CRM
/siː.ɑːrˈem/noun
Customer Relationship Management: managing customer relationships, often using software to record contact details, conversations and sales follow-up.
The account manager checks the CRM to see what was agreed during the previous customer meeting.
A CRM system gives employees a shared view of a customer relationship. Alongside names and contact details, it may hold meeting notes, outstanding quotes and planned follow-up actions. A colleague can find that context without searching several inboxes.
Starting with the relationship
Sales teams use CRM to follow up on opportunities and commitments. A service team can use it to find customer questions and earlier conversations. The system is only useful when records are current and someone is responsible for the next action.
Access should match an employee's role. Someone who needs a phone number does not necessarily need to read every meeting note.
CRM and ERP
CRM focuses on customer contact and the relationship before, during and after a purchase. Glossary · In briefERPEnterprise Resource Planning: software that supports business processes such as purchasing, inventory management and finance through shared data.Read more supports broader business processes, such as purchasing, inventory and invoicing. Their functions can overlap. An Glossary · In briefAPIAn API is a defined way for software to exchange data or call functions in other software without needing to know how that software works internally.Read more integration can, for example, turn a successful sales opportunity into an order without someone entering the customer details again.