There are many CRM tools available on the market. This sometimes makes it difficult to find your way around. Your choice will depend on the size of your organisation, your IT landscape, the features that matter most to you and how you plan to use them. CRMs can generally be grouped into two main categories: dedicated CRMs and CRM modules. In this article, we look at the pros and cons of each.
Dedicated CRM: The Pros and Cons
Dedicated CRMs are often chosen by the sales department. Because they are carefully selected by sales leaders, they are more likely to be put to good use. Designed for salespeople by salespeople, their features tend to be advanced and highly relevant to sales roles. They can usually be customised to match how staff actually work, which helps drive adoption and consistent use of the CRM. In addition, as it is a standalone tool, it is easier to replace when it no longer meets business needs. These solutions are often geared towards large enterprises.
Deploying a dedicated CRM often requires support from an integrator and/or your company’s IT team, so it can take some time. Deployment can also involve writing detailed, complex specifications and can quickly become costly. On top of that, for better performance, you will need to use other tools, such as an ERP or a support solution (helpdesk, after-sales management, and so on). These are some points to consider before deciding on a CRM.
CRM Modules: Pros and Cons
You will also find CRM modules on the market. These are often integrated components offered by ERPs. They have several advantages. Your CRM sits at the centre of the company, it is connected to other business tools and its comprehensive approach to the software gives you a 360° view of your customers. Easier and faster to integrate, it takes into account your entire organisation instead of focusing only on how your sales team will use the CRM. Another added benefit is that an ERP-integrated CRM will often be less expensive and overall more cost-effective than a stand-alone CRM system.
Some may argue that CRM components also have their drawbacks, but when the CRM component is integrated into an ERP, these drawbacks are very minimal. CRM components now offer just as many, if not more, features and functionalities compared to stand-alone CRM systems. The CRM module found in Odoo for example, is a complete and fully functioning customer relationship management system. The sales department is not always the one that initiates the deployment of the CRM component, which helps with roll-out and change management. With software that takes into account the needs of every department, there will be less resistance to change when it comes time for implementation.
Finally, a CRM component can offer a level of scalability that a dedicated CRM system cannot. With an integrated CRM, more applications can be added to your ERP system based on your evolving business needs. A dedicated CRM system has limited scalability and you run the risk of outgrowing your system faster than you can change it. Depending on your usage and your goals, an ERP‑integrated CRM module may be the smarter and more agile option for your organisation.
There is no perfect solution as such. The right choice depends on your objectives and priorities. At Captivea, we regularly deploy both approaches. Odoo can be used and viewed either as a dedicated CRM or as a CRM module integrated into a larger ERP system – the best of both worlds. The choice is yours, and our role is to take that choice of software and tailor it to your specific requirements. We will be glad to support you in this new project. Please feel free to get in touch with us to find out more.
Captivea Odoo Gold Partner
We have extensive experience working with business management software such as CRM systems, and being an Odoo Gold Partner makes us a strong choice for your next integration project.