A high level explanation of what CRM and ERP software does for businesses and the primary differences and benefits of each solution.

1. CRM
ERP:
and
What’s The Difference?
Presented by CRM Switch | www.crmswitch.com

2. ERP and CRM are similar in many ways, as
they are both used to increase the overall
profitability of a business.
These systems overlap in some areas, and can
be completely integrated in others.
However, as their core functionalities are
completely different, it’s best for a business to
first look at them as separate, stand-alone
systems.

3. When viewed separately, it’s easier to see how
ERP and CRM each play a role in improving
efficiency and increasing sales.

4. WHAT
IS
CRM?
Simply put, CRM is a system for
recording and storing all information
related to customer interactions.
CRM systems like Salesforce and
Microsoft Dynamics CRM provide a
standardized method for collecting and
sharing customer data and cataloging
customer interactions.

5. WHAT
IS
CRM?
Since all of the data is standardized, it’s
easily shared throughout the business.
CRM can be used by executives to
create sales projections, by sales reps
to maintain contact with clients, by
shipping clerks to verify addresses, and
by the billing department to create
invoices.

6. WHAT
IS
CRM?
The goal of CRM is to provide a
comprehensive store of customer data
that can be used to increase sales,
improve customer retention, and make
customer relations more efficient.

7. Where CRM is focused on the
customer, ERP focuses on the
business.
ERP is a system for improving the
efficiency of business processes. Like
CRM, ERP allows for the rapid sharing
of standardized information throughout
all departments.
WHAT
IS
ERP?

8. Executives, managers, and employees
all enter information into the ERP
system, creating a real-time, enterprisewide snapshot.
Problems in any area will automatically
create alerts in other affected areas.
WHAT
IS
ERP?

9. This allows departments to begin
planning for issues before they become
a problem in that department.
In short, by allowing the business to
focus on the data, instead of the
operations, ERP provides a method for
streamlining business processes
across the board.
WHAT
IS
ERP?

10. Popular ERP vendors like Epicor, SAP,
and Microsoft either also make CRM
software, or their ERP solutions directly
integrate with CRM from other vendors.
WHAT
IS
ERP?

11. ERP focuses on reducing overhead and
cutting costs. By making business processes
more efficient, ERP reduces the amount of
capital spent on those processes.
CRM works to increase profits by producing
greater sales volume. With a standardized
repository of customer data, it’s easier for
everyone, from executives to sales reps, to
improve customer relations.

12. CRM?
ERP?
BOTH?
Deciding which system is more
important is like deciding between
having an engine or having a steering
wheel in a car.

13. CRM?
ERP?
BOTH?
CRM is the engine that drives a
business. It improves sales and
increases profits.
ERP is the steering wheel—it allows a
business to be guided with precision,
and to steer around obstacles well in
advance.

14. CRM?
ERP?
BOTH?
ERP and CRM working together make it
much easier for a business to increase
profits while reducing costs.

15. A business has to have processes
before it needs to worry about
streamlining them, and it needs to have
profits before worrying about cutting
costs.
The most streamlined, efficient
business in the world is still bankrupt
without sales.
WHICH
COMES
FIRST?

16. That’s why CRM is often the best bet for
a business’s first investment.
Generating and maintaining sales is
usually what makes everything else
possible.
By helping to maximize sales figures,
CRM can enable a business grow to the
point that ERP becomes a necessity.
WHICH
COMES
FIRST?

17. Increased capital comes about in two ways:
more sales or fewer expenses.
Using ERP and CRM systems allows a
business to pursue both of these avenues. The
CRM system brings in more revenue through
better sales figures, while the ERP system
reduces overall operating expenses.

18. Together, these systems can help a business
pursue growth through efficiency and
expansion simultaneously.
Used separately, ERP and CRM can still be
very helpful, but could potentially limit the
business to a narrower avenue of growth.

19. We hope you enjoyed this presentation.
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