TP have actively engaged with Microsoft in relation to addressing the CRM requirements of the Telecom Service Provider utilizing the Microsoft Dynamics product. This document provides some insight into the needs of the Service Provider from a CRM perspective and how Dynamics addresses these requirements.
What is CRM?
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. It is a process or methodology used to learn more about customers' needs and behaviors in order to develop stronger and more meaningful relationships with them. There are many technological components to CRM, but thinking about CRM in primarily technological terms is a mistake. The more useful way to think about CRM is as a process that will help constructively assimilate multiple pieces of information about customers, sales, marketing effectiveness, responsiveness and market trends
What are the benefits of CRM
Effective utilization of a CRM can provide a business with the following benefits:
- Improved levels of customer service
- Enhanced call center efficiency
- Discover new customers
- Cross sell/Up Sell products more effectively
- Enable sales staff to close deals faster
- Simplify marketing and sales processes Increase customer revenues
What are the challenges associated with CRM?
CRM is often seen as the solution to all business optimization in an organization, and done effectively it can be, however, the following challenges are commonly encountered:
- Costly implementation
- Over promising of functionality
- No overview of what CRM is to achieve
- Adoption by IT departments without considering the business organizational impact
- Resistance to change in the organization business process culture
- Perception that CRM is the Companies “Silver Bullet” to solve all operational issues
Microsoft Dynamics and Technology Partners
Technology Partners recognized the gap in the market for a cost effective and simple to implement CRM solution which offers a rich feature set but not at the expense of core functionality. Due to our established partner relationship with Microsoft we initiated our investigation into the Microsoft Dynamics product.
Brief Overview of MS Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics™ is a line of integrated, adaptable business management solutions that enables you and your people to make business decisions with greater confidence. Microsoft Dynamics works like and with familiar Microsoft software, automating and streamlining financial, customer relationship and supply chain processes in a way that helps you drive business success.
Microsoft Dynamics helps fuel your productivity by automating your business-critical operations and adapting to fit into your type of business helping ensure the most relevant insight. How? With a user experience modeled around tasks and roles and integrated with familiar productivity tools like Microsoft Office. By integrating financial, customer relationship and supply chain processes to help maximize both internal and external efficiencies, costs are reduced and performance improved.
The business landscape in which you thrive is demanding. You need to be able to respond and have the confidence to make informed decisions that have an impact. Microsoft Dynamics
helps you respond rapidly to the changing demands of your business, providing you with more complete insight across your organization so you and your people can make timely and informed decisions with increased confidence.
Dynamics in the Telco BSS/OSS Architecture
The below diagram highlights where Dynamics sits within the service provider BSS/OSS architecture. Essentially is receives its inputs from the domain specific applications allowing Dynamics to use their data and services to best fit your current operational needs
Dynamics in the Market
The below table provides some highlights as the advantages of the Dynamics solution when compared with the CRM market place in general.
| Industry Leading CRM |
MS Dynamics CRM |
Cost |
Average License for the major CRMs is approx 30million USD
Cost of experienced developer large
Extensive training required for use of system
|
Lower license costs then competitors
Fit for purpose pre-designed verticals
Lower development cost
Training impact smaller due to intuitive environment
|
Fit for Purpose |
Major development work is required
Origination changes required to fit the technology
Continuous large development output required |
The current business process can be analyses, optimized and automated
Helps optimize the business
Operates in the current Employee workspace
Ease of communication within the Company |
Architecture |
Designed for manufacturing and simple services i.e. hotel booking
Sales and Marketing focused
Retail focused
Limited or no existence Enterprise functions |
Service Oriented Architecture approach
Vertical being prepared specifically for Telecommunications
Customer Relationship focused
Designed for Enterprise and Retail |
Dynamics in your Organization
Integration of Dynamics into your organization can be logically phased to ease the integration of the solution into a complex business environment. For example, an implementation can start with something more straightforward such as customer case management in the contact center or more sophisticated such as promotions and campaign management.
Please contact Technology Partners for more information.
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