Your CRM System Isn’t Your Pet…If It’s Not Doing the Job, Let it Go
Are you finding it difficult to capitalize on new opportunities and deliver an unforgettable customer experience? Are your efforts to grow or expand being frustrated by old technology or outdated processes? Your legacy CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solution may be holding you back. Perhaps you’ve been working with your legacy CRM solution for quite a while. It’s become a part of the family, your team has become familiar with its quirks and limitations, and up until now, you’ve been comfortable with it. It has paid for itself and been a definite business asset.
But of late, you’ve begun to realize that there are some things that your CRM system can’t do, and you may be faced with complex and costly workarounds just to keep it up to date.
When your legacy system starts to show its age, your IT team might be reluctant to let it go because they’ve put so much time and effort into it. In fact, they might have developed an attachment with it–like a favorite pet. They’ll spend hours or even days diagnosing and resolving problems, hoping it will limp along to make it last as long as they can–even past its normal life expectancy.
There is nothing wrong with having a “pet” legacy system, but it will come at a cost in both time and resources. The question becomes not if, but when you will replace it.
The new IT approach: systems aren’t pets
Forward-thinking IT organizations look at their systems not as pets, but as cattle. In other words, they understand that technology is an asset that, when it stops performing, needs to be retired. They appreciate the principle of using their systems to the full, but they are OK with replacing them when something comes along that is clearly a better tool for the job. When your system starts acting up, perhaps because of poor application development or a bad patch of the operating system or just lagging behind in updates, don’t waste time and resources trying to figure out how to patch it up and keep stumbling along. Take the opportunity to find a better way.
You may wonder if this is a waste of an expensive investment, but your investment becomes more of a financial burden if it doesn’t continue to fulfill its function and meet your changing needs.
Moving from the status quo to a new approach is where the Cloud comes in. In today’s cloud-first world, you can access the infrastructure you need and use it as long as it is doing its job. Cloud-based infrastructure is purchased from a and run on a subscription basis. This new IT model makes it cheaper and faster to eliminate the old infrastructure and deploy a new one from scratch. Trying to nurse your legacy systems back to health is a waste of time and money when a cloud-based solution can be up and running quickly with little disruption to your daily business processes. If your IT team has been working overtime to keep your legacy system running, you’ll be surprised and pleased by the amount of time and money you can save by moving to the Cloud. Your cloud provider ’s reputation is built on having experts available 24/7 to care for any issues that arise. It is their responsibility to ensure the reliability of the systems so that you can concentrate on your business. With a reliable Cloud provider, your CRM solution is in the best hands.
When you choose as your Cloud platform, you’ll have Microsoft on your side. The burden of making sure that the physical infrastructure is healthy will be removed from your shoulders and placed in the hands of the experts. All the concerns about the hardware and its maintenance are theirs, not yours. Security, compliance, and protection are now their responsibility. The time and energy you used to spend can now be put to better use growing your business. And with a partner like , even the basics of sizing and monitoring your environment can be eliminated from your concerns; AKA’s will run any Cloud solution on your behalf! Now IT can focus on innovation for your business and forget about running, maintaining, and upgrading your legacy CRM solution. You’ll get all of the benefits and none of the hassle.
Moving to the Cloud
When you move your CRM to the Cloud, your infrastructure problems can be a thing of the past. To ensure the transition is a successful one, rely on a partner who is knowledgeable not only about the Cloud but also about your industry. Each industry has unique issues, and understanding these issues requires hands-on experience. Our industry experts possess deep knowledge and experience gained from working in and with various industries and from years of close collaboration with our clients.
If you are ready to save time and money and free yourself from the frustration of an unhealthy relationship with your legacy CRM, We can show you how to step up to the Cloud and get back to the business of your business.
By AKA Enterprise Solutions,