Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are information management systems that automate many of the business practices associated with the operational or productive aspects of a company. Basically, it is a software architecture for companies that facilitates and integrates information between the manufacturing, logistics, finance and human resources functions of a company.
On the other hand, CRM (Customer Relationship Management) means, managing the relationship with customers. Nowadays the government is adopting commercial CRM solutions, which are allowing it to obtain the advantages of these robust platforms seeking to improve its relationship with its clients and therefore raise the levels of satisfaction of the citizens who come to them.
Unlike the private initiative, the government or most of its dependencies do not have a profit, so the focus of their CRM / ERP may be different, but essentially seek the same, achieve better relations with their customers or prospects, The difference is that the private initiative implements it in order to maintain or build businesses and the government in order to satisfy its citizens (comply with what it marks its instrument of creation) and to fulfill the campaign promises of the governor in turn .
How can ERP improve and fit into Customer Relationship Management system for government?
One of the core values ??demonstrated by ERP is the ability to improve the way the company receives customer orders, and performs them. Therefore, sometimes ERP is also known as “back-office software”. The time it may take to install an ERP project it is difficult to know how long it may take to install an ERP project, as it depends on many factors, and each one is different in each company, so it is difficult to generalize.
When the change is small, or performed in a particular area, it is easier to determine the time. However, the time it takes to get installed is not what matters, but understanding why the government’s CRM system needs this change, and how you will use it to improve it
What will fix ERP in the Government CRM System?
The main 5 reasons why the government should use ERP are: Integration of financial information; Integration of customer order information (citizen); Standardization and speed of the manufacturing process; Inventory reduction; Standardization of HR information
Will ERP fit with the government work method?
Many companies reject ERP projects when they discover that ERP software does not fit theirs (because they already work with the CRM system). At this stage they have 2 options: Change their processes and accommodate them to ERP software, which would mean profound changes in government work methods and would change the tasks of many workers (not many companies dare with this first option); Modify the Software to suit the processes.
How will the government integrate with the ERPs?
There are three forms generally used in ERPs installation:
– The Big Bang: This method is the most ambitious and difficult. It consists of changing the whole company at the same time. Due to the failures and horror stories of the late 1990s, this strategy is little used by companies today
– Strategy of franchises: This method consists of installing the ERP project in the different departments independently. This strategy plan takes a long time to complete
– Slam dunk: It focuses on a number of key processes, such as the financial module. This strategy is generally intended for smaller companies hoping to grow with ERP. The goal is to install the ERPs very fast and avoid all complicated engineering. Few companies that have carried out this strategy can say that they have received benefits from the new system.
One of the challenges currently facing the government is the effective implementation of its CRM models and make them work with ERPs, the invitation is to know the commercial tools that exist in the market, as they are widely tested tools and have given good Results that leave aside the construction of “tailor made solutions”, which, despite their cost, seem to be more economical in the short term or provide more advantages, in the medium and long term the cost-benefit balance ends in red For the state and accordingly for the citizens it serves.
An ERP tool successfully implemented in government in an integral way can offer many advantages for the real, timely and quality care for citizenship and for the effective decision making of the senior management of the dependencies.