Deploying SaaS applications does not come without its challenges however, and SaaS CRM solutions are no different. Many IT departments tend to become frustrated soon after they start using a SaaS application because the critical business information they need is not accessible from the new system. This information exists in highly customized on-premise back-end systems such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and financial applications. In order to realize the full benefit of SaaS CRM solutions, this challenge must be addressed, and it often becomes a bigger hurdle than anybody …show more content…
SaaS CRM solutions are less of a burden for IT but still deliver high business impact. The solution doesn’t require new IT infrastructure to get started and ongoing management and maintenance requires fewer IT resources than with traditional “owned and operated” CRM and packaged applications.
Subscription pricing. SaaS CRM solutions have a much lower upfront cost because companies subscribe to the service by paying a monthly fee based on the number of users. This also makes the solution very easy to scale as a company grows. Easy to change. Customizations, workflows and preferences in SaaS CRM solutions are performed through configuration, not coding. Changes are easy as well because the application just needs to be reconfigured whenever business needs or processes change.
Despite these attractive benefits, SaaS CRM implementations will deliver limited value if the associated integration issues are not considered and resolved upfront. Getting SaaS CRM solutions up and running is so easy that users tend to expect instant access to all of their business information—about customers, contacts, leads, opportunities, and more. If this doesn’t happen, they get frustrated. Although these applications are simple to see immediate results, their integration with other systems in a company is critical to realizing the full value they offer. Integration: The Last Barrier to …show more content…
SaaS applications by themselves provide little differentiation unless they are integrated with highly customized back-end applications that are core to a company’s operations. Retaining this differentiation and making the enormous quantity of corporate data available to the newer, more cost-effective SaaS systems brings the issue of application integration to the forefront. This is especially important in relation to CRM systems which are often the primary source of information for tracking sales contacts, leads, pipeline data and quarterly