The answer to this question would depend on the type of startup. Many individuals start a business based on their skills and experience and have no plans to make it a national or global operation. In this case Microsoft Dynamics CRM may be overkill. If they serve only a handful of local customers with just a couple of products or services then they may not even need a CRM. On the other hand there are startups with venture capital funds and goals to become international. For them a CRM is indispensable right from the word go and Microsoft Dynamics CRM fits like a glove, especially if the startup opts for Microsoft solutions across the board.
Table of Contents
It is hosted and subscription based
As a startup you do not need to purchase software when you opt for Dynamics CRM. It is a hosted pay as you go service model. That makes it quite affordable for startups. You can start with just two users and pay for subscription from revenues you generate. Think of putting in place IT infrastructure for today and tomorrow and the cost would eat up a major chunk of your startup funds.
Data right from the start
Startups may assume that they will go for Dynamics CRM when they have acquired a sizeable number of customers. This may be skewed thinking because you will need to integrate data all over again and you also lose the fine edge of refined Dynamics data and business intelligence features. Instead, think ahead and integrate Dynamics CRM at the time of germination. Watch your data as you grow and use the features to increase business by understanding customers better and acquiring predictive intelligence capabilities. Think about this. You need this capability more when you are making inroads into a market littered with heavy competition.
Automation from the start
Automate most processes with the help of Microsoft CRM and you save on manpower and time besides being able to deliver better experience to prospective and existing customers. Dynamics CRM helps to capture leads, feed marketing and sales and set up automatic campaigns with follow through and tracking at all points. You know what is happening at each stage and can change or take advantage of leads or existing customers’ feedbacks. Automation also means that you and your team can focus on more important tasks instead of allocating resources to mundane and routine tasks.
Smooth Integration
It is more than likely that startups will use solutions such as Office 365 and Outlook. Get a vendor to integrate Dynamics 365 and it becomes a centralized control point for all data. More important is that Dynamics CRM can also function as ERP. With just one step you have gained total control and view of your vendors, customers and even employee HR functions as well as sales and marketing. You also gain access to a lot of apps and tools such as Business Intelligence module and project management. Everything is interlinked. Action in one area reflects in another so you do not have to spend time updating records and cross checking them. Consult a suitable Microsoft Dynamics solution provider and you have perfect integration that saves time, money and effort.
Easy to use
The trouble with many CRMs is that they are quite complex and have features that many people in sales or marketing may not even be able to understand, let alone use. What happens then is that the CRM tends to be neglected and set aside. Dynamics CRM for startups is easy to understand and dashboards can be customized for each department. Even you, as the owner of the startup, may know little about data warehousing, analytics and deriving intelligence that you can understand. Not to worry. You get visual data like charts, graphs and icons that give you all the information you need to take action.
Predictive capabilities
Dynamics CRM is quite powerful. It can connect with Azure and it has Cortana as well as Power BI business intelligence tools that work in real time on flowing data. In simple words, the in-depth analytics of real time data and presentation before you give you predictive capabilities of emerging trends. It gets even better. You are presented with intelligence. What action would you take? That would be a challenge for startups given the various influencing factors. However, Microsoft CRM actually gives you suggestions on what you can do. There is artificial intelligence at work and, as you grow, it becomes more refined with the machine learning capabilities. Start today when you are venturing into business and, in a couple of years you have a really smart assistant.
Mobility
When you are starting it is more than likely that you and your team members are going to spend more time out of office than inside. Microsoft CRM works seamlessly on mobiles so you do not have to worry about access to data at any time and from anywhere. It is there, right in your pocket, in your phone or tablet.
Great support
Microsoft is well established and the company is not likely to go away. It has channel partners offering Microsoft Dynamics customization and CRM support solutions across the world. Link up with one and you can have custom Dynamics development support throughout your growth journey.
When you start you think big so why think small for CRM. Get the biggest and the best and you are set for life, as they say.
