Transitioning from System of Record to System of Engagement

Sales force automation is a powerful concept. The promise of keeping sales focused on the important areas of their job (working with customers and closing deals) while minimizing the administrative areas (updating records, transcribing notes) has spawned an industry of CRM vendors. These systems often become all encompassing within a company, sending out tendrils to every department. They become the system of record.

This has laid the groundwork for building a cohesive customer experience across all stages. Each different department is able to access the data from previous and concurrent interactions. As the holistic customer experience becomes the organizational focus, more is needed out of a sales automation system than tracking the data. 

The interactions that begin to happen between groups and departments needs tools that clearly define, track, and report on who is responsible at each step and who is taking over. This is driving the shift towards systems of engagement that manage the human aspect of processes. 

The primary function of any systems or Apps that add a layer of engagement onto a system of record is to make the processes happening around the data clear. A system of record is only as good as the data included into it. Without clear (and simple) process for capturing and sharing data, the records in a database can quickly get outdated. This can cause internal confusion and have a negative impact on the customer experience.

With the rise of Enterprise Apps – SaaS software focused on specific tasks that are easy to implement and run – adding the engagement layer to a system of record does not require major infrastructure changes. Apps can provide an easy-to-use front-end for your internal users, while pushing back relevant data to the system of record already in place.

With an App platform, each department or group can build exactly what it needs to get its work done. Updating the system of record happens behind the scenes without affecting the front-end workflow. The flexibility of Apps means that they can also be changed quickly – sometimes even on the fly by end-users – without disrupting the entire system or process.

Data collection in a system of record has been, and continues to be, an important element of sales operations. As more departments get involved in the customer experience, matching process with that data will become increasingly important to companies who want to maintain their advantage. 

 

Come see how Onit Apps can help you transition to a system of engagement.

Thank you for subscribing!