Better together with Microsoft Dynamics CRM
For a business that wants to grow and succeed, few things matter more than connecting with customers. But adopting CRM (customer relationship management) software has been difficult for many organizations. CRM software can be complex and difficult to learn. And employees might require time to gain proficiency. Employees can sometimes even resist adopting CRM software because it forces change in their work routines.
Microsoft has brought CRM software into a new era with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. It is a flexible CRM solution that works the way a company works, adapting to each business culture with its unique way of responding to customers. Microsoft Dynamics CRM integrates well with Microsoft Office programs, including Microsoft Office Outlook, Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, and powerful data-sharing tools such as Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services.
Here's a quick look at how Microsoft Dynamics CRM works with familiar Microsoft products to give any business a new way to stay connected with customers.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM integration with Microsoft Office programs
Microsoft Office—the essential business tool used by millions worldwide. Now Microsoft Office programs can be combined with the power of Microsoft Dynamics CRM to give any business new insights into customer needs.
| • | Make Microsoft Office Outlook a powerful CRM tool. Microsoft Outlook messaging and collaboration client already provides businesses with a reliable tool for communicating with customers, storing customer contact information, and scheduling appointments. Now Outlook can do more. With the Microsoft Sales for Outlook client in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, all customer information can be managed from Microsoft Outlook. Sales, lead information, marketing pitches—everything you need to stay connected with customers. And because this information can be available company-wide, all employees have the power to see client histories and respond effectively to questions and requests. |
| • | Enable Excel to analyze customer information. Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet software is a powerful tool that is widely used to analyze critical company data. Compiling important data often means searching through multiple sources. Now, Microsoft Excel works with Microsoft Dynamics CRM to give businesses a new way to understand the impact of changes in sales, pricing, clients, and contacts. Data about sales and other business activities is easily imported to Excel from Microsoft Dynamics CRM, making it easy to run scenarios, reports, and graphs for all aspects of a business. And data can be imported into Excel in three ways: As a static table, a dynamic table, or a PivotTable dynamic view. With the latter two methods, Excel automatically updates data as it is changed within Microsoft Dynamics CRM. |
| • | Enable your employees to customize customer communications using Word and Microsoft Publisher. Use data from Microsoft Dynamics CRM to target customers for marketing and sales campaigns using Microsoft Office Word and Microsoft Office Publisher. It's easy to select customers for a letter or marketing initiative—and personalized messages take only minutes with Publisher. |
Microsoft Dynamics CRM works the way your business works
Microsoft Dynamics CRM can be tailored to meet almost any situation. So a business doesn't have to change the way it operates to reap the benefits of a powerful CRM program. Microsoft Dynamics CRM can help a business:
| • | Tailor forms and data to specific business needs. Use intuitive, Web-based design tools to customize important forms or to change the way a business captures and looks at customer data. |
| • | Automate business processes. With Microsoft Dynamics CRM, a business can quickly capture and organize data that formerly was lost or disorganized upon arrival. Use Microsoft Office InfoPath information gathering program to create forms for entering data about a particular sale or customer service. This information is ported automatically into Microsoft Dynamics CRM where it is instantly available as part of the customer's record of business. The Microsoft InfoPath form also can be adapted to a Microsoft Windows Tablet PC device to collect to important data in the field. |
| • | Gain a better view of customer needs. Microsoft Dynamics CRM works with powerful tools such as Microsoft SQL Server to give a business the capability to research customer data, develop new business intelligence, and understand what customers seek from a business. |
| • | Give managers a quick look from a dashboard. Using Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server and Microsoft Dynamics CRM, a business can create custom dashboards that provide quick summaries of all important performance metrics. Then a sales manager or executive can easily drill down into data to gain more detail about what really is driving sales or customer contacts. |
Work comes first, not technology
As powerful as Microsoft Dynamics CRM is, it does not get in the way of daily business tasks. Because Microsoft Dynamics CRM is designed with the familiar user interface of Microsoft Office products, even new tasks are mastered quickly. And Microsoft Dynamics CRM has streamlined installation processes and improved troubleshooting tools to help ensure that a business is up and operating fast—and stays that way.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers the latest in security features. Customer and business information is guarded with a fail-safe system that offers the best safety and confidentiality possible. Overall, Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers businesses a complete customer management tool, helping to find a new level of success through high-quality customer care. And Microsoft technology is your assurance for an affordable, effective CRM solution.
Doug Gantenbein is a journalist based in the Seattle area who has contributed to many leading business publications including The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, and Business 2.0. |
