What are the most valuable features a CRM system should have

What are the most valuable features a CRM system should have?

The overall objectives using a CRM system are:

 Increase transparency,

 Enable business processes technically, and

 Increase revenue.

Thus, this should be clearly supported by a CRM system.

As every CRM system is capable of supporting accounts and contacts, calls, e-mails, campaigns, leads, opportunities, service tickets, reporting and many more nowadays, we will not focus on these bread-and-butter functionalities.

From our Point-of-View the following valuable features should be covered by a CRM system:

1. Security

Dealing with firewalls, cloud, and maybe data encryption.

2. Compliance

Making sure to comply with

GDPR: Both from a data center location perspective as well as how to treat personal data: Which data are allowed to be managed, make sure that the allowance from customers to use their data was requested, documented, and is used properly.

Marketing Opt-In: Make sure that the dedicated allowance from customers to approach them in which circumstances was requested, documented, and is used properly.

3. Steering and Warning

The CRM system should steer data and processes and proactively inform users about required actions.

4. Ease of Use

A CRM system should be easy to use, the corresponding data and transactions should be easy to create to ensure high data quality and reliability of figures and reports.

5. User-Experience

Ensuring a good user-experience. People should like to work with a system to maintain the data that is needed to steer the business. Otherwise, they maybe do not do it. If nobody uses a CRM system, it is useless.

6. Maintenance

Making sure that the CRM system

Can be easily upgraded in a reasonable timeframe,

Is upgraded and maintained on a regular basis to avoid hick-ups by not upgrading it for a long time.

7. Adaption and Extension

Ensuring that the CRM system

Can be adapted easily,

Is extended by software-vendor- and client-specific releases on a regular basis, and

Is embedded and integrated in the entire IT system landscape and end-to-end processes.

8. Decision-Support

Providing KPIs and reports as decision-support for the business.

9. Growth

Enabling revenue increase and business growth.