How a CRM makes managing resources easier for a business

Customer resources are more than just the people who answer the phone.  Excellent customer resource management includes monitoring all employees, products and policies.  Without a CRM many companies are forced to manage all of their resources in several different places.  For some this means that their schedule is located in a different place than customer information and end of day reporting.  A disorganized workflow like the one described leads to lost time and money tracking down information.

Businesses have 2 types of resources. External resources that directly benefit the customer and internal resources that directly benefit the business.  Both of these types of resources should be managed effectively to see the full potential of business growth.  When learning to manage the two types of resources in a business it’s important to understand that internal resources give external resources their value.   The best online CRM systems in 2019 take care of both customer resource management and internal content resource management.

2 types of resources businesses must manage to see growth

External resources are parts of the business that touch the customers and internal resources are usually documents containing content about the business and for the business.  Resources that reach the customer which are beneficial to track include employees, products and communications.  Some resources need to be seen by managers and some by particular employees only, a good CRM will include ways to manage both customer resources and content resources appropriately.

Customer resource management focuses on providing everything that a customer needs in a timely manner.  A CRM system that includes this allows for team members to help customers, check inventory and schedule appointments all in one place.  Content resource management is more business focused.  The behind the scenes content, like reports and training information should be organized and ideally kept in the same place as all other business information.

Many types of software exist to keep track of customer resources and content resources.  Some track only sales leads, some only keep up with inventory and others exist simply to house appointments.  Often another program entirely is required to organize and track training materials, reports and employee performance.  The best CRM systems keep it all one place and make it accessible from anywhere.

An effective CRM is proficient at customer resource management.

Customer resource management is about managing the products they buy and how they get service. A CRM system that tracks all of that information in once place helps team members provide better solutions for the customers more quickly than before.  For the most effective customer resource management approach, the CRM a business chooses should be able to track where employees are in their day, how they are providing service and what they accomplished in one database.

Additionally, managing customer resources is about tracking communication with customers and what they purchase. It can also be very valuable if a customer resource management system also includes management of marketing content and automated sending of follow up emails.  CRM systems that also allow for tracking of the schedule next to the inventory help team members know which technician has the equipment and the time to do the job assigned.

Content resource management streamlines the way a business succeeds.

Content resource management is about organizing internal content about the business and assigning it’s review to the proper manager.  Many CRM’s exclude the ability to organize reports, training, and employee performance evaluations.  While many focus on customer leads and tracking the sales process, more comprehensive CRMs now include other features, like content resource management to aide businesses in streamlining their processes.

CRMs that include the ability to set permissions, customize reports and evaluate employee progress are ideal for any business that hopes to achieve growth.  Content resource management tools that organize who needs to complete which training and tasks with built-in reporting features make it easy for managers to see who is under performing and who needs some additional training.  When a CRM is used to manage day to day operations, end of day reporting, client communications and inventory – businesses see more profit and better customer reviews.

Managing resources is a big part of what makes business successful.  Ensuring that employees arrive to jobs on time and that customer needs are taken care of is easier with a customer resource management tools.  To learn more about how a CRM can help owners manage their business resources effectively, click here.