Let’s Talk about CRMs and HRMs

What is a CRM or HRM?

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are used to manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle, with the goal of improving business relationships with customers, assisting in customer retention and driving sales growth. Human Resource Management (HRM) systems, on the other hand, are used to manage and optimize the way a business handles its employees. This includes tasks such as payroll, benefits administration, performance evaluation, and training and development.

The main difference between a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and a Human Resource Management (HRM) system is the focus of the data and processes that they manage.

A CRM system is primarily used to manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle, with the goal of improving business relationships with customers, assisting in customer retention and driving sales growth.

An HRM system, on the other hand, is used to manage and optimize the way a business handles its employees. This includes tasks such as payroll, benefits administration, performance evaluation, and training and development.

What makes a good CRM or HRM?

For a CRM or HRM system to be effective, it is important for employees to use it regularly. However, it can be challenging to get employees to adopt a new system, especially if they are used to working with a different system or if the new system is difficult to use.  To justify the switch, here are the key markers to look for when you’re trying to choose or build a new data system for your organization:

1. Data accuracy: The effectiveness of a CRM or HRM system depends on the accuracy of the data that it contains. It is important to ensure that the data entered into the system is correct and up-to-date.
2. Security: CRM and HRM systems often contain sensitive information, so it is important to ensure that the system is secure and that access to data is restricted to authorized users.
3. Customization: One size does not fit all when it comes to CRM and HRM systems, so it is important to select a system that can be customized to meet the specific needs of the business.
4. Maintenance and updates: CRM and HRM systems require ongoing maintenance and updates to ensure that they continue to function properly and meet the changing needs of the business.
5. User Experience: The design should be relatively intuitive, as to make it easy for your employees to use; as well as reducing onboarding time and cost.  

 

What if my business doesn’t have tons of servers and an IT team to manage all my data?

We realize not every business is a multi-billion-dollar publicly listed company that can afford a warehouse full of servers and a staff of people to upgrade and maintain your systems and data constantly.  Using a cloud-based backend for data storage and management can offer several benefits for CRM and HRM systems. Some of the advantages of using the cloud include:

1. Scalability: A cloud-based backend can easily scale up or down to meet the changing needs of the business.
2. Cost effectiveness: Using a cloud-based backend can save the business money on hardware and IT infrastructure costs.
3. Remote access: With a cloud-based backend, employees can access the CRM or HRM system from anywhere with an internet connection, which can be useful for remote or distributed teams.
4. Data backup and recovery: Cloud-based backends typically have robust data backup and recovery systems in place, which can help protect against data loss in the event of a disaster.
5. Security: Cloud-based providers often have strong security measures in place to protect data and prevent unauthorized access.

Overall, using a cloud-based backend can help make CRM and HRM systems more efficient and effective. However, it is important to carefully evaluate the options and choose a reputable provider that meets the specific needs of the business.

My business operates in a very specific way, and requires certain features off-the-shelf solutions don’t have.  Are custom options available?

Getting a custom CRM or HRM system is absolutely a viable option in many cases!  There are several reasons why a business might choose to develop a custom CRM or HRM system rather than using a prebuilt system:

• Specific business needs: A custom system can be tailored to meet the specific needs and requirements of the business, whereas a prebuilt system may not have all the features and functionality that the business needs.
• Integration with other systems: A custom system can be easily integrated with other systems that the business is using, such as accounting software or a customer database.
• Long-term cost savings: While the initial cost of developing a custom system may be higher, it can often result in long-term cost savings as the business will not have to pay for ongoing subscription fees or upgrades.
• Competitive advantage: A custom system can give the business a competitive advantage by providing unique features and functionality that are not available in prebuilt systems.

Once you’ve teamed up with a quality app developer, they’ll start to prepare you for the process ahead. They’ll discuss the next steps with you to ensure everyone’s on the same page and ready to go. This is where your developer becomes an integral part of your team. 

Overall, the decision to pursue a custom CRM or HRM system will depend on the specific needs and goals of the business. It may be worth considering a custom system if the business has specific requirements that cannot be met by a prebuilt system, or if the long-term cost savings of a custom system outweigh the upfront development costs.

If you’re looking to take advantage of these, we have plenty of experience with creating CRM and HRM systems, as well as helping choose the right cloud-based system, hybrid solution, and/or designing the custom system for your specific needs with our UI/UX design team.  Contact us today and let us know how we can help your organization take a big step forward with a new CRM, HRM, or any other app or software solution!