CRM PLATFORM FOR CLIENTS, SALES, AND INVOICES

project scope

For a client in the service industry, we have designed and developed a custom CRM platform – i.e., a web-based platform (based on .NET/ SQL Server server) that enables the users (company employees) – automation of their business processes, i.e., to effectively manage and track clients, sales and invoices, i.e., the daily activities within different departments. 

The purpose of each CRM system is to manage the interactions with the customers and to analyze data throughout the customer lifecycle, improve business relationships with customers, assist in customer retention, and drive sales growth. The CRM systems are designed to compile customer information across different channels – or contact points between the customer and the company.

In this article, we’ll describe the main features of the implemented CRM platform that were developed to enable the company’s employees to perform the following:

• Management of clients (customers)
• Projects management
• Sales management
• Contracts management
• Expenses management
• Leads management
• Tasks management
• Invoices management
• Tickets resolution

The software environment used for development was .NET/ SQL Server platform and the developed system layout and functionality are browser compatible. The project is managed (hosted) by a Cloud-based server (e.g., Microsoft Azure).

challenges

The goal of each company, regardless of the field of operation and size, is its competitiveness and profitability. Businesses operate in the open market, so they tend to increase the sales of their products (services). To achieve this goal, every company must know what their target group is, that is, who their clients are and what their needs are, and how to resolve their inquiries. Customer data is undoubtedly the most important resource of any company.

So, the purpose of this project was quite clear – we needed to fulfill the following business requirements:

• To ease the process of creation and handling of all types of documents: bids, contracts, invoices, tickets, etc.
• To provide smooth communication with the customers and resolution of their inquiries (tickets).
• To streamline the workflow and the internal business processes (within different departments).

That means we had to develop a web-based CRM platform that will provide the users (employees) with different tools and actions, thus empowering the main business operations. The main Users – Roles are company employees that deal with Customer issues (Contracts, Leads, Tasks, etc.).The following modules (functions) have been developed:

Upper-menu functions:

Main modules (left Menu items):

/* In the following sections – some of these functions and menu items will be described in detail. */

Project development

As we mentioned before – the project was implemented as a Cloud solution (Microsoft Azure), and its deployment is displayed in the following diagram:

Tool chain

During the CRM platform project development – standard web development tools have been used, e.g., Microsoft .NET, etc. These tools provide a flexible UI toolkit, Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth, database connectivity, and many more options.

The backend was based on .NET, SQL Server database server, and IIS hosting server on Microsoft Azure.

The complete Tool-chain is presented in the following table::

Innovative Features Implemented

/* In this project, we have implemented some useful features that optimize the client’s business processes and improve the users’ experience. */

Uniform Data Entry Process ⁰¹

In order to optimize our CRM system, we have implemented a uniform data-entry process. By this approach – we avoid the data being entered incorrectly and ensure that employees won’t miss out on valuable information.
Of course, we have conducted brief training for the sales representatives on how to enter their data. Also, we have provided a checklist to review the information that sales reps are adding to the CRM system, thus ensuring that the data is entered correctly.

Automating Repetitive Tasks⁰²

Before the implementation of the CRM platform, the client was stuck with the everyday tasks of running the business, even though the tasks weren’t rather complex. To optimize our sales CRM system, we have automated the most common tasks that the client’s sales team performs on a daily basis.

Particularly, the sales reps had spent a lot of time inputting notes about their leads. Therefore we created a template for them to fill in their information. Now they can input this information quickly without having to re-enter any data.

Integration with Email and Messaging Tools⁰³

The CRM system has been designed with the purpose of being used to manage client-customer relationships. We found out that there are some 3-rd party tools that can be integrated with the CRM to improve the marketing strategy, thus boosting sales.

In our case, our client used email marketing to market their services. So, the developed CRM system helped them to manage their customer relationships, and the incorporation of email and messaging tools enabled them to create personalized marketing campaigns.

Starting Point for the Client’s Marketing Strategy⁰⁴

Another innovative feature of our CRM system is that it can record and track customers’ buying patterns. The information that we gather can be used to build a marketing strategy that can support clients’ customer relationships and give them a competitive advantage.

Thus, instead of trying to market to all of the customers, our client is now able to focus its efforts on their most valuable customers. They can showcase the related products for these customers and conduct communication in their preferred manner.

Fast Data Analytics for Quick Decisions⁰⁵

In order to get the full benefits of the CRM system, we had to provide useful metrics and analyses (weekly/ monthly). Therefore, we needed to track the information that matters the most. This gives the client the most accurate data about their sales funnel.

An important feature is tracking the sales cycle length, e.g., calculating the days between each subsequent lead conversion. The client can use the gathered insights to change their strategy and improve lead conversions.

Project results

The developed solution is a web-based CRM platform that provides the users (employees) with different tools and actions and streamlines the main business operations. There are several features to emphasize as significant project results:

• The solution improves the workflow and the internal business processes (it automates repetitive tasks).

• The solution enables the creation and handling of all types of documents: bids, contracts, invoices, and tickets (via uniform data entry).

• The solution provides smooth communication with the customers (chat, messaging, voice) and resolution of customer inquiries (tickets).

• The solution produces different reports and metrics (on a  weekly and monthly basis), so the clients can get accurate insights and improve their decision-making process.