Source: http://www.vendor-showcase.com/software/281-16091-idealprofile/Customer-Relationship-Management-CRM/Surado-CRM-by-Surado-Solutions/ideal_custo

In a recent Forrester Research report, it was noted that while functions and features are important in selecting customer relationship management (CRM) software, they are not the "be-all and end-all" deciding factor.

It was also noted that when organizations looked back in terms of the criteria they used, or would use, to select CRM software, product capabilities were not nearly as important as most users initially thought they were.

Two of the top three criteria listed by companies focused on a CRM system's flexibility (i.e. configuration and customization) and the ease with which the application can be integrated with other systems.

Interestingly, a few features that some vendors have worked hard to incorporate into their products fell near the bottom of the evaluation-criteria lists. Vertical market specialization, for example, did not rank high among potential CRM buyers.

CRM Functions and Features

So, what exactly is core CRM functionality?

To come up with our answer, we researched hundreds of CRM products, and as a result of this process, we defined twelve functional areas that we believe cover the functionality that should be core components of any (and every) CRM solution.

The following is a list of these "core" CRM areas.

Area
1	CRM interface
2	Account management
3	Campaign, lead, and opportunity management
4	Customer service
5	Document management
6	Workflow automation
7	Desktop tools
8	Reporting, analytics, and dashboards
9	Administration and setup
10	Internationalization
11	Customization
12	Integration

1. CRM interface. This is the overall user interface, including home, pages, tabs, menus, dashboards, etc., as well as all the factors that affect the usability of the system.

2. Account management. The area of a CRM solution where all of the information about the companies (and the contacts or people at those companies) that the user enterprise has relationships with, is centrally maintained and managed. In addition, this area includes all calendar and activity management functionality.

3. Campaign, lead, and opportunity management. These areas of a CRM solution are where all of the selling opportunities are centrally maintained and managed.

4. Customer service. This area of a CRM solution is where customer service questions, requests, problems, and issues are input, tracked, and escalated (if need be), so that customers are able to get what they need handled in the most efficient and effective manner.

5. Document management. This functionality typically includes a document library where users can store files that other people can access via the web.

6. Workflow automation. This functionality can keep a business running smoothly by automatically assigning tasks (or sending e-mail alerts) based on a business's pre-defined processes. Workflow rules put workflow alerts and workflow tasks into action whenever the designated criterion is met.

7. Desktop tools. This functionality provides integration with desktop office tools like Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook, as well as wireless support and off-line access.

8. Reporting, analytics, and dashboard. This functionality monitors an enterprise's performance utilizing a variety of pre-defined (yet customizable) reports covering each of the services' main data areas. CRM solutions also allow users to use data filters, so they report on only the information needed, and to subtotal or chart the data to help analyze trends and get a concise picture of what's happening.

9. Administration and setup. This is the area of a CRM solution where an enterprise can import or export data and manage user roles (for information access) and security.

10. Internationalization. Internalization provides support for foreign language and real time currency conversion.

11. Customization. This is the ability to customize the CRM solution to meet industry- and company-specific requirements.

12. Integration. These are tools for integrating the CRM solution with other third party or legacy systems.

This Time It’s Microsoft and HP

Things continue to be busy for both Microsoft and HP as they try and make headway in the ever-competitive IT industry.?
Not abandoning it’s pursuit of the lucrative online advertising market, Microsoft has made a deal with HP to make Internet Explorer the default browser on HP PCs. Last month HP scooped up EDS to gain a larger portion of the enterprise consulting market. And to compete with Dell, everything from HP’s packaging, computers, and the displays they sit on are undergoing changes.Microsoft too has been supercharging its efforts in the enterprise space as well. In fact, at this year’s Convergence conference, Microsoft’s business unit was given the same strategic importance as Microsoft’s desire for online advertising.

So it seems like all the large IT companies are continuing to multitask to ensure they get a piece of the shrinking IT market in a contracting economy. They have a right to be concerned. A recent study by IDC shows that the majority of CIOs planning investments are focusing on cost reduction versus revenue generation.

One industry observer has even gone so far as to that say that for Microsoft to survive, it needs Yahoo because Vista has been doing poorly. But I’m not sure how much of this observation takes into account how Microsoft’s business unit is doing. While it’s still behind enterprise software heavy weights, Oracle and SAP, Microsoft Dynamics has grown from number 15 to number 5 in the overall ERP market by servicing the SMB market. Additionally, the Dynamics line, particularly CRM has been well received.