New CRM offers faster implementations and better ERP links

Manufacturers may say they’re not into CRM, particularly the very large packages – and who could blame them – but the latest from PeopleSoft seems geared to answering some of the criticisms. The company has gone through four major releases of its CRM since the all-Internet launch in June 2001, but CRM 8.8, is being proclaimed as the first to really go for fast implementations. It’s also designed to provide deep links into ERP systems (SAP and Oracle, as well as its own) for smarter working and there’s a new user interface – and some 150 new features. Incidentally, there are also industry-specific versions of the release now for the energy and utilities sector and high tech and electronics industries. And Cap Gemini Ernst & Young and IBM Global Services have already announced professional services support, while Actional, BEA Systems, Jacada, IBM and Tibco Software are all geared to providing quick integration paths. Charles Grove, CRM director of marketing, says the new system is designed for ‘out-of-the-box’ implementation no matter how many customer ‘channels’ (email, phone, whatever) you need to integrate, and that it’s fast because it is so pre-configured with appropriate processes and ‘best practice’. He also claims it will encourage what PeopleSoft is referring to as ‘smart business processes due to its tight integration with typically ERP information in real time and appropriate analytics to assist selling operations and planning. There’s also full integration of what was Calico’s product configurator system (acquired at the beginning of this year), providing for constraint-based complex product configuration, and spitting out bills of materials (BoMs) and the rest for manufacturing production planning and scheduling. And there’s a sophisticated pricing engine, bringing in variables like demand, volume discounts, location, delivery time, etc, as well as support for mobile and wireless working for sales forces, etc. Grove contends that big users in manufacturing, like construction tools maker Hilti in Italy and Peugeot Citroen, are seeing significant business benefits from their CRM 8 implementations because of the increasing requirement in these very competitive days for holistic, well managed content and open lines of communication with customers.