We often think of ERP systems as software, as technology that sets apart from customer service and satisfaction. After all, ERP systems are just glorified accounting databases, right? Or huge data repositories? Or …
A good enterprise resource planning (ERP) system—one right for your business—offers the ability to improve customer satisfaction in new and surprising ways. It’s more than a powerhouse accounting and finance system, and much more than a huge database. It is technology that can become the nerve center of your business.
Here’s how ERP systems can be leveraged to improve customer satisfaction.
ERPs and Omnichannel Customer Communications
If you’ve ever had the experience of contacting customer support in a company by chat or email and then switching to phone, you may have found yourself asked to repeat the story. The situation gets even more frustrating when the call center operator needs to transfer you to someone else—and then you must repeat your story again. Sometimes you may even need to repeat basic information, such as your name, address, and phone number repeatedly to the various call center representatives.
This is a good example of siloed data. It is likely that the data about your account exists in separate databases, each accessible only at an individual level. If you’ve contacted support via social media messages and now call them, companies with siloed data cannot access data across multiple communication channels. Then you end up telling your story to yet another person in a seemingly endless string of call center representatives to resolve the problem.
An ERP system breaks down silos so, no matter who accesses the customer record, they view the same information. This provides exceptional omnichannel customer support and communications that goes a long way to improving customer satisfaction.
No one wants customers to experience problems, but compounding problems with frustration when contacting a support center just sours customers more on the company. By eliminating siloed data, companies can improve cross-channel communication and provide a higher level of service.
Better Forecasting
Another area in which ERPS excel is through improving forecasting for companies. This helps boost customer satisfaction by reducing out of stock notifications. Nothing is more frustrating than customers ready to purchase from your company only to see the desired item is out of stock. With better forecasting, you will be able to keep high demand items in the warehouse and ensure you can fulfill orders quickly.
Improving Customer Communications
Another area in which ERP systems improve customer satisfaction is by improving communications. Because ERPs can connect with multiple data sources, they can provide timely updates from multiple points in the company: warehouse, shipping, e-commerce centers, field sales, and more. This ensures that no matter what the customer’s question, you’ll be able to find the answer through one central database instead of accessing multiple systems or spreadsheets. Everything is in one place, and at your fingertips.
Ready to Explore ERP Systems?
ERP systems can be used by companies of any size. We specialize in ERPs for small to midsized businesses and can help you select the right platform from which to grow your entire technology infrastructure. With the right tech stack in place, you’ll find that the improved customer communications alone solves many problems for your company.
Emerald TC
Emerald TC provides software and consulting. We can help you choose the right ERP system for your needs. Contact us or call 678-456-6919 for more information.