What is a CRM system?
Definition, functions and how AI is changing the future
A CRM system is at the heart of many successful companies. It centralizes customer information, optimizes sales processes and improves customer satisfaction. But what makes a CRM system so indispensable? How can it make your company more efficient, more customer-oriented and more successful?
At Singhammer, we rely on innovative solutions such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales to take your business to the pinnacle of success: Less manual work for your sales staff, smooth processes and well-founded decisions thanks to intelligent data analysis - this is how you can reach new heights with a modern CRM system.
Are you ready to take the plunge? Let's find the best way to the top together! Contact us for a no-obligation consultation and start your CRM expedition.
What is “customer relationship management”?
When does a company need a CRM solution?
What advantages does a CRM cloud solution offer?
Which CRM system functions are particularly important for retail, e-commerce and services?
Which criteria are decisive when selecting a CRM solution?
How will AI and automation influence the future of CRM?
Now with Singhammer safely step by step to the CRM summit
What is “customer relationship management”?
What does CRM stand for? Quite simply: efficient customer management that drives your business forward. The origins of customer relationship management (CRM for short) systems can be traced back to the 1980s, when the first databases for managing customer contacts were developed. In the 1990s, more comprehensive CRM solutions were developed that integrated Sales, Marketing and Customer Service. Nowadays, thanks to the use of cloud technologies, CRM systems are more flexible, scalable and efficient than ever before - a real game changer for companies.
A CRM system controls and networks all customer interactions, creates a central database, increases transparency and improves collaboration between different departments. In short, CRM stands for efficient customer management that drives your company forward.
Why is a CRM system so important?
Regardless of whether your company is active in retail, services or production - CRM systems are used in almost all sectors. They are particularly valuable for coordinating complex customer relationships, for example in the following areas:
- Sales management: lead generation, opportunity management, sales forecasts
- Marketing: campaign management, target group analysis, marketing automation
- Customer service: ticketing, complaint management, self-service portals
In contrast to specialized systems such as
- ERP(Enterprise Resource Planning) - focus on resource planning (What does the abbreviation ERP mean in German? Enterprise Resource Planning!)
- ITSM(IT Service Management) - Optimization of IT services
a CRM system offers a holistic solution that connects all customer interactions. Thanks to modern CRM solutions such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales, you can make customer relationships more efficient and make your company more competitive in the long term.
When does a company need a CRM solution?
If customer inquiries are lost, important sales opportunities are not tracked and teams work with confusing tables or in different systems, unnecessary sources of error, avoidable sales losses and inefficient processes arise.
A CRM solution helps you to master precisely these challenges: it bundles all customer data centrally, automates processes and improves collaboration. As a result, sales cycles can be shortened, marketing campaigns can be more targeted and customer service can be made more efficient.
These departments benefit in particular:
Sales
Leads and sales opportunities are recorded and organized centrally. This allows you to maintain an overview at all times and close deals faster.
Management
Detailed analyses and reports provide valuable insights into business processes. This enables well-founded decisions to be made and strategic measures to be planned in a targeted manner.
Marketing
Campaigns are optimized based on data and targeted to the needs of customers. This enables a personalized customer approach and a higher conversion rate.
Support & IT
Existing systems can be seamlessly integrated so that all relevant data is bundled in one place. At the same time, processes are automated, which reduces the administrative workload.
Customer service
Inquiries are processed efficiently as all relevant customer data can be accessed at any time. This shortens response times and increases customer satisfaction.
What advantages does a CRM cloud solution offer?
A modern CRM system therefore supports various departments - but what are the specific benefits for your company? How can you make your processes more efficient, reduce costs and improve team collaboration at the same time? Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales offers you a flexible, scalable solution that simplifies your processes and provides you with modern tools for Sales, Marketing and Customer Service.
You benefit from a powerful, future-proof platform:
Flexibility & scalability: adaptation to company growth
A CRM cloud solution such as Dynamics 365 Sales adapts dynamically to your company without you having to invest in expensive hardware.
- Scalable use: Flexibly expand your system with new functions such as sales territories or marketing campaigns.
- Low-code customizations: Customize forms and workflows with minimal effort - without complex programming.
Cost efficiency: reduced IT maintenance costs
With Dynamics 365 Sales as a SaaS solution, there is no need for high initial investments in servers and IT infrastructure - you only pay for what you use via transparent monthly invoices.
- No hardware costs: Avoid spending on your own servers and their maintenance, as everything runs in the cloud.
- Efficient use of resources: Reduce internal IT costs and invest your budget in strategic projects instead of technology maintenance.
Automatic updates & security: always up to date
With Dynamics 365 Sales, your CRM is always up to date because automatic updates regularly bring new functions and security standards - without any manual effort.
- Latest features: Use AI-supported insights or new tools such as Microsoft Copilot. Updates are provided automatically, as in other Dynamics 365 applications.
- Robust security: Rely on Microsoft's world-class security measures to protect your customer data.
Mobility & collaboration: productive everywhere
With the mobile support of Dynamics 365 Sales, you can access customer data at any time, update sales opportunities or collaborate with your team in real time.
- Mobile access: Edit data records or track leads directly from your smartphone - ideal for field service.
- Team collaboration: Share information and tasks via Microsoft Teams to ensure seamless customer support.
Integration & database: networking at the highest level
Dynamics 365 Sales offers numerous integration options, for example with Business Central, Power BI or LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and thus creates a 360-degree view of your customers.
- ERP synchronization: Keep customer data and orders up to date with Business Central - seamlessly thanks to the DYCE API Connector.
- Data analysis: Use Power BI for interactive dashboards that visualize sales forecasts and team performance.
DYCE API Connector for Dataverse
Seamlessly connects Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales (CRM) and Business Central (ERP).
✔ Synchronizes data automatically
✔ Optimizes sales processes
✔ Provides a central customer view
Ideal for companies with DYCE apps that want to efficiently integrate CRM and ERP.
Which CRM system functions are particularly important for retail, e-commerce and services?
A CRM system is only as good as its functions - and at Singhammer we rely on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales, a flexible CRM cloud solution that offers tailored answers for retail, e-commerce and services to strengthen customer relationships, increase sales and optimize processes.
These core functions make Dynamics 365 Sales the ideal solution for your industry:
| BEREICH | FUNKTIONEN |
|---|---|
| Sales | - Automated lead management with AI to prioritize prospects - Precise sales forecasts via real-time data and dashboards for fast deals - Perfect for retailers |
| Marketing | - Campaign management with targeted lists from customer data - Marketing automation for personalized real-time offers - ideal for e-commerce conversion |
| Customer service | - Centralized request management with ticket systems and activity tracking - contextual insights for quick solutions - essential for service provider satisfaction |
| Customer analysis | - Real-time data analysis with AI on trends, purchasing behavior and upsell opportunities - interactive dashboards for well-founded decisions - strong sales in all sectors |
| Integration | - Seamless connection to Business Central, Power BI, Teams and LinkedIn Sales Navigator - 360-degree view of customers for networked processes in retail and e-commerce |
| Contact and account management | - Comprehensive overview of customers and interactions - Personalized approaches for services and e-commerce relationships |
| Sales Pipeline Management | - Intuitive sales pipeline visualization with customizable processes - Lead prioritization for structured growth in retail and e-commerce |
| Mobility | - Mobile access to data and opportunities for updates on the move - Flexibility for retail sales force and service providers |
| Automation | - Automated workflows for lead assignment and email communication - Time savings for e-commerce scaling and service responses |
Which criteria are decisive when selecting a CRM solution?
Choosing the right CRM system is a strategic decision that will influence the success of your company in the long term. There are numerous CRM systems - from simple tools to comprehensive platforms - but what really matters? We show you the most important criteria that you should consider when making your choice in order to optimally support your business processes:
Industry expertise and integration capability
Your CRM system must understand your industry and adapt flexibly to specific requirements - from fast sales in retail to personalized customer management in e-commerce.
- Industry-specific customization: Supports your processes, e.g. sales forecasts in retail or campaigns in e-commerce?
- Scalability: Can the system be adapted to growing volumes and new requirements?
- Integration strength: Does the system connect smoothly with existing systems for a uniform database?
User-friendliness and support
An intuitive user interface ensures that your teams quickly adopt the CRM system without long training periods - a decisive factor for efficiency.
- Simple operation: Can employees work productively without extensive training?
- Fast support: Is there reliable help, e.g. through training or direct contacts?
Range of functions and flexibility
A good CRM must provide the right functions - from lead management to customer analysis - and at the same time be customizable to map your individual processes.
- Relevant features: Does it cover Sales, Marketing and Service for your industry?
- Adaptability: Can the system be personalized with minimal effort?
Costs and scaling
The cost structure should be transparent and predictable - SaaS solutions such as Dynamics 365 Sales offer advantages here with monthly billing without high initial investments.
- Cost efficiency: Are the acquisition and operating costs in proportion to the benefits?
- Long-term planning: Will the costs remain manageable even with expansion?
Mobility and cloud availability
In a mobile world, access to CRM data from anywhere is crucial - whether for sales representatives in retail or flexible teams at service providers.
- Mobile access: Can teams access data and functions on the move?
- Cloud benefits: Are updates and data security guaranteed without any effort on your part?
Best-of-breed approach for CRM
On-premise all-in-one solutions used to be the standard, but today companies are increasingly relying on modular cloud concepts. This allows them to combine precisely those components that offer the greatest added value. At Singhammer, we follow this approach and integrate CRM, ERP and ITSM into a standardized platform. This allows you to benefit from the best of different worlds without having to forego a consistent database.
How will AI and automation influence the future of CRM?
The future of customer relationship management systems (CRM) will be significantly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. Tools such as Microsoft Copilot are already changing the way you interact with customers and manage business processes. In the coming years, AI will make CRM systems even more productive, intuitive and data-driven - a major advantage for your company.
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AI-supported analyses
Microsoft Copilot provides you with precise suggestions and insights, for example by creating personalized emails based on customer data or summarizing sales opportunities in Dynamics 365 Sales. According to Microsoft, such features increase personalization by leveraging 360-degree customer profiles so you can respond faster to market opportunities.
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Automation
Routine tasks such as composing email drafts, updating data records or summarizing meetings in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales are automated by Copilot. This saves time and increases efficiency - for example, thanks to Copilot you can qualify leads and maintain customer data more quickly.
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Self-learning systems
Copilot uses AI to support the way you work by deriving suggestions from your data - for example, by prioritizing sales activities or analyzing customer data in real time. The Microsoft blog highlights that such systems with user-friendly dashboards and data visualizations will offer even deeper insights in the future to independently optimize your processes.
Now with Singhammer safely step by step to the CRM summit
A powerful CRM is the key to sustainable customer relationships. With Singhammer and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales, you can reach the next level of customer management. We accompany you every step of the way, help you overcome obstacles and take you safely to the top of your CRM strategy. Take the perfect opportunity now to take your next step towards success - with Singhammer!
DYCE API Connector for Dataverse
Seamlessly connects Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales (CRM) and Business Central (ERP).
✔ Synchronizes data automatically
✔ Optimizes sales processes
✔ Provides a central customer view
Ideal for companies with DYCE apps that want to efficiently integrate CRM and ERP.
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