About 7 in every 10 businesses invest in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system within their first five operational years, according to research. Meanwhile, 9 in every 10 organisations with more than 10 employees use CRM systems. What then do they know that you probably don’t know? It’s simple.
CRMs improve your company’s efficiency. They do this by helping you automate processes in your business that might be complex or tiring for humans to handle, for example, handling enormous sales. Also, remember that the customer is king. CRMs help you stay on top of your customer interactions and personalise content for them.
With the real-time data analysis they provide, you can also be sure that you’ll be able to make more informed decisions for the growth of your business. And when the decisions you made start to pay off? CRMs are still there – supporting your employees to adapt to the changing business processes.
However, for SMEs, finding the perfect Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system can be quite tasking. Most of those in the market offer way too many features, are too complex to operate, are better suited to larger businesses or are simply going to drill a hole in your pocket. Here’s where Dynamics 365 for Small Business comes in.
Brief Overview of Microsoft Dynamics 365
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a set of applications combining both enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management capabilities. The suite is built on Microsoft Power Platform and also features artificial intelligence and productivity tools. It is made up of over 15 applications offering different business solutions from project operations and marketing to customer service and human resources.
Benefits of Dynamics 365 for Your Small Business
As of 2023, over 58,000 global companies use Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the number is only increasing. Given the several advantages the suite offers to different business sizes—small, medium and large enterprises—this comes as no surprise.
It Analyses Data for Small Businesses
The most attractive feature of Dynamics 365 is that it offers services for small, medium and large businesses. In fact, more small businesses (with fewer than 50 employees) use Microsoft Dynamics than their larger counterparts.
Microsoft understands that business intelligence is important, irrespective of the size of your enterprise. As such, data from across your small team can be brought together and effectively analysed to develop new insights. While Dynamics 365 Finance might require a minimum of 20 employees, the Business Central solution admits as little as one individual and is a perfect business management system for your small business.
It Supports Various Departments
Dynamics 365 offers innovative solutions across almost every team in your business. It offers solutions in Sales, Customer Services, Field Service, Remote Assist, Human Resources, Finance & Operations, Supply Chain Management, Intelligent Order Management, Commerce, Projects Operations, Marketing, Artificial Intelligence, Mixed Reality and Business Management.
These solutions benefit any of the several relevant departments in your company. More so, you are not mandated to subscribe to all of them. The product you go for is determined by your niche and the particular business operation you want to optimise.
It Integrates Well With Other Software Applications
One common scare factor for small business owners is whether a new platform can seamlessly adapt to their existing software. Fortunately, Microsoft is a big name in the industry and thus, its platforms and software applications integrate with other common marketing and accounting software.
As expected, the suite also supports other Microsoft applications including Microsoft Outlook and Teams. This collaboration ensures smoother communication, more efficient data transfer and greater productivity.
It’s a Cloud-Based Software
Dynamics 365 supports hosting within Microsoft’s cloud network. This method of deployment uses industry-grade data centres. The implication is that all your business resources – from the application itself to your data – will be stored online. All you need to access the platform is an internet connection.
With cloud deployment, you don’t have to bother about maintaining infrastructure. Also, Microsoft assists you with automatic data backups and software upgrades. The robust disaster recovery features available on the cloud-based Dynamics 365 guarantee that you can effortlessly bounce back from unprecedented service outages and get right on track with little disruptions.
Meanwhile, with this customisation, every member of your team can access the business resources from anywhere and at any time, using any internet-enabled device.
It is Easy to Use
The platform boasts a very intuitive user interface that is clear, interactive and easy to adapt to, compared to other CRM systems. In many ways, it looks like the popular Office 365, which many users are already used to. It also supports several languages and is customized for over 50 countries of the world.
Additionally, the system supports access across different mobile devices, includes relevant training materials, allows you to customise and re-configure its interface to your preferences (without any coding knowledge) and integrates a smart and helpful AI. If you stumble upon any issue while using the platform, the support team is always reachable and ready to assist.
It is Affordable
Dynamics 365 helps you automate your business operations at a very lost cost. Unlike other CRM systems, its pricing plans are small-business-friendly and will not consume all your hard-earned profit. You can enjoy some of its applications for as low as $20 per user for a month. They also offer a 30-day free trial for you to test-run the app and see if it meets your business needs.
Furthermore, the cloud-deployment option allows you to cut expensive hardware, infrastructure and maintenance costs getting you started with a minimal cost.
Conclusion
Over the coming years, Dynamics 365 is well set to experience even greater adoption as more small businesses come to realise its several benefits. At this point, why have you not yet started onboarding your business into the Dynamics 365 suite? By being affordable, easy to use, capable of being integrated with other software applications and supportive of businesses of every size, the opportunities the suite presents to your small business are unarguably endless. Here at onpoint, we are ready to make the integration process as seamless as possible.
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