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The ERP-Customer Service Connection: Four ways to boost satisfaction

by Bridget McCrea
Contributing Writer,

Strategically placed deep within the central controls of the organization, enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions like Dynamics ERP products aren't always immediately linked to improving customer-facing activities and experiences. Analysts and vendors have started promoting the value of using ERP to boost customer experience, but has that message reached the end user?

We ferreted out four different ways companies can use (or, that they already are using) their ERPs to improve customer service levels and outpace their competitors. Here's what we learned:

  1. To improve information sharing across the organization. In 5 ERP Business Benefits Of 2014, author Bob Vormittag of VAI writes about how ERP solutions can improve the availability of information across multiple business units and, as a result, increase business response times. Being able to shave even just a few minutes off of those response times can mean the difference between getting the order or relinquishing the business to a competitor. 
  2. To speed up the sales process.  As one of the nation's top-selling furniture brands, Ashley Furniture Industries was facing two key customer service challenges in 2011. It wanted to speed the in-store checkout process (which could take from 30 to 45 minutes) for customers, and appeal to a broader demographic. After replacing its existing retail system with Dynamics AX across all of its stores, the company says it shortened the in-store checkout process for customers (from 45 minutes to a targeted five or six minutes) and is also attracting a younger demographic via a buying experience that allows consumers to shop based on their own unique shopping styles. The company now has its eye on ...

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About Bridget McCrea

Bridget McCrea covers business and technology topics for various publications. She can be reached at bridgetmc@earthlink.net.

More about Bridget McCrea