What makes a successful business? A myriad of factors (e.g., a great product or service, good leadership and a strong economy) coming together to keep a business operating day after day and year after year. However, there’s one factor that trumps them all: customers.
Without customers, a great product/service, good leadership and a strong economy mean nothing. This is true for every business in every industry, including the medical supply and device industry. But medical supply and device manufacturers have an advantage. They produce products that are in high demand due to an aging population and an unexpected pandemic. Their customer base is ready and willing to purchase their goods.
Even so, medical supply and device companies have another challenge, and it’s battling competitors. To win, they must differentiate themselves in such a way as to entice new customers and to retain existing customers (who, as it turns out, spend 31% more than new customers).
How can medical supply and device manufacturers set themselves apart? By investing in medical supplies software and medical devices software within a comprehensive Cloud ERP solution, which should also provide an integrated and critically important customer relationship management (CRM) solution.
Why CRM Is the Critical Component to Success
A CRM solution is a multi-faceted customer service tool.
It’s a single system that puts updated customer information, from leads and opportunities to accounts and cases, within easy reach of every team member. Team members can stop relying on inefficient manual and paper-based processes and can start accessing pertinent and accurate data (inquiries, quotes, invoices, support cases, etc.) from a centralized database. If the CRM solution is embedded within a cloud-based ERP solution, it’s accessible via any web-enabled device at any time and from any location.
A CRM helps businesses effectively manage their customer lifecycle, beginning with the marketing team. Attracting customers with relevant, informative and inspiring content through a business’ website, emails, social media platforms and advertising is the first step. Once a customer indicates interest (by downloading an eBook or watching a webinar and providing their email, for example), the marketing team can now engage with them, encouraging them to move from prospect to lead. Every aspect of that engagement is logged within the CRM system. Then, when it’s time to pass the lead on to the sales team, the transition is seamless.
The same is true when the sales team has converted the opportunity into a customer. The customer will need support once they’re using the product or service, and support teams won’t have to waste time looking for emails or wondering what transpired during the sales process—the full experience is available in a consolidated, data-rich solution.
And CRM solutions give customers the power to manage their own account, track shipments and enter support cases through a customer self-portal. A customer self-portal is not a “nice thing to have” but an expectation of every customer in today’s digital economy.
Finding the Right Solution for Medical Supply and Device Manufacturers
To summarize, medical supply and device companies investing in the right ERP with CRM capabilities can expect to:
- Streamline their client management processes
- Perform marketing, quoting and sales tasks directly within one system
- Maintain strong client relationships
- Utilize updated customer data
- Automate processes for better communication with team members and customers
- Empower customers with a self-service portal
Additionally, they can streamline payment processes with eCommerce integration capabilities through the cloud-based ERP solution. Taken together, these abilities allow businesses to outperform their competitors and attract customers. It’s important to note, however, that not every CRM solution provides these features and benefits. Medical supply and device manufacturers must do their due diligence by researching their options before choosing a CRM and Cloud ERP solution.
Our ERP Selection Guide: Medical Supplies and Devices provides the step-by-step process for how to assemble a project team, conduct a business process review and select the right solution based on must-have features. The complimentary guide also examines why NexTec Group, a company with over two decades of experience advising companies on choosing the best technology for their needs, recommends Acumatica Cloud ERP and its integrated Customer Relationship Management solution.
With Acumatica’s medical devices management solution, medical supply and device manufacturers can manage their inventory in real-time, track financials, handle compliance procedures and automate manufacturing processes. They can also attain a 360-degree-view of the entire business, seamlessly integrate with third-party applications, track performance and spend on one screen and much more.
NexTec customer InBios International, a company that specializes in the design, development and manufacturing of immunodiagnostic devices for infectious diseases and biothreats, has experienced these difference-making capabilities. The company chose Acumatica Cloud ERP on our advice, and Manufacturing Manager Bryan Deszell says in the company’s customer story, “I can see us growing another 10-fold or more without outgrowing Acumatica. It’s the core of our manufacturing operations and the platform we’re building the business around.”
If you’re looking to grow your business, and you understand that growing (and maintaining) your customer relationships is key, consider choosing Acumatica and Acumatica CRM.
Contact our team today with any questions. We’d love to chat.