| For any business to extract maximum benefit from | | | | production, and a lean supply chain that responds to |
| its CRM deployment, it is important that it be linked | | | | demands quickly. All this not only helps cut costs but |
| to the back processes. Supply chain management, | | | | also acquire a competitive advantage for a business |
| when connected via business intelligence tools with | | | | that can take the lead in offering a better buying |
| CRM, can throw light on many hitherto unknown | | | | experience and service level that competitors may |
| aspects of a company's business processes. | | | | not be able to offer. |
| The insight offered by CRM into customer behavior | | | | An efficient and responsive supply chain can have a |
| and demand patterns can be made use of to | | | | huge positive impact on store product segmentation |
| streamline manufacturing and distribution of products | | | | and effective customer targeting. Integration |
| as managed by the supply chain function. An | | | | between CRM and SCM improves communication |
| important feature to understand when deploying | | | | between the store and the manufacturing. For retail |
| CRM is that it can only provide information that has | | | | businesses such integration can imply a lot of benefits |
| to be used both at the front end and back end to | | | | such as better distribution to retail outlets over |
| improve processes. Customer segmentation | | | | various geographic locations; feedback to suppliers, |
| information can be used to structure the purchase of | | | | distributors, transporters, etc. The use of BI for |
| raw materials, scheduling manufacturing, managing | | | | predicting performance at individual stores that can |
| inventory, and overall running the supply chain. A | | | | be aggregated to obtain a holistic picture of the |
| business can obtain major cost savings by acting | | | | supply chain is relevant to the entire exercise. |
| upon information from CRM systems. | | | | Businesses can ensure the availability of quick-moving |
| A streamlined supply chain is key to reaching out to | | | | items and reduce the likelihood of losing customers. |
| the right consumer at the right time and CRM offers | | | | A wider view of the happenings at the retail level can |
| inputs on providing the customers with the right | | | | also help to take ad hoc decisions when pressed for |
| product mix and targeting them with appropriate | | | | time. Marketing and sales can coordinate more |
| marketing. A backward integration of processes | | | | fruitfully with the supply chain to move or divert |
| taking into account the information obtained from | | | | goods to given locations during peak seasons or for |
| CRM can help a business better allocate its resources | | | | promotional purposes. Viewing data pulled from |
| be they in manufacturing, processing, marketing, or | | | | marketing, sales, supply chain, finance etc on a single |
| sales. Apportioning of raw materials to machines and | | | | dashboard can enable management as well as store |
| machines to a given product can be done more | | | | managers to take profitable decisions on cross-selling |
| accurately if market demands are known; it also | | | | and up-selling across different channels. |
| leads to a reduction of inventory stocks, JIT | | | | |