This is the modern age of instant gratification and response time. Customers expect immediate answers to their business queries and complaints. In this environment, customer service teams face challenges in meeting growing customer expectations. In the digital age, customer service is no longer an operational strategy but a business strategy that can impact customer retention and business growth.
The advent of digital technology is providing many options to modern-day customers. To remain relevant and competitive, enterprises across industries must prioritize customer service. Hence, more companies are investing in technology in the form of ERP for customer service.
How does ERP improve customer service? Here are 6 ways in which ERP solutions work to improve customer service in any industry:
1. Streamlining the Backend Processes
Companies with integrated backend processes and operations can provide exceptional customer service. On their part, ERP systems can integrate various business processes impacting the customer. This includes:
- Order fulfillment
- Customer relationships
- Invoicing and payments
For instance, in a manufacturing or supply chain company, ERP systems can help improve productivity and deliver products on time to customers. By automating these backend processes, companies can reduce operational costs and efforts.
2. Personalized Customer Interactions
ERP systems can also transform customer interactions by providing businesses with real-time access to customer data. For instance, customer service teams can update customers on current inventory levels, thus enabling them to make faster decisions.
Besides, more customers expect personalized services from their preferred brands. They expect businesses to recognize their specific needs and preferences – based on previous interactions. By integrating ERP with customer relationship management (CRM), frontend teams now have readily available access to each customer’s data when interacting with them through calls or emails.
3. Customer Experience
Through integrated customer data enabled by ERP solutions, companies can improve their customer experience (CX). ERP solutions provide a holistic view of customers and business operations, thus enabling business teams to make customer-focused solutions.
For instance, a company’s sales manager can decide to offer automatic discounts for loyal customers whenever they make a purchase. Similarly, retailers can leverage ERP systems to identify:
- The most frequently purchased product
- How customers respond to a marketing campaign
Using customer data, businesses can also categorize their customers and target them with a specific marketing message.
4. Customer Communication
Consistent communication is the cornerstone of customer service. Through consistent communication, business enterprises can build and maintain customer trust and loyalty.
On their part, ERP systems server as a “single point of truth” for customer communication. This centralized system stores all information that customers may enquire about, including:
- Product information
- Product pricing
- Maintenance-related data
- Shipment status
This centralized system ensures that whenever companies modify data, this information is reflected across all ERP modules. This means customer service teams can update their customers on the latest and most accurate information.
5. Balancing between Supply and Demand
ERP systems can integrate sales order management with order fulfilment. Thus, product manufacturers can assign their current inventory to sales orders, enabling on-time deliveries and installations.
Through its integrated customer relationship, companies can also prioritize their most loyal customers. This ensures that their placed orders are fulfilled immediately, thus boosting their brand satisfaction levels. With its forecasting capabilities, ERP can help companies prepare for future demand projections and changing customer expectations.
6. Data-driven Decision Making
Customer service teams no longer have to depend on their “gut feeling” when interacting with customers. Through the ERP tool, they have easy access to every aspect of their business operations. For instance, they have real-time visibility into warehouse and front-office operations.
ERP systems also help in efficient supplier management and check which suppliers are performing well or poorly. Thus, ERP systems are instrumental in implementing data-driven decision-making to address customer requirements. Businesses can now understand their customers better, thus enabling them to design the right retention strategy in the long run.
How to Implement Successful Customer Service?
ERP implementation has a host of benefits, but has its share of challenges especially for small companies. With their technical expertise and industry experience, an ERP service provider can help small companies implement their ERP system – including customer service.
Among the leading ERP for manufacturing companies, SAP Business One is designed to manage multiple business operations in any manufacturing facility. As a recognized SAP business partner, Praxis Info Solutions offers SAP as an ERP solution for a variety of manufacturers, including:
Praxis Info Solutions can help customize business modules in ERP to meet your specific requirements. Here’s a complete guide on implementing ERP for small companies in India.
Do you want to improve your customer service? We can help you out. Contact us today.