In a hyper-connected world where there are applications for - almost - everything, the choice of a new software package necessarily involves considering how it will communicate with your company's IT ecosystem.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is no exception to the rule; integrations have even become a decisive criterion in the choice of new sales software.
Are you concerned? Welcome: today, Sidely deciphers the challenges of CRM integration for you.
CRM integration involves connecting customer relationship management (CRM) software to other systems or applications used by the company. It is a computer program that enables these applications to interact in a logical, automated way.
The aim of CRM integration is to optimize the collection, storage and analysis of customer data, or to trigger actions from your sales software that impact other applications. This can involve several aspects, which we have grouped together in the following table.
The aim of integration is to make the CRM system more powerful and efficient by linking it closely to other systems and applications used by the company, enabling more holistic and effective customer relationship management, and eliminating the silos inherent in any enterprise.
This is why connecting CRM to ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is crucial for many companies. This integration improves operational efficiency, optimizes business processes and delivers a better customer experience.
In practice, two principles will generally guide this integration project:
Whether it's data flow or process automation, CRM integrations can be used to achieve a wide range of operational objectives:
🤖 Trend towards automation
Process automation is not a recent phenomenon. But the arrival of artificial intelligence in our everyday applications is reshuffling the deck. This trend should accelerate the deployment of intelligent processes in all areas, from marketing and production to business development.
Another emerging trend in automation is the use of no-code or low-code applications. Microsoft is one of the pioneers in this field, with its flagship product Power Apps, a platform that enables users to create applications without coding, then connect them together to automate interactive processes.
In an economic context marked by a strong trend towards the dematerialization of business processes, mobile applications - and business applications in general - are multiplying on our devices. The number of integrations therefore evolves in proportion to the number of software tools your employees are likely to use in the course of their work.
CRM publishers are thus developing veritable libraries of integrations to facilitate connection to third-party tools.
The stakes are high for companies, because existing integrations in their future CRM are additional computer programs that they won't need to develop, and above all, maintain. Because, let's not forget, integrations are IT programs, and must therefore be kept up to date, if they are to remain operational and secure.
In conclusion, the integration catalog is an increasingly important criterion for companies wishing to purchase a CRM solution. Let's recall its many benefits:
Finally, it's worth noting that an examination of standard CRMs sometimes reveals a lack of adaptability to the applications most popular in your industry. In this case, you might want to consider industry-specific CRMs, solutions designed for specific sectoral needs.
To introduce the subject of integrations to your CRM project, you can define what's known as an integration portfolio, i.e. the list of applications required to carry out your employees' tasks.
To choose the right CRM, you can then ask yourself two questions:
Let's take the example of brands with a distribution network (GMS, GSS, CHR, etc.). Companies selling through indirect channels generally have a particular sales approach, which translates into specific operating methods and actions, such as on-site information gathering (including shelf and merchandising surveys in supermarkets), or order-taking from the shelf or warehouse.
To optimize their sales performance, retail brands can opt for a business CRM like Sidely. What makes it special? All the actions listed above are already possible from within the mobile CRM, with no need for additional integration!
You have the answer to your first question.
Let's move on to the second.
For any brand selling its products indirectly, it's essential to be able to organize geolocated sales rounds, and sometimes deal with different modes of transport (especially in urban environments). You have the answer to your second question: Sidely offers all the software integrations that are essential for field sales, particularly in indirect sales. And our integrations don't stop there:
You can view our full range of integrations.
If the integration of your dreams doesn't exist by default in your new CRM, you can try developing it yourself.
Let's take a look at how integration works.
Solutions wishing to facilitate the use of their data or processes by other software tools develop what are known as APIs (Application Programming Interfaces).
An API is a set of protocols, definitions and tools that enable different software programs to interact with each other. In other words, it's a set of rules and conventions that define how software should communicate with each other. An API can provide different functionalities, such as accessing databases, managing files, sending network requests and so on.
It typically exposes a set of methods or functions that developers can use to access the functionality of a particular software or service. For example, a geolocation API may provide methods for retrieving the geographic coordinates of a given address.
To validate the possibility of API integration, you need to understand that there are two types of API:
In the latter case, the development of a new integration is likely to present serious challenges for your IT department... It will probably be wiser to go through the editor or integrator of your CRM, as they will be in a better position to open discussions with the editor of the program you wish to connect to.
