INSIGHT: How to make ERP a business priority

There are many reasons why CEOs should have enterprise resource planning (ERP) on their priority list, one of those is to contribute to improved customer loyalty.

When ERP and customer relationship management (CRM) systems are integrated, the result is optimised business processes that provide full visibility into customer behaviour.

“Customers are more likely to be loyal when their needs are met consistently and without friction,” says Bradley Stroop, CEO, UXC Eclipse.

“Being able to segment and market to customers based on what’s important to them will make them more likely to buy.

“Understanding customer sentiment and rewarding positive advocacy is made possible by CRM and provides the opportunity to closely monitor customer behaviours.”

Measuring customer behaviour also lets organisations spot gaps and opportunities in the marketplace.

According to Stroop, it may be possible to add new products or services to the organisation’s offering based on customer purchase history.

“The first step is to consider whether there is potential to offer that product or service,” he says. “The next step is to find out whether it would be profitable or too costly to take it to market.

“Capturing and analysing the relevant information lets enterprises make these decisions quickly and see whether they are working just as quickly.

“The resulting agility makes it possible for the enterprise to compete more effectively for share of wallet.”

Stroop says customer loyalty can also stem from the fact that a company is easy to do business with - customers want to choose how they purchase; online, over the phone or in a bricks-and-mortar store, and they expect the same level of service regardless of the channel they choose.

“It is critical to ensure that, regardless of the channel the consumer experience is consistent and measurable,” he adds.

“When integrated, ERP and CRM systems provide measurable, invaluable insights into customer behaviour and let organisations optimise their processes to match customer expectations.

“This increased ability to know and deliver, ultimately leads to improved customer loyalty.”