Let’s face it – it can be difficult to let go of old habits, right? But trust me when I say the notepad and paper isn’t so trusty! Luckily, we’ve come a long way…but are your business processes still stuck in the past?

Previously, all accounts information would’ve been noted down on paper or on spreadsheets. Nowadays, having confidential financial data like income and outgoings on a piece of paper would clearly be very inefficient. Therefore, most businesses today have an accounting system to store this information more securely. So why would you risk the potential loss or misplacement of other vital customer data like emails, documents and past conversations? Not only does this pose a security breach, but once again – it’s inefficient, and doesn’t allow your team to deliver the standard of service your customers expect. 

Customer data may be stored in all kinds of areas of your business. It could be on physical pieces of paper, spreadsheets, somewhere on your computer, and even in your employee’s heads! Having lots of information all over the place makes it difficult for your team to find customer information quickly without hassle. Plus, let’s say a colleague is covering for you while you’re on your well-earned holiday…if crucial information about a customer sale or a lead you’ve been working on is stored in a place where no one else can access it, how is your colleague meant to meet that service expectation of your customers?

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system holds valuable customer information into one centralised database, so that it’s accessible to your whole team. Data is organised into companies, branches and under individual contacts e.g. a supplier you’re working with, an existing customer or a prospective client. This means important data is stored under your contacts, making it much easier to find that crucial information when you need it most. You can also save documents such as letters, quotes or orders under your customer’s records, as well as any key conversations you have with them over the phone or email. With an accounts-integrated CRM, orders are automatically synced with your accounts resulting in less errors and better communication with your customers. All of this allows you to minimise the risk of losing customer information and lessens the time required to find the information you need. Ultimately, you can start delivering that excellent standard of service your customers expect of you. 

So, let go of those bad habits, and start to make positive changes to your business processes now!