Whenever the discussions about maintaining a company database come up, most people imagine storing and sorting information using a network of computers that are connected to a giant local server. This method, however, became increasingly expensive and more challenging to maintain as time went by. And with the pace that today’s businesses are growing, customer needs and expectations are changing faster than you can hit the save button. Fortunately, there’s a better and more effective way to manage your business’ data and customer information. The solution? A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.

But you might ask, “What can it do for my business specifically?” Read on to learn about the 3 ways in which you and your business can benefit from it.

1. 24/7 Data Access Leads to More Productive Hours

No matter where you are or what time of day it is, you can access business information in your CRM with just the touch of a button. This gives you freedom from having to work at a desk and lugging around several devices when you’re on the go. As long as you’re online, you can log in to the server and access your data anytime, and leave no work unfinished. You also have the option to use different mobile devices when you’re on the go. So you can access any type of information you need just as easily as you would with standard hardware and devices, such as desktops or laptops. Using a CRM increases your work efficiency and allows you to focus your energy on things that truly matter—things that will help your business grow. It gives you the ability to work anytime, anywhere, and to multi-task in a truly productive way.

2. Better Data Management Leads to Business Growth

Back in the day, when everyone wrote everything down manually, at the end of the year, there would be piles of paper on the desks and different corners of the room. This made document retrieval quite an exercise, and time consuming, to boot. CRM technology changed all that and allowed business to manage all their customer data in one central location. Everything can be found within a digital storage space in the cloud; data management and retrieval have never been this easy and systematic. The fact is, when everything you need is in one place, it’s easier to, locate, retrieve, share, or update whenever the need arises. The option to archive data in the cloud, just like filing documents in a drawer in the old days, also makes data storage more convenient and more cost-efficient. You can manage customer data and generate business reports easier and more quickly when all of it lives in a CRM system. With a well-configured CRM, you’ll be notified when a contract is up for renewal, and when time-sensitive business offers (i.e. upgrades) and other marketing promotions should be rolled out to improve customer relations with your existing client base and to attract new prospects.

3. Better Information Protection Means Better Business Management

Setting different access levels for the different teams and members of the team is one of the best ways to manage and protect your business information. In a CRM environment, you can conveniently set different levels of permissions, allowing teams to have all the information and tools they need in order to carry out their tasks, without overloading them with irrelevant information. This feature also prevents any changes from being made to the core database, unless they’re being implemented by an authorised team member or administrator. Every activity is also logged on the server, which makes it easier to keep track of everything. This gives you peace of mind, knowing that you’re staying on top of your business and can conveniently keep track of important business matters throughout the day, everyday.

So whether you’ve been in business for a long time or are just starting out, investing in a CRM system will prove to be highly beneficial to you and your business, particularly when it comes to growing your business and maintaining customer relationships — two vital components of every successful business.

 

 

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