The CRM Analytics Technology question? Yes, you read that correctly. You see customer relationship management is a huge topic with lots of potential applications. Customer Relationship Management software or CRM can be used to analyze any and all data. One of the big questions marketers often ask themselves is how CRM can be used in a proactive fashion rather than a reactive fashion.

 In other words can we use traditional CRM tools to analyze the data collected by the new CRM?

The short answer?

Yes, we can. Traditional software applications for CRM like A/R CRM and Microsoft Business Solutions Manager can be used as a support tool for the new in-house or processing technologies. Some of the capabilities of the old software like Great Plains Dynamics CRM are easily translated over to the new technologies like NetERP and Axapta because they are pretty much the same thing.

Can we apply this CRM technology analysis to predicting future sales?

Well, the short answer is yes and here’s why. The success of any business depends on repeat sales. If a business can reliably predict how much more sales it will make over a given period then it can successfully forecast the demand that will occur in any given quarter. This is one of the major benefits to using or analyzing technology like A/R CRM and Microsoft Business Solutions Manager to forecast future sales.

Are there any other benefits to using these CRM technologies in conjunction with traditional contact management software like MS CRM? The answer to that question is yes and here’s why. Traditional contact management systems like Microsoft Dynamics CRM only track contact information like names and dates. It doesn’t track email addresses or any other types of contact information. However, A/R CRM tools can capture IP addresses, passwords, and even mobile device connections which would allow companies to use CRM analysis to provide insight into what types of leads are being generated and how successful those leads are becoming.

So, let’s return to our original question of what CRM analyzing technologies indicate to a business owner in terms of the growth potential. The answer to that question is twofold. First of all, A/R CRM processing technologies can indicate the type of leads a business may be generating and second, CRM analyzing can provide insight into the type of customers that those leads are attracted to. So, for example, what do high quality leads indicate in terms of the potential for exponential growth? What do low quality leads suggest and what do empty lists mean? Answering these questions is critical for a company that needs to understand its CRM data in order to make the most of it going forward.

In summary, the first answer to the above question is no because we don’t have reliable data on the health of customers. The second answer to the question above is yes, because this CRM technology allows a company to determine what customers are at risk of leaving and what they could be generating in the future. This is critical for a company looking to utilize this CRM analyzing technology and for a company looking to use CRM analysis to predict their future profitability. This is just another way that A/R CRM forecasting technology can help a business succeed.