标题: Front-To-Back-Office Integration [打印本页]
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 22:18 标题: Front-To-Back-Office Integration
Front-To-Back-Office Integration
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 22:19 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
Independent research suggests that the area of back-office connectivity is not adequately
addressed by many CRM implementations. Where this is the case, customer data cannot be
shared effectively and business processes are punctuated by errors, delays and paperwork.
Over the long term, this will impact negatively, and significantly, on overall customer
satisfaction, as well as increasing transactional cost on an exponential basis
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 22:19 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
This whitepaper demonstrates how front-to-back-office integration enables small and
medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to address these issues. Specifically, it details how prepackaged,
integration-ready solutions from Sage CRM allow SMBs to seamlessly connect
their business processes, applications and data to (1) manage customer relationships more
effectively, (2) reduce costs and (3) increase profitability over the long term. Significantly, this
can be achieved without the cost and complexity normally associated with projects of this
type.
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 22:23 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
Gartner research suggests that significant information ‘blindspots’ still exist after many CRM
project roll-outs1, particularly with regard to customer transaction history. One potential
explanation is that these projects have not adequately addressed the issue of back-office
connectivity. Overly ‘front-heavy’ implementations can result in the operation of two parallel,
but separate customer datasets; one in the back-office which is financial, transactional and
quantitative in nature, and the other in the front-office which, by contrast, is non-financial,
interactional and qualitative.
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 22:24 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
The customer management and business process challenges that
companies face today
Different departments use different application types to manage customer information; frontoffice
employees use CRM applications that support customer-facing activities such as sales,
marketing and customer service whereas back-office employees use ERP applications that
support transactional, reporting and compliancy activities, such as invoicing, accounts
receivable, cashflow management and financial reporting. While front-office applications
have historically been developed around the idea of cross-organisational collaboration, backoffice
applications, by contrast, have been insular in nature, with the finance department slow
to open up its data and applications to other parts of the organisation. Additionally, many
companies have continued to purchase their CRM and ERP applications from separate,
specialist vendors. This combination of factors has meant that business applications have
struggled to address key business process needs where the customer lifecycle crosses the
front-to-back-office divide, resulting in: (1) departmental silos of information, (2) unnecessary administrative overhead and inefficiencies, (3) verbal sign-off requirements and (4) process
duplication.
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 22:40 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
The Quote-to-Cash cycle (diagram below) is an example of where these issues can arise.
Given the number of potential parties involved in the quote-to-cash cycle: (1) account
management, (2) sales order processing, (3) shipping and (4) accounts receivable, errors or
omissions at any stage in the process can be costly and time-consuming.. Additionally, frontoffice
staff, such as account managers or customer service agents, may struggle to provide
order status updates to their customers because of limited visibility on the transactional
information contained in the back-office system.
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 22:41 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
The workflow management capabilities of today’s ERP and CRM applications have gone
some way in addressing these issues by introducing exceptions monitoring, mandatory fields
and removing the need to re-key and re-check information as transactions pass from one
stage to the next. This in itself, however, does not fully address quote-to-cash business
process requirements if the back-office environment remains disconnected from the frontoffice
system. If a member of the sales team, for example, generates a quote based on outof-
date pricing information or stock availability, and subsequently converts this quote into a
customer order, it is likely that this error will only be identified later at the order approval or
shipping stage. The order will need to be passed back to the salesperson for correction and
then re-processed by the finance department. As a result, order completion is delayed for the
customer, administrative cost increased for the company and workload is unnecessarily
duplicated for sales and finance staff. Clearly, where this scenario arises on a regular basis,
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 22:42 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
The fundamentals of front-to-back-office integration
The aim of front-to-back-office integration is to bring together disconnected business
processes (e.g. quote-to-order and order-to-cash as part of the overall quote-to-cash cycle),
applications (CRM and ERP) and datasets (financial data and non-financial), and translate
them into a mechanism to: (1) manage customer relationships more effectively, (2) reduce
costs, (3) increase profitability and (4) achieve sustainable competitive advantage over the
long term.
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 22:44 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
In simple terms, front-to-back-office integration is made up of three inter-related elements:
1. Consistent data between related entities (e.g. ‘company’ and ‘account’) within the
CRM and ERP applications.
2. 360 degree customer visibility, regardless of whether customer data originates in the
CRM application or the ERP application
3. “Straight-through” processing which enables a user to initiate a transaction (e.g.
booking an order) which then automatically triggers all related business processes as
appropriate (e.g. order approval, shipment, invoicing etc) and passes seamlessly
from one application (e.g. CRM) to the next (e.g. ERP) without the need for extensive
manual intervention (e.g. re-keying information, paperwork or verbal sign-off).
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 22:45 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
Front-to-back-office data consistency
Being able to share consistent data between the CRM and ERP applications is an essential
requirement for front-to-back-office integration. Customer data, however, is structured
according to specific application types. Organisations, therefore, need to be able to create
dynamic links from entities within their CRM system (such as the ‘company entity), to the
corresponding entity within their ERP system (such as the ‘account’ entity), whereby changes
in either are propagated in both. This ensures that both front-office and back-office staff are
working with the same information which reduces or removes the need for re-work and the
potential for error.
In the quote-to-cash example cited previously, these capabilities would enable the account
manager to generate a quote based on the most accurate and up-to-date information
available at the time and, as a result, eliminates the potential for error and process
duplication down the line.
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 22:47 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
360 degree customer visibility
Enabling users to view combined financial and non-financial customer information within a
single application, regardless of where the information is generated or stored is another key
requirement for front-to-back-office integration.
360 degree customer visibility is particularly useful for account managers, that may require
access to a customer’s purchase history or for customer service representatives that may
need to update a customer on the status of an order.
Providing these users with access to both financial and non-financial information eliminates
the customer data ‘blind spots’ described earlier.
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 22:55 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
In the quote-to-cash example cited previously, these capabilities would enable the account
manager to verify that their customer had not exceeded their credit limit prior to placing a
new order. If an issue exists, it is flagged with the customer immediately rather than at a later
when the order reaches credit control. Again, this helps to eliminate errors and process
duplication downstream.
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 22:57 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
In the quote-to-cash example cited previously, these capabilities could automatically
generate an order in the ERP system as soon as the account manager promotes a quote to
an order within the CRM system. This means that the order can be processed without delay,
and the customer benefits from a speedier turnaround. As the quote is generated using ERPsupplied
pricing and tax calculations, the potential for error due to out-of-date information is
eliminated and workflow automation ensures that an order does not have to be re-created
manually in the ERP system, removing process duplication and ultimately reducing cost.
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 23:05 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
In the quote-to-cash example cited previously, these capabilities could automatically
generate an order in the ERP system as soon as the account manager promotes a quote to
an order within the CRM system. This means that the order can be processed without delay,
and the customer benefits from a speedier turnaround. As the quote is generated using ERPsupplied
pricing and tax calculations, the potential for error due to out-of-date information is
eliminated and workflow automation ensures that an order does not have to be re-created
manually in the ERP system, removing process duplication and ultimately reducing cost.
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 23:06 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
The challenges of front-to-back-office application integration for
SMBs
Front-to-back-office integration can help companies to dramatically reduce administrative
cost, speed up order fulfilment and improve customer service. While this may seem like a
real win-win scenario for all involved, it is not without its challenges.
Undertaking point-to-point, retrospective integration can be a costly, complex and risky
proposition for SMB organisations, and even when a company manages to achieve its short
term integration objectives, there is no guarantee that future CRM or ERP upgrades will not
render the integration inoperable.
The availability of CRM solutions with out-of-the-box, easy-to-deploy product integrations to
market-leading ERP solutions, therefore, represents a highly compelling proposition for SMB
organisations seeking to leverage the benefits of front-to-back-office integration costefficiently.
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 23:21 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
The front-to-back-office integration capabilities of Sage CRM
Sage CRM provides out-of-the-box integration with leading Sage ERP products including
Accpac ERP, Accpac Pro, MAS 90/200 (US), Sage 1000 and Sage 200 (UK), Sage 100
(France & Spain), OfficeLine (Germany). This means that companies that have previously
invested in Sage ERP products can quickly and cost effectively leverage their back-office
data and functionality within the front-office environment of Sage CRM.
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 23:22 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
Front-to-back-office data consistency
Sage CRM’s out-of-the-box ERP integrations provide for bi-directional synchronisation of
customer information, both financial and non-financial, between the Sage front-office
environment and back-office environment, ensuring that:
1. Information is captured once at source and then automatically propagated to all
relevant fields throughout the Sage front and back-office environments without having
to wait for it to be re-keyed and re-validated as it passes from one system to the next.
2. The most accurate and up-to-date customer data is available to front-office and backoffice
employees at all times.
3. The most accurate and up-to-date pricing and inventory information is available to
front-office staff at all times, meaning that quotes and orders are correct and that
customers are accurately advised as to the lead-time of their orders according to realtime
information rather than guesswork
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 23:23 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
360 degree customer visibility
Sage CRM enables front and back-office employees to discover and share deeper, more
meaningful customer insight based on a combination of CRM-derived and ERP-derived
intelligence. Sage CRM’s ‘trading account’ entity facilitates the mapping of multiple accounts
contained within the Sage ERP system, to their appropriate company record within Sage
CRM. This provides an ERP-empowered CRM user experience with customer transaction
information delivered through the native CRM user interface. It also allows ERP-based
customer data to be surfaced within dashboards, reports and tabs, and used within groups,
lists and workflow automation
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 23:24 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
Sage CRM’s true customer visibility enables:
1. Sales teams to maximise their revenue potential through the identification of latent
cross-sell and up-sell opportunities within their customer base.
2. Sales representatives to book orders correctly, first time, every time, by providing
them with access to the account, pricing and stock information they need to do their
jobs effectively.
3. Customer service representatives to address customer queries with confidence by
providing them with the shipping, invoicing and returns information that they need to
do their jobs effectively.
4. Customer service managers to ensure that their customers are current on
maintenance and service contracts, and that their service level agreements are
delivered on a profitable basis
5. Marketing executives to carry out detailed financial segmentation on their customer
base to support highly targeted and effective go-to-market programmes
6. Marketing managers to calculate ‘real-world’ return-on-investment based on actual
revenue yield from their marketing programmes.
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 23:25 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
Facilitating ‘straight-through’ processing
Sage CRM’s out-of-the-box integrations allow companies to implement “straight-through”
business processes that provide the workflow and automation capabilities that manage the
entire customer lifecycle seamlessly across all interaction and transaction types. Specifically,
Sage CRM’s quotes and orders functionality bridges the process automation capabilities of
the Sage front-office environment and the Sage back-office environment, and, as a result,
removes the need for manual intervention as orders generated within the CRM system are
passed automatically through to the ERP system for processing and fulfilment. Additionally,
front-office staff are equipped with the data and functionality they need from the back-office
system to carry out complex pricing and VAT calculations, as well as being provided with
real-time inventory information to ensure orders are fulfilled on a timely basis and in line with
customer expectations.
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 23:26 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
Once an order has been created in Sage CRM, a corresponding order is automatically
generated in the ERP system where it can be processed immediately. Delays and errors are
eliminated because: (1) accurate pricing and VAT calculations have been carried out within
the CRM system at the point of entry and (2) the order already includes all of the data
required by the ERP system.
Companies, as a result, can achieve significant cost and time savings on an on-going basis,
as well as significantly enhancing customer service through on-schedule order fulfilment and
reduced order errors. The following diagram illustrates the uninterrupted, optimised, costefficient
and customer-centric front-to-back-office process flow that Sage CRM provides
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 23:27 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
Self-service enablement
Sage CRM also provides the capability to deliver key CRM functionality directly to customers
through a self-service web portal which, when combined with front-to-back-office integration,
allows customers to:
1. Access their full account details online including invoice and delivery history
2. Configure and place orders online using pricing rules that automatically incorporate
company-specific volume purchase agreements and discount structures.
3. Query order and delivery status online, as well as proof-of-delivery details.
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 23:29 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
A cost-effective, flexible and upgrade-ready integration platform
Sage CRM’s front-to-back-office integration capabilities are particularly cost-compelling for
organisations that have already invested in a Sage back-office solution. Specifically, the
integration component can be deployed using minimal consulting resource and, generally,
without the need for additional hardware infrastructure. Additionally, because Sage CRM’s front-to-back-office integrations are loosely coupled and SOA-based, they are upgrade safe
and also facilitate future migration from one Sage ERP product to another while minimising
cost and risk
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 23:31 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
Conclusion
Independent research suggests that customer intelligence gaps still exist after the majority
CRM implementations because the issue of back-office connectivity has not been adequately
addressed. Where this is the case, customer data cannot be shared effectively and business
processes are punctuated by errors, delays and paperwork. This is likely to result in
customer satisfaction issues and spiralling administrative cost. The success of a CRM
project, therefore, should not be judged solely on how effectively it brings together font-office
operations, but on how it also facilitates interoperation with the back-office environment,
encompassing people, processes, departments and applications.
作者: Rex 时间: 2009-7-21 23:32 标题: Re:Front-To-Back-Office Integration
manage customer relationships more effectively, reduce costs, increase profitability and
achieve sustainable competitive advantage over the long term. Front-to-back-office
integration, however, can be costly and complex for companies, especially SMBs. The use of
pre-packaged integration, therefore, represents the most effective solution for these
organisations.
Sage CRM provides out-of-the-box integration to market-leading Sage ERP products. This
equips SMBs, on a low-cost, low-complexity basis, with consistent customer data across
their front and back-office environments and provides users with real customer visibility
across financial and non-financial data, as well as facilitating straight-through processing
which significantly reduces errors and administrative cost. Over the long-term, companies
using Sage CRM’s front-to-back-office integration capabilities can expect to significantly
decrease administrative cost, increase customer satisfaction and consequential revenue
opportunities, and build sustainable competitive advantage in an increasingly challenging
marketplace.
| 欢迎光临 赛捷软件论坛 (http://sagesoft.cn/bbs/) |
Powered by Discuz! 7.2 |