Which CRM or ERP Should I Choose for my Business?

You’ve decided that it is time to integrate a CRM or an ERP into your business. Perhaps you are even considering deploying both systems at the same time, or one first and another later.

The question you find yourself asking is which vendor you should choose, and which system will work for your business.

Some names immediately jump out when you consider ERP and CRM. For instance, Oracle bought NetSuite in 2016 for $9.3 billion as reported by the New York Times.

Now you cannot think of ERP without NetSuite entering into your thoughts. Does that point to it being the best system for you? Perhaps CRM is more important right now, and something like Salesforce should be considered instead.

What system do you need?

Before you can really make a solid decision on what system to choose, you need to understand what purpose they serve.

You are also going to have to put together a focus group to judge what your business needs at this precise moment in time.

Installing a CRM system when you really need a good ERP could be a very time-consuming and expensive mistake. This should be a serious consideration because the process behind choosing, testing, and installing these systems can be very expensive.

What do CRMs and ERPs actually do?

So, CRM is based around the sales and customer relations side of the business. It can help to predict future sales through past client history. It helps to establish a database on each customer through their communications and their past orders.

This system lends itself to long-term relations being fostered, and the client needs to be anticipated and met. Introducing a CRM is one of the things you can do to enhance the consumer experience.

ERPs on the other hand is more about managing internal operations, specifically for human resources, manufacturing, and financial data.

An ERP allows departments to work together more harmoniously and to eliminate duplicate procedures. It brings in automation, helps to cut costs, and increases productivity.

Which one should your business choose?

It would be wonderful if it was as straightforward as saying choose Salesforce for instance. However, a business needs to be analyzed for its weaknesses, and where it needs strengthening the most.

When it comes to CRM, then Salesforce is a market leader. According to Statista, Salesforce is the biggest CRM vendor.

Other vendors include Zendesk, Oracle, SAP, HubSpot, Adobe, Microsoft, and Pegasystems. Perhaps surprisingly, considering their background in illustration and photo manipulation, Adobe is the second biggest player after Salesforce.

In the ERP market, things are slightly different, with SAP, Oracle, Intuit, and Microsoft holding large portions of the market.

What are the big players involved in CRM and ERP?

As you have seen above, there are some very big brands behind both CRM and ERP. Some very small companies also develop these platforms, and they actually take up more of the ERP market than all the big players put together.

In the CRM market though, Salesforce reigns supreme.

When it comes to pitting NetSuite vs Salesforce you might see things a little differently though.

There is no doubt that many small and big companies around the world will rave about Salesforce. It is the clear leader in a packed CRM market. The features it delivers can help a business improve its customer service and sales processes without a doubt.

NetSuite has something that Salesforce doesn’t have though.

Why would you choose NetSuite over Salesforce?

This is not a declaration that NetSuite is better than Salesforce at all, just that there are some things to consider with this platform.

Firstly, if you are a small business, NetSuite may not be for you. Back in 2011, the company announced the decision to stop selling to small businesses. This has now been rescinded but it does remain a very complex piece of software that a small business may not need.

Secondly, and one important factor in your choice is that while Salesforce is just a CRM, a very, very good one at that, it cannot handle ERP.

NetSuite on the other hand is both an ERP and a CRM.

How do you choose one?

NetSuite has thousands of fans, as does Salesforce. You could of course look at something completely different. For instance, there are many benefits of Microsoft Dynamics AX Salesforce.

Ease of use is one consideration, and Salesforce has been praised for its UX. NetSuite also has its fans who find it easy and practical to use.

Perhaps the best way to decide is to use comparison charts and to bring in an experienced consultant in these fields.

Summary

With something so complex and expensive, trying to provide a definitive answer here to which system you should purchase is nigh on impossible.

Your first choice is to decide whether it is CRM or ERP you need. Then you can start to look at the options. Of course, it may be simplest to find a system that handles both, and then NetSuite starts to look quite attractive.

A CRM and ERP consultant will be able to professionally advise on your needs though.