Software Categories Research Resources Software Selection About Us EN Home | All Categories | Solution list Top CRM Software - Compare and Research Interested in comparing, evaluating, and integrating a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system? Below is a list of the top CRM systems available on the market today. You can also get a CRM Request for Proposal (RFP) template, compare CRM features and functionalities, with our capability templates. You can also build custom, comparison reports. Additionally, read our CRM Buyer's Guides and learn more through our CRM FAQs. Solutions Overview Buyer's Guide Selection Tools Publications FAQs Compare Now Solution list Refine Results Solution list Search Subcategories Customer Relationship Management & Support 204 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) 39 Live Chat 21 Surveys 20 Appointment Scheduling 18 Call Center 17 Contract Management 17 Event Management 15 Industries Business size Features Platforms Price TEC Certified Sort by Popularity Alphabetical Zoho ONE ZOHO Compare Zoho One is the operating system for business. Zoho One is a broad bundle of applications that work collectively to run an entire business on the cloud. With Zoho One, sales, marketing, accounting, help desk, and human resource teams; along with everyone else in an organization; will be more connected and productive than ever before. It includes more than 45 web applications, and an equal number of mobile apps, all accessible under a single account, with centralized administration and provisioning. Zoho One also has cutting edge services like AI, BI, contextual messaging, search, SSO, provisioning and Telephony that span across all the 45+ Apps. All this makes Zoho One the operating system for any business. SAP S/4HANA SAP Certified Product Compare S/4HANA is the flagship enterprise resource planning (ERP) product developed by SAP, one of the largest providers of enterprise software applications in the world. SAP bills their S/4HANA solution as “future-ready”, partly due to features such as machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and analytics built into this ERP system. Perhaps more important is SAP’s shift toward an in-memory database structure for S/4HANA ERP, an innovation that promises to deliver “real-time processing speeds”, along with other benefits. Founded in Weinheim, Germany in 1972, SAP now has offices in 180 countries. The company has long been among the leaders in enterprise solutions. In addition to S/4HANA, SAP offers an ERP for small and midsize businesses (SMBs), with the option of integrating a wide range of SAP products within their ERP solutions. Microsoft Dynamics CRM by ERT Enterprise Resource Technologies Group Inc. Compare Microsoft is bringing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software into a new era with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. It is a flexible CRM solution that works the way your people do, works the way your business does, and works the way IT wants it to. Maximizer CRM Maximizer Services Inc. Certified Product Compare Maximizer CRM is an integrated sales, marketing, and customer service and support management solution accessible via multiple platforms: Web, mobile, and desktop. It offers simple-to-use list-based views, with customizable column setups and reports to display all the important details of each contact on one screen. It is easily configurable for organizations in any industry and is a key tool to optimize sales processes, enhance marketing initiatives, and improve customer service. Maximizer Software offers both on-premise and cloud-based solutions. SAP C4C SAP Compare SAP C4C: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in the Cloud Cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) software solutions typically take less time to implement compared to on-premises CRM systems and usually feature a lower initial cost, though the total cost of ownership (TCO) tends to be roughly the same over a period of three to five years. With all data stored on a central server based in the cloud, cloud-based CRM users can access data from anywhere. The following is a general overview of SAP Cloud for Customer (C4C)—a complete, robust, and mature, cloud-based solution built on over 13 years of CRM development. SAP’s C4C covers standard CRM functionality, including contact and account management, sales team management, tracking of customer communications, and support for marketing and communications campaigns. It can integrate with ERP and ECC solutions from SAP, as well as Outlook. SAP C4C CRM can be deployed using both Silverlight and HTML5. Silverlight is usually used by Administrators and HTML is used by end-users. SAP C4C comes bundled with the ability to integrate with SAP ERP and SAP CRM solutions, plus it offers a consistent, intuitive user interface and strong social media engagement/management features. Within the SAP C4C architecture, there are the following sub modules: SAP Cloud for Sales, SAP Cloud for Marketing, and SAP Cloud for Engagement. Some specific SAP C4C features include integration with social media, integration with Microsoft Outlook and Google Gmail, and real-time analytics. These are key in sales force automation, and the solution includes collaboration tools and interactive dashboards. In addition, SAP C4C features an embedded sales intelligence with AI recommendations and activity guidance. SAP C4C CRM is available in 19 different languages and can be integrated to SAP ERP/ECC solutions. The SAP C4C architecture is multi-tenant, meaning solutions and components can be shared between multiple customers and all updates. Being multi-tenant also means that when SAP upgrades or releases a patch, it might overwrite some of the custom solutions built on top of the SAP C4C solution. A single tenant option that is a private edition is available for an additional cost when there’s a need to retain industry specific and company specific modifications. One of the key SAP C4C benefits is that it enables you to manage all interactions with your customers and prospects efficiently and securely. Your sales and customer service team can access customer information from anywhere, on virtually any device. For more information on how SAP C4C compares to its leading competitors, check out our to see if it’s compatible with your company’s needs. Synergy Exact Software LLC Compare Exact Synergy allows organizations to create and manage their business communities and processes by bringing together every individual, document, and activity so that each decision and every action contributes to the flow of business. Synergy includes functionality for Zoho CRM Plus ZOHO Compare Zoho CRM Plus is a unified customer experience platform that unifies sales, marketing, and support teams and empowers them to work as one. It includes CRM, marketing automation, help desk, social media, website visitor tracking, project management, unified analytics, and surveys, topped with AI and powerful mobile apps. With CRM Plus, businesses can get a 360-degree view of every customer, to provide exceptional experiences across all customer touchpoints. SalesForce Salesforce.com Compare Salesforce provides customer relationship management (CRM) solutions that focus on sales force automation, marketing automation, customer service and support, and analytics. Its solutions feature on-demand architecture and a point-and-click customization tool. Saleforce.com products have won several awards, including InfoWorld Technology of the Year for CRM in 2004 and 2005, and PC Magazine Editors' Choice Award for Top CRM Solution Enterprise Edition in July 2004. Power Suite Entrepids Inc. Compare Entrepids offers Power Suite, a product suite for demand chains. The suite covers such areas as order management, e-commerce, channel management, mobile SFA, CRM, portals and intranets, contact management, and security management. Its components include PowerVentas (for business-to-consumer e-commerce), PowerChannels (for e-business demand chain management), PowerSalesMobile, PowerCRM, PowerContent (for content management), PowerE-mail, and PowerSecurity. TOTVS Protheus TOTVS S/A Compare TOTVS Protheus is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software product that supports companies of all types and sizes. Similarly to competing solutions, TOTVS Protheus ERP is designed to streamline business processes and organize data across an entire company within a single solution. TOTVS maintains that their ERP serves as an agile solution that scales well to meet company needs and cover operational requirements for a wide range of sectors and verticals. As a Brazilian company that’s grown over the last three decades, TOTVS became a leading software vendor in South America through their ability to respond well to local market conditions and requirements. Their success in markets closer to home allowed Protheus, TOTVS’ ERP solution, to find a foothold in Central and North America, including an expansion into the United States. Founded in 1983, TOTVS remains a leader in Brazil and maintains a presence in California and Portugal. 1 2 3 Showing page 1 of 4 Overview What Does Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software Do? Definition Establishing and maintaining strong customer relationships is a critical activity for any business. Client satisfaction depends on several elements of customer service, from smooth and accurate order fulfilment to targeted communications. Customer relationship management (CRM) software is designed not only to facilitate these processes but also to integrate with other core business functions such as financials, inventory management, and quality management, for better business intelligence and optimal client service. CRM software can track and automate interactions with customers across many mediums, from email to online chats to social media feeds. Consistency in communications and interactions with customers across all channels is important because today’s customers expect quick and seamless service regardless of the channels they use to contact your company. In addition, automation of routine and repetitive functions frees salespeople and customer service reps to devote themselves to higher-value work, enabling them to provide better offerings and services to customers. Benefits of CRM Software The top benefits of using a CRM system stem from the centralized database for collecting, organizing, sharing, and analyzing customer data both on individual and aggregate levels. The type of customer data collected can include anything from updated contact information and purchasing history to granular data on customer interactions by sales channel, the history of contacts between the customer and the sales or customer service staff, and more. With all authorized employees being able to access and update the latest information about each customer’s transactions and interactions with the company, records are accurate and customer-facing communications are on point. Likewise, marketing messaging can be targeted to fit the precise stage of the customer’s journey through automation features built into top CRM software. This can encompass lead nurturing, standard notifications such as order status and shipping, and suggested reading or products of interest based on the customer’s prior behaviour. On the internal communications front, a CRM solution can enhance collaboration between individual employees and between departments. For example, a salesperson can immediately view the substance of any contacts a customer has had with customer service before initiating an interaction with that customer. A CRM system can also help identify customers who are less than fully satisfied or who’ve become dormant, paving the way for dedicated communication designed to re-engage or remediate any issues. In addition, well-equipped CRM software presents dashboards and reports to showcase relevant data, and, in some CRM systems, even spot emerging trends or run predictive (“what-if”) scenarios. This business intelligence can benefit the whole company, influencing everything from inventory management to marketing campaigns to HR decisions, and even identifying the products and services that may require greater staff training. In summary, the top benefits of CRM software include: Better customer service and higher customer retention Automation of routine tasks Optimal, targeted customer-facing communications Better sales support Interdepartmental efficiency Improved business intelligence Standard Modules in CRM Software TEC’s industry analysts maintain a database of the latest features and functions found across CRM solutions on the current market. Based on their research and on data collected from vendors through certification projects, or software evaluation and selection projects with clients in various industries, here are the standard software modules listed for CRM solutions. The five modules below trace the structure of typical CRM-related business processes and provide a general model of this category of software. Sales Force Automation—The sales force automation (SFA) module supports your sales team with tasks related to the identification of new business opportunities and management of contacts from customers and prospects. SFA also works to generate proposals and quotes that, later on in the cycle, can be converted into sales orders. Another important function of SFA is managing sales territories and partners, along with other activities and tasks related to sales processes. Often, some level of reporting and analytics capabilities will be included in SFA for use in sales optimization efforts. Marketing Automation—This module assists your marketing department in defining and implementing strategies to promote your company and products. Marketing automation helps marketers manage the process of converting prospects into customers and customers into loyal clients. It should include capabilities for identifying market segments and optimizing the targeting of each segment based on attributes such as buying habits and locations. Marketing automation must also include appropriate analytical components for reporting and predicting customer behaviors in order to optimize marketing strategies on a continuous basis. Customer Service and Support—These components enable customer service representatives to provide efficient and comprehensive help to all customers, drawing upon the contracts or other documents that a customer has previously agreed to. Agreements can involve complex structures with multiple services, multiple accounts, and diverse pricing plans. Customer service staff must be able to access customer information, including service agreements, provisioning information, usage, account status and billing information, and order status. They also need the ability to create cases for each issue or problem both quickly and efficiently. Customer service managers need to be able to monitor the cases, including escalating or assigning them, and getting directly involved when needed. Both customer service employees and customers can benefit from a knowledge base that contains solutions to the most frequent problems. Analytics and Reporting—CRM analytics covers all the features that analyze customer data and customers’ interactions with the business. Dashboards provide better visualization of customer data, which can be viewed in a dynamic manner as opposed to a static traditional report. CRM users should also be able to work with this data—drilling down, applying filters, changing the type of visualization, for example—and export it for use in other solutions, such as an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, other enterprise software solutions, or office productivity tools. Extended CRM—Since the dawn of CRM software in 1990s, top CRM software vendors have extended the traditional or core functionalities of CRM solutions to include features and functions that may not be must-haves for a CRM system but that can help companies improve their CRM-related processes and activities. Such extensions may include email response management, workflow, document management capabilities, internationalization, and vertical support. How to Choose the Best CRM Software? Many companies consider CRM software among the easier systems to choose and implement. But in our experience, a data-driven approach that’s anchored in your company’s specific needs is still the best method for ensuring you select the right CRM software and implement it appropriately. This is because CRM requirements will vary among companies that are of a similar size or operating in the same industry. The selection process starts with taking a transparent look at your business processes and software systems so that you will understand your company’s business needs, identify the gaps that exist, and know which precise processes need to be supported by the desired system. Once a detailed list of your requirements is prepared and agreed upon by your stakeholders, the software selection project shifts to evaluating and comparing specific products to determine those solutions that help you best perform your business processes and activities. A shortlist of viable solutions can then proceed to vendor demos, scoring of demos, and final selection/negotiation steps. As with any important business investment, an organized and thoughtful approach should be taken when selecting a CRM solution. TEC offers a number of resources for CRM software selection, including RFP templates, comparison charts, and modules & features lists. In addition, TEC’s impartial advisors and consulting services can provide expert guidance. Pricing Considerations for CRM Software As is the case with most categories of enterprise software, there are three key factors that help determine the price of CRM solutions: Company size Number of users of the software The range of features required according to business requirements In addition, the type of deployment (on-premise or cloud) can be a factor. While a cloud-based CRM will usually have a lower initial cost, it is necessary to consider the total cost of ownership (TCO) over several years to get a true sense of the price of the solution. In other words, the up-front cost of an on-premise CRM will be higher than that of a similar cloud CRM solution, but the monthly subscription costs of the cloud CRM will even out the differences between the two deployment modes over a period of several years. TEC’s impartial experts, in addition to being available to help with the software selection process, can prepare a customized program to facilitate contract and price negotiations for CRM software selection. This can lead to significant cost savings for companies. To see how TEC can help, read a TEC Customer Case Study with CRM software. What Types of Businesses Use CRM Software? While it may seem that sellers of consumer goods would be the main users of this type of software, a CRM system has much wider applicability. Virtually any business, whether it is classified as a business-to-consumer (B2C) or business-to-business (B2B) company, can benefit from using CRM software that is well suited to its particular requirements. This includes service providers. Industries that have been at the forefront of CRM adoption include: Retail Banking and financial services Insurance Utilities Hospitality Automotive Professional consulting What Are the Most Popular CRM Software Vendors? There are dozens of software vendors and CRM solutions currently available, so businesses have plenty of choice. Top CRM software vendors offer excellent solutions for businesses of any size. These vendors and solutions are among the most popular and respected brands of CRM software: Salesforce Oracle NetSuite CRM Maximizer CRM Infor CRM SAP CRM Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement Zoho CRMNEXT SYSPRO CRM Pivotal CRM TEC 2021 Field Service Management (FSM) Software Buyer’s Guide Field service management (FSM) software solutions enable organizations in various industry sectors to efficiently manage the servicing of their assets at the customer site. Specifically, these solutions enable the efficient creation, scheduling, assigning, and tracking of service activities away from the company’s premises—in the field. Not only can smart devices trigger a parts repair or replacement to prevent asset downtime but also customers can schedule asset or parts repair or replacements—and even accident reporting and automobile purchasing—through self-service portals or mobile apps. FSM software also provides increased support to field service technicians, enabling the sourcing of requisite parts and other activities for efficient job completion while satisfying the increased requirements for health and safety checks. Having an FSM software solution that best addresses the needs of the organization ensures the safety of field workers, the efficient performance of service activities, and the satisfaction of the organization’s customer base. The TEC 2021 FSM Software Buyer’s Guide looks at the following: 6 core functionality sets of FSM software 5 tech trends impacting the evolution of FSM 5 main business benefits of using a best-fit FSM solution 12 top FSM software vendors key considerations for evaluating and selecting a best-fit solution, and more. With the evolution of field service, owing to the incorporation of various technologies within the FSM realm, organizations owe it to their workers and customers to ensure that they run their operations in the safest and most efficient—and cost-effective—way possible. Read more By Ted Rohm | August 13, 2021 Buyer Guide Field Service Management (FSM) Asset Management Download Buyers's Guide Selection Tools RFP Template Customer Relationship Management (CRM) RFP Template View RFP Template Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Requirements Checklist View RFP Template CRM for Financial and Insurance Markets RFP Template View Customer Relationship Management & Support software selection tools Top Publications Industry Report Key Evaluation Criteria for E-Signature Software: Making the Right Choice for Cost-Saving Efficiency and Superior Service View Industry Report Salesforce Customer Success: Roadblocks and Recommendations View Industry Report Zoho CX Helps Business Stay Close to Customers in Pandemic Uncertainty View View All Publication CRM Software Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Q. What is customer relationship management? Customer relationship management (CRM) refers to a set of businesses processes that organizations use to attract and interact with customers, including managing sales and customer service. A CRM system is software that is dedicated to supporting the sale and delivery of goods and services, whether in a business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) environment. Q. What are customer relationship management tools? Customer relationship management tools include software functions and features that facilitate sales, communications, customer service, and the analysis of related data. CRM tools can manage data from all these customer-related processes and integrate hardware tools such as a point-of-sale (POS) credit card reader. Q. What is customer relationship management software used for? Customer relationship management software can be used for managing sales, service, communications, marketing, and other business processes related to CRM. A CRM system that’s connected with other departments in your company allows customer data to be used for other purposes, such as production or product planning. Q. How much does customer relationship management software cost? The cost of customer relationship management software will vary from one company to the next. Typically, the bigger the company, the more that CRM software will cost—the same pattern found in other types of enterprise software. Companies that take the time to understand their own business requirements for CRM software and compare competing CRM solutions tend to implement more cost-effective CRM solutions. Q. Why do enterprises need customer relationship management (CRM) software? Businesses typically need CRM software for two main reasons: to ensure a better customer experience and greater likelihood of repeat business, and to remain competitive. Companies that use CRM solutions optimize their business processes through software coverage, increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of sales, service, marketing, and customer communication. Without CRM software, enterprises will struggle to compete against industry peers. Q. What is an example of customer relationship management (CRM)? One example of customer relationship management involves using customer data to determine the potential preferences of your customers. Tailoring communications according to these preferences increases the likelihood of converting a prospect into a sale and continuing to sell to existing customers. Another example of a process facilitated by CRM software is omnichannel customer support: the ability of customer service reps to interact with potential or confirmed customers across all domains (social media, email, telephone, website inquiries), using a range of devices, with all interactions captured by the CRM system. Q. What are the advantages of customer relationship management in business? Customer relationship management facilitates improved communication with customers, more effective sales processes, and a better understanding of your customers. A CRM system can also facilitate automation of some tasks and reduce the costs of sales, service, marketing, and communication processes. Q. Is an ERP or CRM solution really worth it for small businesses? Nearly all types of businesses, including small and midsize businesses (SMBs), can benefit from implementing CRM and ERP software. Companies can choose from a wide range of CRM and ERP solutions from competing vendors, including easily-deployed, cloud-based software designed specifically for small businesses and niche industries. Company TEC News & Events Partnerships Media Vendors & Resellers Consultants Quick Links IT Showcase ERGO ROI Calculator © 2021 Technology Evaluation Centers. All rights reserved.Privacy PolicyTerms of Use