CRM and SFA are also frequently compared with MA. MA stands for Marketing Automation, and as the name implies, it is a tool specialized in automating marketing tasks. While MA can also handle customer acquisition and information management like CRM and SFA, its strength lies in the discovery, nurturing, and conversion of leads (prospective customers). In other words, following the progression of the customer journey, the optimal tool changes in the order of "MA → SFA → CRM."
Benefits of Utilizing CRM and SFA
By utilizing CRM and SFA, you can expect the following benefits:
Centralized Information Management
CRM allows for the centralized management of customer information, while SFA primarily enables the centralized management of sales information.
For example, while modern companies connect with customers through diverse online channels, if the customer information acquired through each channel is managed separately, it is impossible to grasp the full picture of the customer. By consolidating customer information into a CRM and sharing it company-wide, you can fully leverage customer data across departments.
Furthermore, the centralized management of sales information via SFA leads to increased efficiency in sales activities. If the progress of deals managed by each sales representative is appropriately shared, managers can easily determine when and what kind of support is needed. Additionally, visualizing sales performance and revenue forecasts is useful when considering mid- to long-term sales strategies.
Real-Time Information Sharing
Another benefit of CRM and SFA is the ability to share information in real time.
By implementing CRM and SFA provided as cloud services, you can check and share information regarding customers and sales as needed, even from outside the office. For instance, you can check information about a client company while on the move, or update and share sales information without having to return to the office.
In particular, SFA can automate and streamline the creation of documents such as daily reports, thereby reducing the operational burden while increasing the speed of information sharing. Being able to refer to the latest information at all times is crucial for optimizing customer service.
Mitigation of Knowledge Silos
Mitigating the reliance on specific individuals for tasks and information is another benefit of CRM and SFA.
In sales departments where representatives are frequently active outside the office, information sharing tends to be neglected. A state where tasks are known or can only be performed by specific individuals is called "knowledge siloing," which leads to the black-boxing of operations and can cause errors, troubles, and misconduct.
Moreover, in Japanese companies with many vertical structures, there is often a state of "siloing" where data is managed separately by each department. Because customer understanding varies if the referenced customer data differs, siloing is an obstacle to implementing a consistent customer strategy as a company.
By introducing CRM and SFA, which promote the centralized management of customer and sales information, it becomes easier to prevent such knowledge siloing and data silos. This also makes the process of handing over necessary information and know-how to new staff members smoother.
