Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
Issue link: https://cpapracticeadvisor.epubxp.com/i/478549
CRM SYSTEMS Reviews REVIEW SECTIONS BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTION • Installation Simplicity • General Navigation & Ease of Use • Firm & User Customization • Scalability • Industry-Specifc Features CORE CAPABILITIES • User-Defnable Interface • Multi-Location Support • Campaign Management • Client Collaboration Tools • Multiple Users DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS • Remote & Mobile Access • Customer/Vendor/Employee Management • Customizable Notes/Data Fields • Lead Generation/Marketing • Follow-Up Tracking • Remote Access MANAGEMENT FEATURES • Dashboard Overviews • Customizable Reporting • Data & User Security Features • Data Analysis Functions • Two-Way Data Integration/Sync • Billing & Invoicing Options • Audit Trail HELP/SUPPORT • Built-in Support Features • System Updates • Support Website/Documentation • U.S.-Based Support Integration & Mobility Are Keys to Successful CRM By John Higgins, CPA.CITP S o y o u m i g h t b e a s k i n g y o u r s e l f , " W ha t th e h e ck i s CRM and why should I be interested in it?" That is a perfectly legitimate question. L e t m e s t a r t b y defning what it is and then discuss why you might want it. The CRM acronym actually refers to "Customer Relationship Management." However, since we are all professionals serving clients, I always refer to it as "Client Relationship Management." It can also legitimately represent "Contact Relationship Management." Whatever we choose to call it, the nature of a CRM system remains the same: To provide a central location to keep track of all communications activity with a customer, client or prospect, or anyone you do business with. Tink about the tools you use to do that today: email, voice mail, notes, correspondence and other documents (hopefully in digital format.) Many CRM systems go well beyond just these types of content. Some of the more sophisticated systems also integrate with billing systems, practice management and other operational applications. To repeat, the main objective is to have a single repository for all of your communications and activity. So why do you need it? Te more appropriate question might be, "How much CRM do you need?" We all have CRM systems. The most basic is the old Rolodex fle with your notes scribbled on the cards. Chances are you also have a litle "black book" of sorts with contact information and notes for the people you do business with. Te most popular CRM system in use today is Microsof Outlook, even though most people don't think about it as a CRM system. Tat is why I felt it was important to include Outlook in this review. I think the biggest mistake that organizations make when it comes to CRM is that they want it to be too much. By that I mean that manage - ment likes the idea of having every touch point with a client or prospect recorded for easy access. But that comes with a hefy price in terms of the efort that is required to populate the information. And once you have such an abundance of information to sif through, the truly important informa- tion gets lost in the pile. Let me be clear, I am not negative on CRM systems, rather I want to make sure you go in with your eyes wide open and don't try to make it be more than you need. If ever there was an application that demanded sim- plicity, CRM is it. So let me identify what I believe to be the most impor- tant atributes of a CRM system for accounting and tax practitioners. • Simplicity • Customizable • Cloud based • Direct integration with Outlook • Di rec t i nteg rat ion w it h you r practice management system • D i r e c t i nt e g r a t i o n w i t h M S Ofce applications Let's start with simplicity. We don't need to make our work any more complicated and most of us don't have a great deal of tolerance for hav i ng to l ear n an ent i rel y n ew application. So as you start looking at dif ferent CRM systems, the f irst question you should ask yourself; "Is the system intuitive and easy to use?" If the answer is no, move on to the next solution. Is the system Customizable or Confgurable? No two organizations want to track the same information the same way. In fact, it's hard to fnd "two people" in an organization who have that agreed upon. So the system should allow management and users to tailor input screens to eliminate any d at a f i e l d s a u s e r d o e s n' t n eed . Remember, the key is simplicity. You will also want to be able to add your own data felds that capture informa- tion important to your organization. For example, perhaps you want to add "R oundtr ip Mi leage" w here you would simply enter the mileage to and from your ofce to theirs so that every t i m e s o m e o n e n e e d s to m a ke a mileage reimbursement entry on their expense form they don't need to run a map program to calculate it. I like and strongly believe in the value proposition of the cloud. When it comes to CRM, a cloud-based system ofers a particularly compelling value proposition. You want access to important contact information wher- ever you are: ofce, home, traveling, etc. So a cloud-based system is going to give you that capability out of the John Higgins, CPA.CITP John Higgins, CPA. CITP is a strategic technology advisor to accountants and tax preparers on workfow automation, cloud accounting and other applications of technology to increase productivity and proftability. His company, CPA Crossings LLC ( www. cpacrossings.com ), has recently launched a new Cloud Accounting Learning Center. 14 March 2015 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com