In today’s competitive business environment, it is the responsibility of business owners and managers to find the best possible way to service their customers and do so with as little expense as possible. An ideal tool for any business owner to streamline and prioritize client attainment, retention, and satisfaction is a customer relationship management system. This tool is a method of communication between all departments within an organization, putting all possible information about any given client at the fingertips of all employees at any time. This affords the company the ability to offer stellar customer service from the time of attainment through the life of the customer/vendor relationship and after.
An important tool in this system is customer relationship management (CRM) software package, this software is available as an open source product, meaning that the software and the software codes are available at no cost. The only cost you will pay is that accrued for development, training, and support services. These are fees you would also pay when purchasing a licensed proprietary software package. You save money by obtaining a product with no initial cost and no licensing fees. Open source consultants develop software codes and cohesive software packages. They create a general package, but continue to work toward developing tools and add-ons to meet the needs of specific clients.
If you have ordered software such as this, open source consultants will begin the process of developing and customizing your product before even installing or downloading a thing. They will come to your office, talk with you, and talk with your employees. They will look at your customer relationship management plan and help you design a software product that will meet your specific needs. Once the software is designed, they will work with you through the go-live stage, offering activation support and training to your employees, so that the software is used to its full potential.
One of the greatest benefits of using an open source product is the flexibility of its features. For example, if, several years after installing and activating the software, your business changes its focus or adds a division that requires changes or augmentations to your system, open source consultants can be contacted to design the appropriate software. In fact, that add-on may already exist because of the continuous improvements being made and additional codes being written to accommodate the needs of each specific consumer. If you have no additional software needs, but have employees who require training or updates in their knowledge, support is available via phone or internet for most systems.
Once a company has chosen an open source software product, a reputable group of consultants can be used as an extension of your internet technology department. In fact, if you are the owner of a small business, you may find it feasible to utilize these open source consultants in place of a permanent information technology division. This could translate into an additional savings on top of what you save by using an open source product.
