Digital transformation is a popular buzz phrase. But, what does it mean and how does it fit into your business?
There are many definitions floating around the Internet. This one from the analyst firm the Altimeter Group is good: “the realignment of, or new investment in, technology and business models to more effectively engage digital customers at every touchpoint in the customer experience lifecycle.” But I would extend it by saying it’s about engaging ALL customers — through both digital and human touchpoints.
Many organizations today are undertaking broad initiatives to transform how they engage with their customers. Whether this is classified as a digital transformation, a customer engagement transformation, a business transformation, or something else, a common theme is holistically incorporating capabilities such as social, mobile, data analytics, marketing automation and CRM into a complete solution for customer engagement along the entire customer journey.
The role of CRM in digital transformation
Digital transformation spans more than just CRM, but CRM should be a key component of digital transformation for the following reasons:
The CRM is a central hub for information about customers – a critical data source for human and digital touchpoints during customer engagement.
Almost all organizations still need human touchpoints such as sales reps, customer success managers, customer service agents, etc. Even as organizations increasingly adopt intelligent digital capabilities like marketing automation and social media monitoring and outreach, at the point in the customer journey where that customer interacts with a human, it’s important that the human can navigate the CRM system to better connect with the customer. In this scenario it’s also critically important that the CRM system can tie into and both inform, and be informed by, the other digital systems and channels.
CRM requirements in the digital transformation era
To make your CRM a centerpiece of your digital transformation, it must easily integrate into other customer engagement tools so that the CRM user is presented with all the relevant information he or she needs to know about a customer, even if that information resides outside of the CRM (and much of it will). For example, can a call center rep see previous digital marketing interactions, social media comments, and even in-store / in branch activity, quickly and easily inside the CRM? From the CRM, can they then initiate other processes like a return process, check on the status of an order in the order management system, even add the contact to an existing marketing automation program? Can a sales rep be fully informed about all the prospect’s previous digital interactions? Are analytics quickly and easily measured in the CRM to provide “next best actions” or upsell recommendations, easily and quickly to the sales or contact center rep?
Why is Sugar the best CRM for Digital Transformation?
Here’s how Sugar is uniquely positioned to meet these needs:
Innovation Empowering the Individual
A Customizable CRM platform
Greatest business value
For all your SugarCRM needs contact InnoventCRM today on 1300 781 681 or info@innoventcrm.com.au
Read the full article here – https://blog.sugarcrm.com/2016/03/08/sugarcrm-is-the-platform-to-support-your-digital-transformation/