Microsoft Dynamics GP/NAV/CRM implementation in South East Asia ? highlights

In this small article we will give you highlights on Microsoft Dynamics family of products implementation, customization, user training in South East Asia: Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines as well as in China and Taiwan.

Microsoft renamed its ERPs: Great Plains, Navision, Axapta, Solomon and MS CRM and now new names start with Microsoft Dynamics: Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics SL, Microsoft Dynamics CRM.  In this small article we will give you highlights on Microsoft Dynamics family of products implementation, customization, user training in South East Asia: Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines as well as in China and Taiwan.

• English Language.  Considering such country as Philippines, where English is commonly used in business documentation, Microsoft Dynamics GP, or former Microsoft Great Plains/eEnterprise is a good choice.  At the same time Microsoft Dynamics NAV or former Microsoft Navision is also excellent option.  The situation is similar to what we have on the US ERP market, when Navision vs. Great Plains selection is based on the functionality comparison between GP and NAV.
• Chinese Language.  Microsoft Dynamics GP doesn?t support Unicode characters in its native interface ? Microsoft Dexterity (former Great Plains Software Dexterity).  If you are looking at the Microsoft Dynamics GP Business Portal ? you are free to customize it and have it support Chinese.  There is special utility, which allows you to intercept Chinese characters and enter them in Great Plains fat client/Dexterity forms.  The functionality is very popular among Chinese food distributors in the USA ? Chicago and Houston areas
• Taxes.  Both Great Plains and Navision support both tax systems: Sale Tax based and VAT (Value Added Tax)
• Manufacturing.  This is where you should compare two systems: Great Plains and Navision manufacturing module/granule.  Great Plains Manufacturing is good choice for Discrete Manufacturing type, if you have process manufacturing ? you should verify functionality and third party add-ons features.
• Localization.  If the conditions of your local country require localization (tax and language specifics ? very good example would be India), you should check with Microsoft Business Solutions in your country on the positioning of Microsoft ERPs.  In general, when localization requires non-English/Spanish/French Canadian language ? Navision is the recommended and usually localized.  Axapta also is very adaptable and localizable and you will see Axapta as the option in the majority of cases.
• Non-Microsoft ERPs.  In some cases and we know real life stories/examples international company, having Microsoft Great Plains implemented in the headquarters in the USA, decided to implement SAP Business One for its overseas manufacturing facility.
• Software Licenses Sale only.  In South East Asia we see very strong IT departments and IT consulting market.  When company is required to implement Microsoft Dynamics ? it can do it in-house and all you need is software licenses sale.
• Local ERP Solutions.  On the local markets, especially where government regulation takes place you can find local or regional ERP vendors.  There are pluses and minuses of such systems: plus would be government reporting side.  Minuses are from the control side ? international company should have ERP reasonably controllable and the option to rely on local specialists only is risky.

You can always have us help you with the implementation & customization.  Call us in US: 1-866-528-0577, internationally: 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) ? Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Navision, Axapta MS CRM, Oracle Financials, SAP Business One  and IBM Lotus Domino Partner, serving corporate customers in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Healthcare, Distribution & Logistics, Hospitality, Banking & Finance, Wholesale & Retail, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Placement & Recruiting, Advertising & Publishing, Textile, Pharmaceutical, Non-Profit, Beverages, Conglomerates, Apparels, Durables, Manufacturing.
We serve international clients Worldwide.

 

Microsoft CRM Programming Techniques overview for developer

Microsoft CRM is the CRM answer from Microsoft and it will have all the Microsoft Business Solutions muscles behind.

If you are developer who is asked: how do we customize Microsoft CRM read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.

1. Microsoft CRM SDK this is software development kit with C# and partly VB.net examples it is supported by Microsoft Business Solutions technical support. It is all web services based calls, if you are C# .NET developer you are excellently positioned to do this type of customizations. This is the preferred customization scenarios and this should be easily upgradeable customization.

2. Legacy SQL Data integration. This is also easy and safe. If you have SQL database, sitting on the same or linked SQL Server you can create ASPX .Net application and simply integrate it into CRM. You can place it on the navigation bar or menu in isv.config please refer to MS CRM SDK

3. Legacy ASP integration this is somewhat more sophisticated. You have to deploy HTTP handler to be a middle party between CRM which is .Net based and ASP which is legacy IIS. The trick is you have to have INI file with security settings to penetrate into MS CRM with proper credentials, calling web service.

4. Microsoft Exchange Programming. Microsoft CRM has Exchange connector which moves CRM incoming email to MS if it has GUID in its subject. You can alter this logic (for instance - move email to CRM if it doesnt have GUID but it is from the sender who is contact or account in MS CRM). Refer to MS Exchange SDK onsyncsave event handling. Then simply apply some MS CRM SDK programming

5. Direct SQL touch in #4 above I described you the scenario with MS Exchange handlers this would be ideal world if MS CRM SDK does the job. But in real world this is not always true you have to do direct flags correction in CRM database (like making Activity closed, moving email attachments/octet streams, etc). This is not supported by MBS technical support but you can rescue to this technique if you have to make job done.

6. MS CRM Customization tool you can feel free to use this this is rather end-user tool and we dont describe it here read the manual. Weve described above the options to use when this tool doesnt do the job

Happy customizing! if you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies USA nationwide Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains customization company, based in Chicago, California, Colorado, Texas, New York, Georgia and Florida, Canada, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

akarasev@albaspectrum.com

About Customer Relationship Management

Customer relationship management (CRM) encompasses the capabilities, methodologies, and technologies that support an enterprise in managing customer relationships. The general purpose of CRM is to enable organizations to better manage their customers through the introduction of reliable systems, processes and procedures.

Customer relationship management is a corporate level strategy which focuses on creating and maintaining lasting relationships with its customers.

CRM, in its broadest sense, means managing all interactions and business with customers. This includes, but is not limited to, improving customer service. A good CRM program will allow a business to acquire customers, service the customer, increase the value of the customer to the company, retain good customers, and determine which customers can be retained or given a higher level of service. A good CRM program can improve customer service by facilitating communication in several ways:

Provide product information, product use information, and technical assistance on web sites that are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Identify how each individual customer defines quality, and then design a service strategy for each customer based on these individual requirements and expectations.

Provide a fast mechanism for managing and scheduling follow-up sales calls to assess post-purchase cognitive dissonance, repurchase probabilities, repurchase times, and repurchase frequencies.

Provide a mechanism to track all points of contact between a customer and the company, and do it in an integrated way so that all sources and types of contact are included, and all users of the system see the same view of the customer (reduces confusion).

Help to identify potential problems quickly, before they occur.

Provide a user-friendly mechanism for registering customer complaints (complaints that are not registered with the company cannot be resolved, and are a major source of customer dissatisfaction).

Provide a fast mechanism for handling problems and complaints (complaints that are resolved quickly can increase customer satisfaction).

Provide a fast mechanism for correcting service deficiencies (correct the problem before other customers experience the same dissatisfaction).

Use internet cookies to track customer interests and personalize product offerings accordingly.

Use the Internet to engage in collaborative customization or real-time customization.

Provide a fast mechanism for managing and scheduling maintenance, repair, and on-going support (improve efficiency and effectiveness).

The CRM can be integrated into other cross-functional systems and thereby provide accounting and production information to customers when they want it.

Ismael D. Tabije is the Publisher-Editor of http://www.BestManagementArticles.com, a unique niche-topic article directory that features exclusively business and management topics. For a large dose of customer relationship management tips, ideas and strategies, see http://customer-relationship-mgt.bestmanagementarticles.com

Real Estate Customer Relationship Management - Ways for Agents to Increase Their Business

In 2005, The National Association of Realtors reported that its membership increased by 13 percent over the previous year, reaching 1.2 million. With this many people trying to get a share of the pie, Realtors need to find ways to differentiate themselves and stay ahead of the competition. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) can help them do exactly that, and even more.

CRM comes from the observation that developing good relationships with your customers helps you deliver superior service to your clients, thereby helping your business thrive. Developing a CRM-focused business is not especially hard. It starts with basic guiding rules.

In the marketing lingo, the many ways a business interacts with its clients are called points of contact. By developing the quantity and the quality of these points of contact, a real estate agent will gain more customers.

Of all the existing points of contact, the Internet should receive special attention. In just 10 years, the Web has become an essential marketing venue for today's agents. According to the NAR, 77 percent of home buyers used the Internet to search for a home in 2005. When people think about buying a home the first place they go is often the Web. It is therefore a good place for agents to capture consumers' attention and gain their confidence.

However, many agents are still missing the point: they now have their own Web sites because they know people are looking for them, but they haven't quite figured out how to use the Web as a good lead generator. Here are ways agents can improve their online points of contact.

The layout of your site is key to retain surfers. It should be flawless, and the navigation should also be easy.

E-mails are another critical point of contact. Many agents provide their e-mail address on their Web sites, but an article in Realty Times reported that one of home buyers' main complaints about Realtors online is that they don't answer their e-mails in a timely manner. Decide now about a reasonable e-mail reply policy for your business. A 24- or 48-hour reply policy is probably what most people expect. You need to state this reply policy on your Web site and stick to it. People will appreciate it.

Another option is to allow people to schedule a tour directly from your Web site. This option is a great way to get people to meet with you.

Most people start looking for homes on the Internet a few months before they actually make a decision. It is therefore important for a real estate agent to keep in touch with future home buyers. A good way to maintain that contact is to send out a monthly newsletter, which would give the latest information about the town or area. It would also provide future home buyers with the latest listings that meet their criteria. An agent who sends out this kind of newsletters will find that many of these people remember this agent when they are ready to buy.

The key with CRM is to regularly evaluate existing points of contact to fine tune them in order to better serve customers. This in turn will ensure that agents have a successful business.

Content provided by 10x Media. Established in 2003, 10x Media provides innovative online marketing tools.It has expanded its online presence through networks such as Inside Real state, Inside Finances and Grab Real Estate, which contain thousands of pages for city and state specific real estate information across the nation.

Sales Force Automation System - A System To Save Time And Money!

Sales Force Automation is a part of a company?s CRM (customer relationship management) system; A system which automatically records all the stages in a sales process known as a Sales Force Automation System (SFA).

A contact management system of SFA tracks all contact that has been made customer wise, the purpose of the contact, and any follow up that might be required. The contact management system ensures that sales efforts won?t be duplicated eliminating the risk of annoying customers.

The sales lead tracking system of SFA lists potential customers through paid phone lists, or customers of related products. Many more elements of SFA system can include sales forecasting, order management and product knowledge to make your business more effective and profitable.

Goal of Sales Force Automation System

The sales force automation system is developed to streamline the entire sales process to make businesses more efficient, improve customer interactions, increase overall customer satisfaction, and save time and money.

Sales force automation system is used by all the major industries as per their requirements and it means different things to different people. Mostly, Sales force automation includes all the technologies, techniques, and strategies on which successful sales are built. It's just like an activity that improves communications and productivity and brings you together with your customers.

Advantages of Sales Force Automation System

The sales force automation (SFA) system has so many of advantages for different-different people. It?s very helpful for sales and marketing professionals? including sales personnel, sales managers and marketing managers in improving their productivity and saving their time, by that the sales staff will use their time more efficiently and more effectively. Successful sales force automation (SFA) strategy helps minimize administrative work and cut down on operational costs while optimising productivity and enhancing customer-focused processes and SFA systems could increase customer satisfaction if they are used with wisdom.

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