Most organizations that run project based business (such as professional services or engineer to order services) empower their sales staff with up-to-date customer information at their fingertips with latest and greatest any CRM has to offer. But, do they integrate their CRM systems with project estimation and delivery systems? Possibly very few.
Well, several studies have shown that collaborative selling results in successful project bids & profitable projects.
This blog outlines process advantages and technical how to guide on integrating any CRM system with SAP Commercial Project Management.
A day (week?) in the life of sales executive in pursuit of an opportunity
Developing a business opportunity for project based business involves collaborative work with team members and sales network. At certain stage of opportunity development, finally you have decided to contact your team members to develop a project commercial plan including services, costs and revenues.
Usually now team starts with collaborative rooms/ spaces, uploading all relevant documents and starts communicating via e-mail J Finally trusting your e-mails to figure out most up-to-date project commercial version, or to compare a ‘faster delivery’ v/s ‘optimized cost’ version. Imagine, if your CRM was connected to efficient project commercial planning application - SAP Commercial Project Management?
SAP Commercial Project Management is integrated with SAP Hybris Cloud for Customer. Process and solution capabilities are described here. [
Integration &
solution capabilities] For details on supported product versions, please check product availability matrix.
I am often asked how such an integration can be extended to any CRM system? In principle similar approach can be taken for any other CRM as well. Prerequisite is that opportunity in CRM system has a link to CPM Commercial Project and vice versa.
Typical process steps
A typical process you want integrate may look something like below.
- Sales exec creates an opportunity within CRM system
- At certain stage of opportunity development, s/he communicates to SAP CPM system to develop commercial project plan. This could be based on certain attributes of opportunity such as opportunity type and stage.
- SAP CPM system now creates a commercial project with reference to opportunity in CRM
- Your team members get notified about newly created commercial project and start working on commercial project plan from their worklist
- From your CRM system, you can stay informed how commercial project plan is developing and different versions your team members are working with
- Collaboratively you can generate and revise commercial project plans & generate quote
- Once you have won the opportunity, you roll the project into execution
Stay tuned for next blog in this space which would outline building blocks of technical integration.
