CRM: "Previously we talked about functionality now we talk about process."

What role does CRM play in a company in relation to sales support tools?

As its name indicates, CRM(Customer Relationship Management) is built around the customer. It facilitates access to information on the actions of sales representatives or telemarketers in general, but also to monitor the relationship with customers to better satisfy them and build loyalty.

However, for the past few years, the focus has been on attracting new customers through specific modules dedicated to lead acquisition through marketing for salespeople.

What are the issues related to the implementation of a CRM?

The challenges are varied and very often crossed according to the priorities of the prospects and customers we meet. For a general management, the challenge is to increase productivity, for the sales management, the challenge is to manage the business and for the marketing management, to manage campaigns.

It is common to be confronted with prospects or customers who have difficulties in identifying the service that is a priority for the company and according to the adopted strategy. For example, the sales department is looking for control and traceability, the marketing department is looking for a reference for its actions...

What are the main expectations of companies?

Originally, the priority was the management of the commercial activity. Today, the CRM responds to the new challenges of customer relations, but it also serves to identify and know its market, by consolidating in a single point all interactions with its customers and generally improving the efficiency of sales and marketing processes.

What trends have you been able to identify? How do you see the CRM market evolving in 2020?

The "sales management" tool, restricted to order taking 20 years ago, has given way to a solution in SAAS mode, the hub of major cross-functional processes: Targeting - canvassing - reminder - signature Order - Invoicing - reminder - collection. The Anglo-Saxons speak of Odrer to Cash.

Previously, we talked about functionalities, now we talk about processes.

The trend among major publishers such as Salesforce (No. 1 in the world) is to broaden its scope of intervention to the world of ERP. They want to set up a cross-functional tool for management, where ERP and CRM will form a single global solution.

What are the impacts and uses of this type of tool in companies?

The most relevant impact, and one quickly understands it, is the return on investment for users. Indeed, we prefer to focus them on field actions rather than on administrative tasks. It is also the way to set up fluid and traced internal processes.

On this point, companies are entering into global digitalization processes that also include the contractual relationship with customers.

The example that comes to mind is the CEO of AXA France who was asked about the relevance of these solutions for the insurance market. He recently said in an interview "those who do not make these transformations will disappear".

In the tertiary sector in particular, the switch to these new solutions has created a dynamic that involves a profound internal modernization.

What are Ellisphere's plans for connectors?

As far as CRM is concerned, 61% of our customers are equipped. This equipment rate is close to 90% for large SMEs and large groups.

For a long time we have been providing our customers with a library of APIs* that allow them to inject Ellisphere data directly into their CRM. These are custom solutions for our customers.

We develop connector-type solutions that have the advantage of being ready to use for our customers. The typical example is Ellisphere Connect for Salesforce.

We will continue to invest in these new ways of consuming our data and services.

What are Ellisphere's answers to the challenges of CRM supply?

In a CRM project, the bulk of the investment for the company is in the tool, its user licenses, its installation cost and its deployment. We intervene as a complementary service with answers to the subject of CRM data content: In 4 words: Develop, enrich, feed and monitor.

How can we imagine the future of these solutions?

We rely on solution providers that are growing by billions a year and are increasingly present among our customers.

For these players, the future lies in complete multiservice solutions, and for Ellisphere, our offers involve increasingly interwoven solutions that can be used directly by our customers.

*API is a technical gateway allowing the integration of Ellisphere data and services into the CRM.
The connector is a complete ready-to-use offer directly available in the CRM of the customer who must subscribe to a user license.