Pivotal Crm From Cdc Software: Proving The Value Of Microsoft Office Business Applications

Introduction: The Case for OBAs

Introduction: The Case for OBAs

Ask any Line of Business (LOB) expert what really makes or breaks a Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or Supply Chain Management (SCM) implementation, and you'll get the same answer: user adoption. Many enterprises have invested time, money and passion into deploying the "perfect" LOB system, only to find that it is worth very little if their employees do not use it.

This is where Office Business Applications (OBAs) come in. OBAs are software solutions that combine the familiarity and ease-of-use of Microsoft Office applications with the depth and structure of LOB systems. More than 500 million people worldwide use Microsoft Office for their user interface; this is why innovative companies have capitalized on the customization capabilities of the Microsoft Office System to develop OBAs so that information workers can work with the user interface with which they are most comfortable while accessing LOB systems. With OBAs, user satisfaction and adoption are increased, thereby boosting productivity and ensuring that enterprises get the most out of their IT investments.

Pivotal CRM: An Award-Winning OBA

Pivotal CRM is an ideal embodiment of the OBA concept. Developed by CDC Software, a long-time Gold-Certified Microsoft Partner and winner of the 2009 Microsoft Partner of the Year award for Information Worker Solutions, Pivotal CRM embeds Microsoft Office Outlook and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server right within the CRM system and integrates closely with the Microsoft Office suite, allowing users to perform daily tasks with the tools with which they are most familiar while simultaneously tapping into vital CRM data.

Because Pivotal CRM is built on the flexible Microsoft .NET Framework, it also allows enterprises to build on their existing technology investments and to tailor the system precisely to meet their unique needs.

With Pivotal CRM, businesses receive the full benefit of both CRM and Microsoft technologies. CDC Software has a global partnership with Microsoft; its management and development teams work closely with Microsoft teams to ensure that Pivotal CRM moves in lock step with Microsoft advancements, enabling enterprises to benefit from Microsoft's cutting-edge technology developments and also from smooth integration with Microsoft technologies both today and in the future.

Pivotal CRM is an award-winning OBA because it is a flexible, powerful customer relationship management solution that is easy to use, easy to learn and people-centric, making it a CRM system that information workers are happy to adopt. CDC Software's decade-long partnership with Microsoft further enhances the value of the system, building upon the Microsoft technologies and applications that most enterprises already

use in order to help them get the most out of their IT investments. As new versions of Microsoft products are released such as Microsoft Office 2010 CDC Software releases new versions of Pivotal CRM soon thereafter, enabling customers to quickly take advantage of the latest Microsoft advancements.

Features and Benefits of Pivotal CRM

Pivotal CRM is an innovative OBA that natively combines the communication tools of Microsoft Office Outlook and the content management and search capabilities of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server to deliver a CRM solution that is easy to use and easy to adopt.

Unlike some systems that duplicate and sync data, often introducing redundancies and unnecessary complexity, Pivotal CRM embeds Microsoft solutions right within the CRM system. This allows information workers to use the solutions they're familiar with to perform their daily activities when they send an e-mail or meeting request, or create a task list in Pivotal CRM, they're actually doing so with their Outlook tools, not just synchronizing back to them.

Pivotal CRM is a highly effective business tool; built on the interoperable Microsoft .NET Framework, it harnesses the robust Microsoft Windows Server platform, the analytical and data management capabilities of Microsoft SQL Server and the data-protection services of Microsoft Windows to offer enterprises a CRM solution that they can depend upon to effectively manage their sales, marketing and customer service business data and processes.

Pivotal CRM is an award-winning OBA because it is the most flexible, integrated, intuitive and value-enhancing CRM solution on the market.

Flexible and Customizable

In order to remain competitive and profitable, businesses must deploy technology wisely, investing in flexible systems that will meet their unique needs both today and in the future.

That is why CDC Software developed Pivotal CRM on industry-standard Microsoft technologies that provide the groundwork for highly customizable, interoperable applications, enabling businesses to benefit from out-of-the-box customization without custom programming. Thanks to the widespread adoption of Microsoft technologies and the .NET Framework, developers, implementers and users of Pivotal CRM are able to leverage technology with which they are already familiar, rather than learning new proprietary code or processes.

Build on their existing technology.

Through the open, Web-based approach of the Microsoft .NET Framework, businesses are able to leverage their existing technology and also ensure future integration with other Web-based applications.

Provide best-in-class user experiences for employees and business partners.

Enterprises can easily tailor Pivotal CRM to fit their unique strategies and visions, creating internal and external user experiences that truly reflect the way they do business.

Deploy the innovative Pivotal Toolkit to customize and extend the functionality of out-of-the-box Pivotal CRM applications, including:

CRM databases and forms.

Client- and server-side business logic, including workflows, standards and data models.

Role- and task-based CRM navigational structures, including custom lists of role-specific links, tools and reports.

Rich data for custom business intelligence.

Empower authorized users to access Pivotal CRM on their choice of device.

Authorized users of Pivotal CRM can access the system from anywhere, at anytime on their choice of browser and device, including Windows Mobile.

Easily deploy and manage their Pivotal CRM solutions.

With Pivotal CRM, enterprises enjoy more flexible customization capabilities, cost-effective integration and enhanced user experiences due to a smart client infrastructure that combines the best features of both rich clients and thin clients.

Allow information workers to tailor their user interfaces to fit their unique roles and individual work styles.

Pivotal CRM's smart client user interface enables administrators and end users to personalize dashboards, creating personal "hubs" that integrate pre-built, custom or third-party SharePoint Web Parts to combine the data feeds and applications of their choice.

End users can create their own shortcuts and personalized information, including performance and lead-generation metrics, to-do lists, charts and graphs, reports, KPIs, knowledge base links, Outlook e-mail inboxes and calendars and even data feeds from back-office systems, Web sites and other third-party sources.

Seamlessly Integrated

Pivotal CRM is an exemplary OBA that embeds Microsoft Office Outlook, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server and Microsoft Visual Studio right within the system. Such seamless integration streamlines operations, provides easy access to CRM data, fosters communication within the enterprise and beyond and enhances customer relations in myriad ways.

Microsoft Office Outlook and Pivotal CRM

Because Microsoft Office Outlook is embedded within Pivotal CRM, it provides end users with one central location for managing priorities, CRM data and communications and avoids the pitfalls and complexity of both integration and synchronization, such as error handling. With Pivotal CRM, information workers can:

Access CRM data from Microsoft Outlook or any Microsoft Office file by right-clicking on any piece of information, such as a customer or company name, to look up and even insert related CRM data without leaving the Microsoft application, eliminating the need to toggle back and forth between applications.

Enforce CRM rules for data updates and insertion and workflow activities within Outlook.

Generate multiple e-mails, meetings and tasks directly within Outlook based on CRM workflow

Generate Microsoft Outlook e-mails and Microsoft Office files directly from the Pivotal CRM interface. There is no need for complex synchronization when a user generates an e-mail in Pivotal CRM, they are doing so directly within Microsoft Outlook.

Embed calendars and e-mail inboxes within their personalized portals to make it simple to connect with business partners, vendors, clients and co-workers.

Drag and drop CRM contacts and Microsoft Outlook contacts between the two systems.

Read and manage RSS feeds and blogs within Microsoft Outlook.

Share e-mail communications and their attachments with authorized team members centrally to keep collaborators apprised of all communications without extra work e-mail exchanges and their attachments are viewable within the CRM system and are tied to contact, company and/or opportunity records. This effectively expands the capabilities of Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange Server, making them more centralized collaboration tools.

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server and Pivotal CRM

Microsoft Office SharePoint Server is an integrated suite of server capabilities that helps improve organizational effectiveness by providing comprehensive content management and enterprise search. Because Pivotal CRM is integrated with SharePoint, it enables businesses to:

Organize data from multiple sources the CRM database, third-party sources and back-end systems into highly valuable personalized portals via flexible SharePoint Web Parts.

Extend CRM value to include content management.

Manage document libraries within Pivotal CRM and link them to CRM entities.

Search for CRM information from within SharePoint.

Manage shared information and content in one interface.

Microsoft Visual Studio and Pivotal CRM

Microsoft Visual Studio is embedded within Pivotal CRM as a development tool, allowing developers to:

Use Visual Studio's form designer to create and manage all Pivotal CRM forms.

Manage all Pivotal CRM workflow projects and code files.

Incorporating this leading Microsoft development tool within Pivotal CRM enables developers to use a familiar and robust tool for form and workflow development and other customization tasks, rather than learning new proprietary methodologies. Visual Studio allows users to design forms the way they want to, without writing any code they can control attributes such as color, justification, size and read/write rules, as well as organize data into tabs, eliminating scrolling. The guided form designer enables them to easily take advantage of screen real estate, and they can even create different forms to display to different user groups based on authorization or needs. In addition, Visual Studio Form Designer enables users to embed URL-based Web pages and .NET controls within a form, allowing, for example, buttons that perform tasks outside the CRM system.

Intuitive and Easy to Use

Pivotal CRM's close connection to Microsoft solutions extends to the level of the user interface. Pivotal CRM offers a Microsoft-style interface that most users find intuitive and familiar, enabling them to learn how to use the system in less time and with less training, and to enjoy a more seamless experience when performing their daily work in both the CRM solution and Microsoft applications. Furthermore, Pivotal CRM offers task - and role-sensitive navigation that changes in context with the area of the system being used and/or the role of the user, intelligently pushing content and features to the user when and where they are most relevant and useful.

Because it embeds the Microsoft tools users love right within the CRM system, and also allows easy incorporation of third-party information and applications via its Microsoft SharePoint-based portals, Pivotal CRM becomes a natural hub for information workers, providing a single central location for daily activities without compromising the functionality and ease of use that employees enjoy with Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Office applications.

With Pivotal CRM, information workers can:

Adapt their user interfaces to fit the way they work.

Tailor their user interfaces to fit their job-specific roles, tasks and individual work styles.

Work fluidly in both CRM and Microsoft applications.

Work within both systems simultaneously, beelining to the tools that are most relevant to them in fewer clicks.

Deploy fewer screens and applications to get the job done.

Find, assemble and analyze information quickly.

Access the specific CRM information needed to allocate resources and time effectively and to make informed, data-driven decisions that support and enhance company performance and customer satisfaction.

Access CRM information from Microsoft Office, Outlook and SharePoint. For example, an end user can right-click on the name of a company when working on a contract in Word, and it will bring up the company's CRM record on a sidebar so that the user can get the company's fax number and other details in a snap.

Stay within the application to create documents and spreadsheets; with Pivotal CRM, there is no need to switch back and forth between applications.

Export any content to any Microsoft Office document format in one click.

Use queries to reference multiple tables in a single search.

Create sophisticated target lists in seconds, then perform mail merges to instantly generate e-mails, letters or faxes.

Communicate and collaborate with ease.

Share data across multiple platforms, applications and devices.

Share and connect with others with the help of built-in, collaborative formal and informal processes.

Value Enhancing

Because CDC Software developed Pivotal CRM in lock step with Microsoft technologies, businesses receive the full benefit of both CRM and Microsoft technologies, which extends the value of their IT investments.

With Pivotal CRM, enterprises can:

Save on system implementation, customization and maintenance.

Pivotal CRM's powerful customization tools allow businesses to tailor the system to meet their needs, often without having to hire developers and consultants.

Easier customization and integration reduces the cost and complexity of deploying, maintaining and adapting the system to evolving needs.

Boost productivity and reduce expenses.

Enabling information workers to work fluidly in both CRM and Microsoft applications saves time and eliminates redundancies.

Having immediate access to up-to-date CRM data means information workers are better equipped to make informed, data-driven decisions.

Conclusion

Together, Microsoft and CDC Software support enterprises with Pivotal CRM, an award-winning Office Business Application and customer relationship management solution that combines the familiarity and ease-of-use of Microsoft Office applications with the depth, structure and flexibility of Pivotal CRM.

Pivotal CRM is a flexible, customizable solution built on the Microsoft .NET Framework that harnesses the power of Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Windows to enable enterprises to establish the exact infrastructure they need to increase user adoption, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their unique businesses and boost customer service and satisfaction.

by: CDC Pivotal CRM

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