Why 61% of Distribution Companies Are Using a CRM

by | Jan 9, 2017 | Dynamics 365 CRM for Vertical Markets, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Distribution companies are increasingly aware of the need to improve their internal processes. Inefficient management puts them under pressure to deliver on time, strains customer and supplier relationships and hampers their profits.

CRM offers the ideal solution as it manages your sales, service and suppliers so you can effectively meet your everyday challenges. It allows you to improve your internal processes without the need to even hire new employees.

It streamlines processes and gives you a 360-degree view of your customers and suppliers. So, whether you’re distributing goods to retailers, dealers, or directly to end consumers, you’re able to deliver on time, enhance customer satisfaction and maintain customer loyalty. It’s for these reasons a recent study by the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence found 61% of distributers are adopting CRM practices in their companies.

Enhances Customer and Supplier Relationship Management

CRM is a primary portal which allows everyone instant access to customer-data. This improved visibility greatly facilitates relationship support, aids service level commitments and enhances both your customer and supplier satisfaction.

It enhances your customer and supplier relationship management in the following ways:

  • Coordinates sales efforts with suppliers and improves collaboration between manufacturer and distributers.
  • Manages online communications on social networks and enhances customer service and support.
  • Enhances customer service as staff can instantly access customer information to quickly answer questions about orders.
  • Improves customer retention as it integrates different departments to give faster communication and access to reliable data.
  • Reduces order processing time and increases fill rates as it increases efficiency and gives real-time visibility into available inventory.
  • Manages customers’ preferences efficiently and accurately as order history, locations and preferred delivery method are all in one place.
  • Increases customer loyalty as it gives faster response times and more accurate answers by allowing all staff whether in warehouses, services locations or outside the office to track inquiries in the system.

 

Promotes Flow of Internal Processes

CRM integrates your sales, inventory and invoice data, making it easily available to all staff for real-time reporting. This means your internal processes can flow, your supplier and customer relationships are strengthened and your customer service is enhanced.

  • Gives you greater mobility as it runs on tablets and smart devices, so you can access important data anytime, anywhere.
  • Tracks inquiries, sets appointments and monitors service and installation activities to give you more control.
  • Improves multiple business options as it configures easily and offers multiple deployment options.
  • Increases productivity and reduces development costs as it streamlines and automates tasks by tracking when orders are coming in from multiple locations.
  • Reduces workflow downtime as it makes data accessible across your organization by fully integrating it with the right technology.
  • Reduces duplications, backorders, missed orders and enhances customer service as it integrates separate systems involved in different processes.

Optimizes Your Sales

With increasingly competitive market conditions a CRM gives you the tools you need to strengthen and automate your sales processes. It provides a dashboard of customer data, integrated contact management, call planning tools and pipelines for managing opportunities across your sales process appropriate to your specific business needs.

This means you can nurture leads, close sales and develop tighter bonds with existing clients in the following ways:

  • Boosts sales results as it coordinates the role each function and individual plays in the sales process.
  • Promotes new business as it builds new customer relationships and coordinates sales efforts.
  • Helps salespeople become ¨opportunity managers¨ as it focuses on situations most likely to result in a sale.
  • Enhances salesperson performance as it tracks and manages buying preferences of wholesalers, retailers, dealers and end users.
  • Empowers salespeople with compelling data to get them out of the buyer’s office and in front of decision-makers.
  • Gives your salespeople a more accurate view of forecasted business with data about potential revenue and closing date.
  • Highlights areas for improvement as it gives you insights into why a lead didn’t convert into a sale or if a quote results in an order.
  • Allows you to make more accurate predictions for other areas of your business, like revenue forecasting, inventory needs and fulfillment.
  • Improves sales coaching as it provides actual data of real-time results and real-world customer information for sales managers to use when coaching salespeople.

Now it’s Your Turn

enCloud9 has one of the most experienced Microsoft Dynamics CRM teams in the US. From pre-sales to project management, and user support, we respond quickly with our expertise to answer your questions.

Our history dates back to 2009, but our experience dates back even longer. Our consultants have been advising companies for almost thirty years to give them the tools to achieve their goals. Our experience leads to your success. We use our unique approach to help small and medium-sized businesses lower their costs and boost productivity through Microsoft’s powerful range of cloud-based software.

We can be contacted at our webform or call us today at 402-235-8540.

 

 

 

 

 

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