When it comes to cloud-based software solutions in the enterprise, Salesforce is considered one of the most prominent providers on the market, offering a range of products that are being used across multiple industries.
Salesforce’s offerings are categorized into three main categories:
SaaS (Software As A Service): allows users to directly obtain cloud-based apps over the Internet and make use of it
PaaS (Platform As A Service): provide a framework and platform to build your websites and apps
IaaS (Infrastructure As A Service): offers essential computing, storage, and networking resources
For this article, we will look specifically at Salesforce’s SaaS product line, particularly CRM and related solutions.
CRM
A CRM or Customer Relationship Management software is a technology that manages an organization’s relationships and interactions with present and potential customers or clients. CRMs provide greater capability beyond that of spreadsheets and documents that could only handle a small fraction of data that CRMs are capable of nowadays.
While Salesforce is not the first company to offer a CRM solution, it is the first to provide enterprise applications through a web browser via its CRM offering Customer 360. This allowed businesses to use cloud technology to better connect with partners and customers worldwide from anywhere at any time and provide a more efficient level of service that brings about greater customer satisfaction.
Since then, Salesforce further enhanced Customer 360 by offering a variety of services such as Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and Commerce Cloud, as well as tailored CRM solutions for different businesses.
Integrations
Given the advanced capabilities of Salesforce’s CRM solution against others in the market, it was poised for further evolution which made it more powerful in its capabilities. One such example is its capability to be integrated into an existing ERP system.
ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning is software used by organizations to integrate multiple business functions into one system. These functions include accounting, human resources, project management, sales, inventory and order management, and compliance.
ERP uses a shared database that enables employees from across a business to see the same information, allowing for more streamlined processes and an improved flow of information across the entire business.
While ERP and CRM serve different purposes and are oriented toward different audiences. Salesforce is cognizant of these similarities and, in fact, has made these two systems work together in further enhancing all aspects of the business operations and processes.
Salesforces’s CRM works well with other apps. For instance, it can be integrated into any accounting software to any email app and it is done in a seamless fashion.
Conclusion
Salesforce has become the leading CRM software provider in the world thanks to its innovative cloud-based CRM solution. It has been instrumental to the increased efficiency and improved growth that many businesses have seen since adopting Salesforce’s CRM. And given the continuing evolution of Salesforce’s CRM, its status remains secured for a foreseeable future.
Thus, it is crucial for an enterprise to have the right people with a good understanding of the Salesforce applications and be able to maximize their potential for the enterprise’s benefit.