem areas?
How much opportunities you are losing due to your inefficient CRM process?
Analyze technical capabilities of possible end users for new CRM application?
What are the primary features you feel that is must in your CRM application to overcome the existing losses?
How quick you need the CRM implementation at your organization?
Is there any scope of gradual implementation of CRM or the complete implementation is required in one go?
Is your organization in the situation of adapting itself with the new technology very much or you need a more adaptable application?
Once you have analyzed these primary Questions; Start sharing these inputs with your expected CRM vendors and let them come up with a better solution for you.
In today’s competitive world any organization, coming from any industry, need some more effective market differentiators above than price and quality. Now the market is nowhere seller’s market and nearly every customer is in the habit of comparing the offering in any segment. CRM is one of the well known and globally accepted market differentiator, which helps in understanding these behavioral changes in customers/prospects and standardizes the complete customer interaction, in and out, at the same time.
PenguinCRM, a Hyderabad (India) based SugarCRM consulting company, has taken initiative and partnering with organizations in India, Singapore, Malaysia and other developing markets, to perform cost effective CRM implementations in an intelligent way to achieve faster ROI. PenguinCRM is a group of senior CRM consultants who has worked with different industries and has vast understanding of different business flows.
SugarCRM is a leading open source CRM product which has become buzz word as a CRM for SMEs all over the world. Being a open source application and developed on PHP, It allows the customization up to very high extent to fit with the specific needs of any industry. PenguinCRM has realized the demand in the industry and gathered SugarCRM experts from all over India. It has indulged its senior consultants in enhancement of SugarCRM and simultaneously providing its CRM consulting to global and domestic organizations.
This article was written by Chandan Kumar who is one of the directors in PenguinCRM Pvt. Ltd.
When I dipped my head in the CRM industry it was full of many CRM applications. There were plenty of proprietary as well as Open Source applications available in the global market. Form Siebel to SugarCRM you will find CRM for every need which comes with several flexible offerings. But, is it the real challenge when we are specially talking about developing market?
In new global economic restructuring, we all know that the economic power is shifting towards Asian countries, but despite of that, do we really feel that it is affecting the way of traditional business in these places too? I had several opportunities of talking to business owners in India and Singapore while implementing CRM at their organizations and in most of the cases they always pretended CRM as an added expense rather than an investment. Whereas, there are few new organizations which has really started taking it as an opportunity for their organization and happily accepted it as an USP of their business preposition.
Problem with conventional companies is that when they think about IT; they consider it as a part of infrastructure rather than a business strategy which could give them an extra edge over other competitors. Same goes with CRM; CRM is a business strategy rather than only a software application which gives your business an extra edge over your competitors in this era of fierce competition. Name nearly any product and you will get a plenty of vendors, which is really making the market a perfectly competitive market. If price war and standard promotion tactics are not getting you any edge then you really need some market differentiators to attract new and retaining you existing customers.
We welcome you at PenguinCRM research desk. PenguinCRM has identified many industries with premature technology approach. We have senior consultants with live experience in various industries who are taking charge of their respective industries to get in depth understanding of the same. All the research outcomes will be well documented and will go through primary and secondary research.
Please keep visiting us frequently to get updates regarding our latest research.
Promoting your products and services, Selling, cross selling, up selling, revenue generation, making money and calculating profits for next year’s projection, sounds cozy! Isn’t it? Is it that simple?
The ultimate goal of any business organization is to make profits by collaborating with its customers and prospects. The whole idea starts with searching prospects in the target market. Initial interaction is required to know whether the selected prospects are really interested in your service or not. If you are lucky enough you will get the piece of pie. Then you take a call and start concluding on the specific requirements of the prospect. Match the specific need with the availability at your organization and win a project for your organization.
Now it is clear that your core business lies in this profit center which is Marketing and sales. Unfortunately IT industries first started paying attention on the cost centers of the organization and implemented so many success stories as ERP implementations. Up to some extent it was quite obvious, as the industrialization started with sellers market concept where customer’s specific needs were not very important for any organization. But now scenario has entirely changed. Market has become buyer’s market and in this nearly “perfect competition” organizations can’t avoid customer’s preference and comfort, if they want to survive. CRM believes in the potential of customer’s happiness and takes care of your “golden goose”.
