Is there an alternative to SAP CRM that does not require interfaces and provides full-fledged CRM functionalities?

In the previous two blog posts, we introduced you to S/4 Customer Management as an add-on for customer relationship management under S/4HANA. In Part 1 from the point of view of the system managers and in Part 2 from the perspective of the users.

In the last part, Michael Stump, Managing Director and SAP CRM expert at itmX GmbH, will address the question of whether there is a real alternative to SAP CRM that offers the same or even more functionalities, but does not require interfaces. After all, if you have read the previous two parts, S/4 Customer Management only represents rudimentary functionalities of customer relationship management. These are then possible without interfaces to the ERP, but if you want to map the customer journey in a contemporary way with SAP solutions, you cannot avoid resorting to additional cloud solutions, which then again require a connection via interfaces.

Both users and system administrators want simple systems that map end-to-end processes. When it comes to customer management, one thing is particularly important to the system manager: a software solution that can connect to the ERP without the need for complex middleware.

The user, on the other hand, wants to operate as few different user interfaces as possible and have all relevant information available at a glance with just a few clicks. And that at any time and any place.

This is possible either by intelligently connecting the systems via interfaces – which is expensive and error-prone – or by integrated systems without interfaces.

Let’s take a look at field sales: today, it requires easy-to-use, mobile applications that are operated on smartphones or tablets and provide information from the office in real time. Be it a phone note, an assignment or a complaint. All data from the central SAP system.

In order to support internal sales in completing their tasks, they need a system that displays a 360-degree view in real time with all relevant data from the SAP system. Be it information about delays in delivery or an ad hoc query of credit management. After all, when the customer calls, all data should be available.

The topic of collaboration has now arrived in most companies. This means that in addition to the classic Outlook, other communication channels, such as MS Teams, should be fully integrated into the operational process. Of course, this also includes the availability of data in the CRM. This is the only way to make all relevant documents available at the touch of a button, which are also stored in Sharepoint, for example.

In order to professionally design their campaign processes, marketers first need a well-founded database, which they can find in the SAP system. Requirements such as “select all technical contacts of companies that use a machine of type XY and where the machine is 10 years or older” must be met. This data should then be able to be easily transferred to a marketing automation system, i.e. without cumbersome Excel uploads, which then provides the possibility of an automated campaign route with integrated landing pages.

So much for the theory. If you wanted to map the processes just described with S/4 Customer Management, you would quickly reach your limits. Mobile applications for sales are not provided for in the standard, nor are the marketing processes. To do this, you would then have to implement the Marketing or Sales Cloud on top. And that, in addition to additional costs, requires interfaces that complicate the whole thing.

But, as the title of the article promises, we would like to take this opportunity to show you an alternative with which you can also implement modern customer relationship management under S/4HANA without interfaces.

The itmX crm suite is a CRM solution fully integrated into S/4HANA or SAP ECC, which offers users the opportunity to map the entire customer journey with all touchpoints, from the first contact via the website to the phone call, to e-mails and the webshop on a single basis. Thanks to the full integration with the underlying ERP, you also have access to all the data available in the ERP in the CRM. Regardless of whether it is the equipment used, payment methods, special conditions granted or the customer’s payment behaviour. You have everything at your fingertips with just a few clicks. Your marketing will also thank you, because even the most extensive selections are no longer a problem. And thanks to the direct connection of the CRM to the itmX marketing automation, the next campaign is ready to go in a short time.

In a nutshell: With the itmX crm suite, SAP’s grandiose idea of using the ERP system as a central hub has been thought through to the end.

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