Promoting Data Consistency – Getting It Right With CRM

A real problem for many businesses is working with poor quality data. As well as this, there is often a problem encountered with multiple people keeping and working with their own spreadsheets and data and as a result working separately on the same accounts.

A hosted CRM solution is a great way of tackling these issues. Instead of having data kept in silos and folders containing spreadsheets and data lists on individual’s computers as mentioned at the start of this article, all your customer data is held and maintained in a centre database which is stored in the cloud. This gives you a greater chance of your data remaining accurate, with the added advantage of being able to track any alterations made.

Each user is able to access this data remotely, by logging into the CRM system with a user name and password. Once logged in, all users share access to the same data. If one of your customers moves office and has a new address and phone number, this customer record only needs to be edited once, and immediately all your users can see this updated information. Working from this centralised database means your users can be confident that the information they work from is as up-to-date as can be.

Two other advantages of storing your corporate data in a cloud CRM solution are the ability to view data ownership, and being able to view account histories.

To clarify what is meant by data ownership, this refers to the records within your system being assigned to and managed by a particular user or group. Everyone using the system is able to see who is looking after which case, and reduces the possibility of two separate users working parallel on the same case and possibly offering conflicting advice to anything previously offered. This could eliminate any unnecessary and possibly unprofessional calls made concerning a case that has already been looked after.

Of course in any organisation, at some point you will need to transfer record ownership, or account management from one person to another. This is also a simple error-free process. Transferring or reassigning records keeps the information intact, whilst sending a notification to the new owner about the record. Data Consistency If a contact or an issue for example a Helpdesk ticket needs to be transferred to another operator, there will be no loss of information in the transition. Furthermore the transfer of ownership will also be recorded, providing you with the mechanism necessary for internal auditing.

Any information that is passed around within an organisation or workplace that is not kept in the cloud will require manual intervention – this might involve sending an email with an attached spreadsheet, retyping reports, sending a sales order to the accounts order to type up an invoice, or even sending a folder by courier. These are all points at which human error can come into play – an address copied wrongly, the wrong folder put into the messenger bag and so on. Information in a cloud solution however remains unaltered when accessed by different users. When the data is edited – customer records updated, quotes converted to sales orders and so on these alterations are accounted for.

In conclusion, storing your business information in a cloud-based CRM solution means that your data remains consistent and can be accessed from anywhere – the office, in a meeting room, from home or out on the road.