Looking beyond the dozens of features that various CRM Systems have to offer, there are specific features which your CRM system must adequately provide to ensure your business is able to attract and retain customers successfully.  Here are 5 CRM Features your company needs and should look out for:

Remote Access

Your CRM System should give your employees access to customer information remotely from any location and device. Remote access is critical to obtain real-time information as well as provide your employees a way to update your CRM system with vital information on clients and partners.

Security

If you are a company where there is an overlap between departments in terms of roles and responsibilities, it would be easy for the wrong person to gain access to confidential information from your CRM system. It's important to put in measures which monitor what information is accessed through your CRM system. Additionally, encrypted access and a secure server is important if you're remotely accessing your company's real-time information from your CRM system.

Perhaps your company is struggling with existing complex and costly business software and hardware in order to carry out your day-to-day business activities. Your company has hired a team of expensive specialists/experts to manage and maintain these systems. It has come to the point that your company can no longer keep up-to-date with the latest technology due to limited resources. What should your company seek in a new enterprise solution? With the beginning of a new year, it's important to consider the advantages of making a transition to the cloud.

Cloud computing is a network of your company's business areas located externally on the internet.  The biggest advantage of cloud computing is that you no longer have to purchase expensive business software or hardware - not to mention the costly IT staff required to maintain your systems. All of your company's activities and information are located in an external online server which is supported and managed by an experienced vendor. As all your business functions are online, all necessary updates, upgrades, and backups are done automatically. Additionally, your company benefits from access to real-time information from each department such as HR, Marketing, Sales, and Accounting, among other business areas. Finally, your company benefits from being able to scale your cloud network up or down depending on your business needs and/or as your company grows. With these factors in mind, consider these 5 reasons to choose cloud computing as your next business venture:

• Up and running within days/weeks as there is no purchase of hardware or software. All you need is an internet connection.
• Reduce dependence on IT personnel.
• Remotely access your information from any location on any device.
• Real-time access to your company's information across all business areas.
• Scalability allows for your company to make changes as your company grows.

Make the Transition to Cloud Computing Today!

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Nilofhar Zarif - Kadir, Web Marketing Assistant, WebSan Solutions Inc., a 2014 Ontario Business Achievement Award Winner for Service Excellence

With the New Year fast approaching, your company has decided to adopt/upgrade to an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Congratulations! Making the decision to adopt/upgrade to an ERP system already puts you ahead of your competition.

An ERP system is a powerful tool that helps you efficiently analyze, interpret, and execute the core activities of each department of your business on a day-to-day basis. Companies who seek to adopt/upgrade to an ERP system do so in order to integrate the different programs they're using for different departments into one suite. An ERP system helps reduce costs because any previous delays or duplication of work is avoided. For example, a company may calculate their sales revenue using one type of software meanwhile using separate software to produce a financial report. An ERP system integrates the two actions whereby once the sales revenue is calculated, the ERP system uses the same information to produce a financial report. A benefit of having these separate processes integrated is that the same information flows from each department which results in less errors made, in addition to better business decisions made. Resources such as time and staff are reduced (not to mention the complexity) which boosts the company's bottom-line.

Other benefits and features of an ERP System include:
• Access to all the company's information across all departments in real-time
• Stronger customer relations through better access of customer information as part of your company's practices in customer relationship management (CRM)
• Improved controls at each stage of the supply chain
• Enhanced security with access to a single set of user settings to better protect your company's information
• Less training and implementation necessary because all staff are trained to use the same system

Consider the following when adopting/upgrading to an ERP system:

Costs & Benefits
• What is your budget?
• What is your firm looking to achieve?

Is your company considering upgrading to CRM 2015 as part of its New Year's resolution? Worried that time and training would not be worth the transition from your existing CRM? Well, your company will be happy to know that with the upcoming release of CRM 2015, many users will find key UPDATES made to CRM 2013 rather than face an entirely new system! Consider the benefits!

CRM 2015 delivers powerful updates to its sales tools! As the following features demonstrate, your company will benefit from the system’s capabilities of producing faster and higher profits!

Sales Hierarchies