The ‘C’ in CRM – it means so much more than just ‘Customer’
Dear Joe, Recently, a friend asked me to review a draft of his resume. Since I’m pretty familiar with his work history, I was a little surprised to see that he had included CRM experience. Initially, I assumed it was an example of the “resume padding” I’ve always heard so much about – but I know this guy well, and he doesn’t strike me as the kind to try to bluff his way into a new job. I was troubled: do I not know him as well as I thought, or am I the last person in America with a completely honest resume?
Well, he had asked for my feedback, so I politely inquired whether he had CRM experience I didn’t remember. He explained that he was responsible for administering a grants management software system at his last job. I happen to be familiar with this grants management tool, and at first blush, it seemed like a real stretch to label it as a ‘CRM.’ I didn’t argue with him, but I found myself disappointed. Is this actually CRM experience?
Sincerely, A Conflicted Friend
Dear Conflicted Friend,
“Grants” may not be what we first think of when we contemplate customer relationships, but at PowerObjects we know that Dynamics 365 is really an XRM solution, where the X is whatever you need it be: customers, grants, healthcare… whatever! When we think in terms of XRM, we can start to see the limitless possibilities of what can truly be achieved with the Dynamics platform.
At PowerObjects’ frequent BYOI (Bring Your Own Innovation) brownbag luncheons, PowerObjects employees get to share innovative solutions we have deployed for customers. At these showcases, I have seen some truly innovative customization of the Dynamics 365 platform. Indeed, we’ve deployed everything from a patient intake and routing system for a medical organization (that looked nothing like the familiar Dynamics UI) to a check-out “kiosk” system designed for a biotech company that allows scientists to check out lab samples with an automated replenishment order when stock is reduced to a certain threshold. Dynamics 365 is so much more than just a customer relationship management tool!
One of the first phases of our Proven Process Methodology is “Plan for Success.” During this phase, we try to forget about the notion of ‘CRM’ and instead bring a laser focus to the business, processes, and problem at hand. Only after we have a firm understanding of this baseline do we look at Dynamics 365 as a potential solution. See, Dynamics 365 is such a powerful tool with such unlimited potential that, with our hundreds of years of combined expertise at PowerObjects, we can literally bend it, mold it, and shape it any which way to deliver a truly unique and customized solution that not only addresses our clients’ current pain points, but is also a flexible system that will easily evolve and expand to meet future changing business needs.
Sincerely, Joe CRM