Published On: October 16th, 2019

In the world of sales and remote service teams it can be a challenge to manage their work to minimize down time and maximize productivity with out-of-the-box software. If you have run into any of the challenges below, it may be time to consider a custom software solution that integrates into your current CRM or ERP system, allowing you to maximize your investment.

CRM software may be great at tracking customer relationships in terms of completed work/orders and upcoming opportunities, but few solutions present the customer information to suit all the different parties that need it. For example, can your sales team see trended order history on demand or be alerted when that trend is falling outside what should be expected based on past history?

In service industries, specialized job scheduling software has been available for many years, but few have made the leap into the smartphone era. Now that wi-fi is so widely available, your teams in the field can actually be more actively managed from the office. However, when job schedules change mid-day, most solutions require you to make a lot of manual changes (and phone calls) to shift your workforce to avoid downtime.

Custom software does not have to mean a complete replacement of an existing CRM or ERP, but a smart investment can leverage the data in them to craft a management solution that is specific to your needs. Triple Helix has been making open source solutions that fit with CRMs and ERPs so their clients can set and adjust job priorities in real time.

For example, a scheduling portal can be built to make the scheduling of resources happen in real time. As changes come in (weather events or client reschedules) and as jobs are completed, updates are made by managers, customer service reps, and workers on smart phones, tablets, or touch screens. Issues can be reported, and schedules updated in real time, minimizing surprises and increasing organizational efficiency.

Real-time analytics can be layered over CRM or ERP data to provide managers and sales team members with alerts about customers who cancel appointments or orders, and reports can be provided to help those teams see the profitability and other trended data to help troubleshoot relationship issues before the customer is lost.

Whether your business specializes in field services or manufacturing at one facility, making your software solutions work for you makes good business sense. If your processes have had to adapt to your software but performance could be improved if the situation were reversed, then custom software development could be worth the investment of time and money. Besides being the most powerful way to solve difficult business problems, well-planned custom software can deliver a major boost to efficiency and productivity, providing a positive impact to your bottom line.

Triple Helix focuses on delivering software that makes a positive impact on operations and solves business data and process problems. We have helped clients in manufacturing, professional services, and non-profit services and can help your business too. Contact us if you would like to schedule a risk-free consultation to see if your business could benefit from a custom software solution.

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About The Author: Jason Bittner

jason bittner

CEO and founder of Triple Helix Corporation, since 2004. For over two decades, Jason has worked closely within the Aerospace/Defense/Manufacturing industries. He excels at solving technical challenges by integrating data and information technologies with best business practices. Jason takes an avid interest in educating his readers with the latest news in information management, as well as providing keen insights into the most efficient methodologies for the best operating companies today and into the future.