By AMT Meng Fanqiang
When performing a CRM system selection, many companies will misunderstand the sales management function in the current CRM software, proposing the collection of market information, sales information (date sales), inventory information through the CRM system. This is difficult for most CRM systems, but is the core function of the DRP system. This puts a problem, that is, the relationship between CRM and DRP.
In general, the convenience of CRM and DRP is misunderstood lies in sales management. Although both suppliers claim that they have the functions of sales management, the meaning is not the same.
The role of the DRP (Distribution Resource Planning, distribution resource plan) system is to implement management of enterprise distribution channels, such as headquarters, sales molecular companies, distributors, agents or chain stores, etc., management objects are mainly orders, inventory, finance, etc. aspect. The main problem with it is:
1. Finde information technology, especially Internet, improve business processing efficiency in marketing, reduce employee work strength, improve information transfer speed, efficiency and accuracy.
2. Timely grasp the inventory information on the distribution chain, reduce the backlogging and waste of inventory, reduce safety stocks, and reduce transportation costs. While avoiding out of stock, avoid excessive depths of goods on demand chains, too much.
3. Timely delivery order and sales volume information, master customer needs, manage the requirements of the goods and resource allocation plans, realize the production of orders and customer requirements, rather than production driving.
4. Strictly control sales costs, reduce channel marketing costs, and strengthen the control of corresponding receivables.
Unlike DRP, for most CRM software, sales management functions are mainly used for salesmen, rather than use to use staff and financial staff to sell orders. The purpose of applying CRM sales management is to improve the work efficiency and knowledge sharing level to improve customer satisfaction. The sales management features it provide:
1. Management of salespersons, sales teams, sales commissions.
2. Customer information, contact information, sales opportunity (project), competitors' information management.
3. Record the process of contact with the customer. Management of documents related to this.
4. Personal and team calendar arrangements.
Understand the difference between the two, we can analyze the development trends of DRP and CRM, and how companies apply these systems.
For product companies operating across regions, there is a natural demand for orders, inventories, and financial management functions in the DRP software. In this system, enterprises can learn from all levels in real time, and quickly handle orders, and manage the accounts, and credit quota. Not only the effect of sales management, but also reduces fax, email, etc., which reduces work strength.
The CRM system cannot meet these needs. This may be partially explained, why many companies are not interested in CRM sales management. Therefore, in order to make more users choose their own software and services, CRM software companies should add DRP partial features in their own sales management, or make CRM software with DRP software well-integrated. This is the status quo and demand for Chinese companies.
In view of the functional positioning of current CRM and DRP software, for companies that want to sell management information, if they want to sell automation systems, they have implemented inventory, sales and finance management, only two roads Can go. First, a large management software such as Oracle e-commerce suite is used, and another road is a different brand of CRM and DRP software, and then make a large amount of system integration.
