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How can these new technologies help them improve their sales, customer relations and project management, and how can these digital solutions facilitate the processing of the data they deal with every day?
In recent years, like many other industries, the construction and civil engineering sectors have seen the beginnings of a major revolution in the way they work: digital transformation. Forced, with varying degrees of satisfaction, to initiate their own digital shift, many company directors, like you, are wondering about two acronyms that constantly come up in discussions: "CRM (Customer Relationship Management)"andERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)". And yet, for many industry professionals, these terms remain confusing and give rise to many questions as to how these new tools work, how useful they are, how powerful they really are, and even how relevant they are to their companies.
To help you fully grasp the power of CRM and ERP software , it's essential to clarify these concepts and explain how they can concretely improve your day-to-day work, from your customer relationship management to your internal site management processes.
In this article, we take a closer look at the differences between CRM and ERP software, and highlight the reasons why their use could prove crucial as the sector continues to grow and suffer from a labor shortage unprecedented!
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a tool designed to help you manage customer relationships, from prospecting to customer loyalty.
It centralizes all existing interactions between your company and your customers in a single database, making it easy to monitor andimprove customer service. It's all about customers, sales, making contact and maintaining relationships with your customers, prospects and all your external contacts. In many cases, it also enables you to process e-mails received or sent to customers and prospects, in addition to telephone calls and all other digital interactions with your contacts throughout your sales pipeline.
A CRM helps manage customer data and the associated database, as well as sales processes and marketing actions, so it's primarily aimed at your sales, customer service and marketing teams.
To put you in the right frame of mind, here are a few well-known CRM software packages:
A CRM can be a Cloud CRM, meaning you can access it easily online via any Internet access, so there's no need to install it on your computer or mobile device, or it can take the form of an "on-premise" CRM system, meaning software to be downloaded and installed on your whole team's devices. Either way, it doesn't change the functionality of the system, and it all depends on how you want to use it.
ERP, or Enterprise Resource Planning, is a system that enables a company to manage all its processes in an integrated way. It encompasses various functions, including project management, finance payrolle-commerce where relevant, resource management resource management or even field management. It is therefore useful for all of your company's departments and its productivity.
Its main objective is toimprove productivity by promotingoperational efficiency, eliminating data silos (such as double data entry, for example), digitizing manual tasks and providing real-time information to support informed decision-making.
Like CRM software, ERP can be cloud-based, meaning it's accessible online and doesn't require installation on your computer or mobile device. It can also be an "on-premises" system, requiring installation on all your team's devices. Civalgo is an ERP, but we can list other ERP software to help you understand, to name just a few of the biggest in the sector:
Unlike CRM, which focuses on customer relations, an ERP primarily targets your operational, financial and human resources management teams, as it helps orchestrate the tasks and processes of these areas within your company. It can, for example, automate management processes, facilitate resource management and data collection, manage employee payroll or provide detailed financial forecasts.
With this type of software, planning and managing your operations becomes simpler, at every level. It's an excellent solution for companies wishing to improve profitability and productivity, while facilitating the day-to-day work of their teams in the field and in the office.
The aim of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software is to facilitate your sales pipeline, by providing detailed tracking of every stage in the sales lifecycle, from the prospecting phase to after-sales service, customer service, customer relations and the sale itself. It provides an overview of your customer base and the sales and marketing interactions you have with them.
Overall, it enables your sales and marketing teams to be more efficient, thanks to a complete view of the database and all interactions with customers, prospects and contacts. It's an excellent customer relationship management solution, and a powerful lever for improving your customer, sales and marketing departments.
CRM software brings all customer information and data together in one place, making it easier to track customer interactions and, inevitably, improving overall customer service and customer relations.
You'll be able to retrieve sales and customer information more easily, limiting errors and enabling smoother interactions between you, your sales team and your customers. CRM software is a good solution for any company wishing to boost customer satisfaction !
By using CRM software, a company can considerably improve the management of its customer database. By accurately segmenting customers, your marketing efforts will be better targeted and therefore more effective.
CRM software can help you put an end to a number of manual customer management tasks , enabling your sales and administration teams to concentrate on higher value-added tasks. This is particularly interesting in the construction and civil engineering sectors, which are severely affected by labor shortages.
ERP software, on the other hand, aims toharmonize and facilitate all aspects of a company's operations, from project management to field management, employee punching, payroll management and financial planning. It is used to coordinate departments and all company activities, helping to optimize processes, improve efficiency and boost productivity.
For a long time, ERP software had the reputation of being particularly useful for large companies, which have to deal with numerous departments and multiple employees. But ERP software is just as useful for small and medium-sized businesses! All the more so as it limits the number of tasks performed by humans, and therefore offers real added value in the face of hiring difficulties.
Using ERP software will give you the right tools to help you plan and manage your construction projects. Managing resources, estimating costs and creating schedules based on real-time data will greatly improve your planning and estimating capabilities.
With ERP software, you can monitor the use of your resources, both human and material, in real time. This feature prevents stock-outs, double-assignments of site machinery and other planning errors that are very common when a company operates with manual processes, and extremely costly.
ERP software offers a range of tools to facilitate communication between field and office staff, as well as with customers and suppliers.
In addition to fostering better collaboration between your teams, these tools also enable you to digitize worksite documents, timesheets and other paperwork, so that they can be accessed at any time by the teams who need them.
One of the main advantages of ERP is its ability to estimate and plan, and therefore to limit the risk of project delays! Thanks to accurate planning, based on real data entered directly from the field, you can quickly identify any bottlenecks and act accordingly to avoid costly delays.
With ERP software, your company not only saves time, but also money!
Ideally, a company should considerusing both CRM and ERP software, as they serve different, complementary purposes.
Together, they can greatly help you to improve all your company's operations, from customer service and internal resource management to job site planning and production process automation.
Please note: Today, many ERP systems can integrate a CRM!
The combined use of CRM and ERP software canoptimize the internal processes of a construction or civil engineering company. For example, CRM can be used to track interactions with customers and suppliers, while ERP can help manage material orders, project planning and financial forecasting.
With CRM and ERP, all relevant information is centralized, facilitating communication not only with customers, but also between office teams and employees in the field. Data can be entered via CRM and, thanks to ERP, this information is immediately available to sales, accounting or marketing staff.
Efficient resource management :
In the construction and civil engineering sector, efficient resource management is crucial. ERP can help track resource use in real time, minimizing waste and improving efficiency. For example, if a project is delayed, ERP can help you quickly reallocate resources to other tasks.
A CRM can help companies build and maintain strong relationships with their customers by ensuring constant follow-up and providing accurate, up-to-date information. For example, if a customer requests an update on a project, information can be easily retrieved and shared, improving customer satisfaction.
Finally, incorporating CRM and ERP software into your business enables more effective data analysis. Companies can gain valuable insights into their performance, customers and operations, which can aid strategic planning and decision-making. For example, a company could use ERP data to identify high-cost areas, or use CRM to identify sales trends.
However, if you don't have the budget to purchase both systems at the moment, here are a few ideas to help you decide whether to buy CRM or ERP software.
This is obviously the first criterion you should consider. If your main objective is toimprove customer relations and provide excellent customer service, CRM software may be a more appropriate choice.
On the other hand, if you want to improve the efficiency of your internal processes, facilitate your project management and turn your back on manual processes, an ERP is undoubtedly a better choice.
Traditionally, it has been accepted that an ERP is often more expensive to implement than a CRM, due to its more complex nature and integration across all levels of the business. However, ERPs are now also available in SaaS technology, making them less expensive and more suited to the budgets of small and medium-sized businesses: find out more!
In any case, it's best to define a budget before making a decision. Don't hesitate to compare different offers.
A CRM is generally easier to use, as its functionalities are less extensive. However, many ERP companies can offer accessible training for you and your employees. At Civalgo, it's included in the price!
While both types of software can be customized, ERP offers greater flexibility. If you need a solution that's very specific to your business, ERP can undoubtedly work wonders.
Finally, it's important to consider how the software will integrate with existing systems. If a CRM is never a problem, consider choosing an ERP capable of integrating the software and technologies you already use!
The choice between CRM and ERP depends on a number of factors, such as company size, specific needs and expectations. A small, sales-oriented company might benefit more from a CRM, while a construction or civil engineering company with complex processes and several projects running simultaneously might find an ERP more useful to its development.
The choice between CRM and ERP software depends on the nature and specific needs of your business. Each has its own strengths and can be a powerful tool for improving your company's efficiency and productivity. If your budget allows, it's even better to combine the two!
Don't forget that the aim is, in all cases, to use technology to support your company's objectives and operations!
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