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crm feature

Top 15 Features to Look for Before Purchasing a CRM

Leave a Comment / Blog, Digital Marketing, Information Technology /

Customer relationship management (CRM) is probably one of the most crucial tools companies worldwide use. It offers various business advantages, including improving customer relations, streamlining processes and information, and effectively improving marketing and sales strategy. So, it’s not surprising that 91% of companies with more than 10 employees use CRM. However, using CRM doesn’t automatically mean success. Yes, it is an excellent tool for bridging your business and success. But you also need to have the right people, knowledge, and features in your CRM tool to ensure that it’s effective. Likewise, this article will help you understand what CRM is, its benefits, and what CRM features you should have. What is CRM? Companies use customer relationship management or CRM to manage all their business’ customer data, relationship, and interactions. This software can help business owners and employees easily track all transaction details from their customers or potential customers. It also helps them nurture relationships, create new opportunities, and generate leads. While the primary goal of CRM is the same, three types can accommodate different features and focuses of a business. These are 1. Collaborative CRM Collaborative CRM software helps a company collect, organise, and streamline essential customer information across the business. It gathers data such as sales, purchase history, contact number, and customer preference for future company use. The main goal of collaborative CRM systems is to have one integrated software that the whole company can use to serve a customer smoothly. It aims to remove the dreaded experience of a repetitive collection of information in each transaction they make.   2. Analytical CRM An analytical CRM is a systematic electronic software that collects customer data and analyses it to aid business decision-making. Most tools today can flawlessly and effortlessly manage a large quantity of data. However, most are having difficulty interpreting these data into feasible information that a company can use. With analytical CRM, you can learn to use these data and see different trends based on your customer’s purchase behavior. 3. Operational CRM Operational CRM is a CRM software that helps the company create a centralised system that supports sales, marketing, and customer service features. It stores a large quantity of information on leads, customers, and other important information that employees can share. Why do you need a CRM for your business? Using CRM software can provide endless benefits for your business. It can help you increase customer retention, enhance employee productivity, and amplify revenue. Likewise, here are some benefits of using CRM tools in your business: Modern CRM software can help you provide better customer service by streamlining customer data. With CRM software, you can streamline your sales process companywide. It will ensure that any marketing or sales initiative will be given to all your employees. With better customer service also comes improved customer retention. Having good customer service through CRM will encourage your customers to repeat purchases in your company. Most CRM tools offer a centralised data database to store all information gathered in a real-time database safely. CRM tools also offer automated reporting that can make reporting and analytics more effortless than ever! Top 15 Features to Look for Before Purchasing a CRM CRM solutions can do more than just gather data and organise contacts. With the right Free CRM Tools and features, you can maximise your company’s capability, boost sales, and nurture leads. It can also help you save time, money, and resources. Here are some great features of the perfect CRM: 1. Workflow automation Having a set workflow is essential in a business as it gives you and your employees an idea of what is happening in your operation at any given point. You will know what is happing in your company, the people involved, and a sense of how effective your organization is in reaching its goals and deadline. And one must-have CRM Feature you should look for is workflow automation. With this feature, your CRM tool can set up reminders for your managers and employees for essential matters such as payment due dates, service expiration, marketing blasts, etc. This saves them both time and resources. 2. Customizable Not all business is the same. So, your CRM software needs to be customizable and flexible to your needs. Likewise, one CRM feature you should look for is customization. Some CRM will let you choose which features you want to include in your software, such as custom reporting, plugins, system integration, etc. 3. Third-party integration Suppose your company has a system or software that is important in everyday business. In that case, having a third-party integration CRM feature is essential to you. For example, suppose you have a heavy need to use email servers to contact your customers. In that case, it’s necessary that a CRM tool can integrate this program. 4. Customer Service Automation The main point of using CRM software is to improve your customer service. So, if none of your CRM features include customer service automation, then it’s not CRM software. Customer Service Automation can help reduce human involvement in various tasks that a program can do. Tasks like storing customer issues, solving customer inquiries, proactive emailing, etc. With this CRM feature, you can create a knowledge base of information for your customers for quick access 24/7. 5. Email marketing Email marketing is probably one of the most effective marketing methods marketers use today. In fact, according to a study conducted by SmartInsights and GetResponse in 2018, 29% of marketers rate email marketing as the most effective marketing channel. However, using the old-style email marketing through the traditional inbox can be overwhelming. It can lead your email to be spammed. One must-have CRM feature you should include is the email feature. It can help you, and your sales rep be organised and productive. In addition, an email feature in CRM can help you automate and schedule all email marketing tasks, such as:         Client Newsletter Blast         Scheduling appointment         Email automatic

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Flexisource IT, providing a Top-Notch Dedicated Team of Software Developers and QA Specialist with Transparency and Clarity

Flexisource IT, providing a Top-Notch Dedicated Team of Software Developers and QA Specialist with Transparency and Clarity

Leave a Comment / Dev Case Study /

Executive Summary Creating a seamless software and platform for your clients is one of the foremost essentials of any business. It improves your company’s reputation, customer service, and quality of integration. In addition, it enables companies to add new features with minimal disruption in their operation and productivity. And as a leader of IT outsourcing in Australia, Flexisource IT always wants to ensure that we help our clients with their software development needs.   In this project, Flexisource IT has to lead a team of developers, QA, and Operation Specialists to upgrade a platform, create new software, and add features for an investment company in Australia. We provided top-notch front-end and backend development, QA, and other services while maintaining transparency and honesty during the execution of the product.  About the Client Our Sydney-based client is one of the leading innovative online-broker in Australia. They aim to alleviate the hassle of international investing for self-directed investors, making it simple, transparent, and affordable.  The client has a global investment platform where investors can search, analyze, and trade over a thousand investments and Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). In addition, they also feature a portfolio of the biggest and fastest-growing companies across various industries, making it easier to decide where to buy.  Client Challenges As a company that directly engages in the finance and investment industry, the client needs to step up the security of their platform and protect their endeavors. The client wanted to upscale and organize the current codebase of their platform. In addition, the client wanted to have complete visibility of the team’s development and process. How Flexisource IT Provided Solutions to the Client As their long-time partner in developing and improving their product, Flexisource IT analyzed the ins and outs of their business. It proposed the perfect dedicated development team of experts and a project manager to supervise the development process. In addition, Flexisource IT wants to make sure that we provide complete transparency and clarity to our clients. We offered a monthly visibility report to the client to get a sense of the work item of each team member.  Our Solutions Seasoned technical support experts to assist customers  Hiring specialists at Flexisource IT helps clients reduce up to 70% of costs compared to their onshore counterparts. Reduced fees are beneficial to companies to allocate the funds for other business needs. Initially, Flexisource IT provided competent people for the various positions that needed to be filled immediately. We supplied our client’s top-notch dedicated team of software developers from seasoned experts in the Philippines.  The client initially hired software, mobile, and web developers to develop and improve their product. But as development continued, the client saw the need for additional staff and sought Flexisource IT’s help to recruit experts that fit their requirements. Likewise, Flexisource IT trained, recruited, and appointed more experts, including Quality Assurance specialists and Operation specialists, to deploy to the client.  Dedicated project manager for overall team performance On top of the dedicated team of  software developers, Flexisource IT also assigned a project manager to ensure smooth service delivery, and the project is executed correctly. We provide skilled IT project managers who are well-versed in development and IT skills. In addition, we ensure that all our managers have more than ten years of experience in various industries and manage a team using Agile Methodology and frameworks. Flexisource IT assigned one of our skilled project managers with more than 13 years of software engineering and IT experience in this project. He has handled various QA and System Component Testing, among others. He is also an established Scrum Master and has worked with top tech companies worldwide.  As the dedicated offshore manager, he supervised the team’s progress – connecting with the team and solving blockers that arose. He also kept close communication with the client to discuss issues he and the client found. They conducted a monthly one-on-one meeting to report their progress directly.  Monthly Visibility Report As one of its core values, transparency is essential to Flexisource IT. We want to ensure that the clients are updated with our progress and product.  Likewise, in addition to the supplied team of developers, Flexisource IT also provided a monthly visibility report to the client. It provided the client transparency and a sense of what each team member was doing and overloaded with tasks.  In addition, the report presented the length of hours spent on developers each month and identified blockers that have halted their progress.    Results The development and monitoring side of the project is still ongoing, and its in the process of completion. And despite that, there has been a significant improvement on the client’s platform. Client-Side Improvements Flexisource IT and the client have successfully improved the platform and developed multiple software and features for its business with all the resources and experts supplied.  In addition, the monthly visibility report has transpired a transparent building between the company and the client. The information helped the client visualize the current state of the software – the status of particular software or feature.  It also gave them better visibility on the efforts of each team member – evaluate their performance and progress.  Flexisource IT Improvements The project did help the client and had a relative effect on the company’s employees and management.  The monthly visibility report made our developers better in task management. It has effectively increased the efficiency of team members as it identified if a developer is having a hard time on a task based on their length spent monthly. It also helped the manager identify blockers, leading to team collaboration as other developers try to help and support each other.  Likewise, other potential issues with resourcing and progress are solved even before it affects their productivity. All problems are detected early, and Flexisource IT tries to translate them to the best of its ability.  Other recommendation Based on the observance of the project lead, the client needs to create different levels of Automated tests. The client requires a

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enterprise application development challenges

Top 10 Challenges of Enterprise Application Development

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1. Scaling Business and changing environment Business needs and the environment are constantly changing. It could be due to new technology, economic expansion, or simply providing new services. As such, company requirements vary too. You need to come up with new features that could work for everyone. As such, implementing new requirements and workflow is one of the top enterprise application development challenges that most developers face is the constant by developers. Enterprise software architecture is complex. And any attempt to make any changes needs to correlate with others. Likewise, you need to develop a scalable and flexible architecture. One solution to this is by using a modular architecture. Any changes made to a single module would not affect other modules and their function. It could help save time and prevent extended downtime in the company’s enterprise application. 2. Maximising ROI Low Return on Investment (ROI) is a significant enterprise application development challenge to companies. EA takes months and costs a lot to develop. As such, it’s essential to thoroughly plan the project workflow and ensure that all details and requirements are precise. Clear planning can help the development team predict the budget and completion time. It can prevent customers from running out of money before the project is finalized or releasing a product that does not meet all requirements. Thus, plan the development process clearly, set priorities, and regularly test to see if all parts and features are complete. 3. Security and control Cybersecurity threats are one of the most common enterprise application development challenges an organization faces. Security is essential in any application. It promotes software confidence and control to users and businesses alike. Similarly, enterprise software handles confidential data like business processes, trade secrets, customer information, and more. Likewise, a robust defense system including firewalls and encryptions should be in place at the network and host levels. You need to ensure that your enterprise applications cover all security vulnerabilities. In addition, regular vulnerability tests should be conducted in the software to see any vulnerabilities that hackers might take advantage of. Companies should also apply security patches regularly following the latest technology. 4. User-friendly interface When it comes to interface, one of the most common enterprise application development challenges is creating an interactive and user-friendly interface. Usually, the EA interface is cluttered with features that are not familiar to users. As such, most employees will have a hard time using it and eventually not use it at all. And this comes back to the developer if the prospective user does not find the application helpful or intuitive. Likewise, it’s important to always define the user experience in the application. Make sure that you focus on creating an interface that is functional and easy to use for ordinary users. Ensure that your software provides a good user experience and is fast and reliable. 5. Engaging and training staff Many companies forget that employees are the one who is going to use the enterprise application in the first place. They set up many features without qualms on the workers. As such, employees have no idea about their responsibilities or how to use the product. Likewise, the first step in training staff is to give them an overview of the software and its functionality. Next, show your employees how they can use the software in their day-to-day tasks. Lastly, provide them with a list of resources to learn more about using the software, such as tutorials and documentation. 6. Storing large amounts of data Another common enterprise application development challenge is storing large amounts of data. Since this application is used by companies that either handle global scale businesses or large customers, effectively managing big data is a challenge. A massive amount of data equates to a large data center, network, and storage costs. Moreover, it slows down the response rate of the database and loading time for the end-users. As such, it’s essential to constantly remind the organization and users to narrow down data sources. Remind them to delete inactive data. Likewise, you can also opt to avail of cloud-based storage or a third-party database management system. 7. Time and cost The enterprise application development process can be a long and costly oen. And it the methodology and approach are not transparent, it could take 5-6 months to develop. It is why businesses need to have a plan before developing their application. Determining what kind of app you need will save you time and money in the long run because you will know exactly what your needs are and what features you need to achieve. In addition, always look at other options that can reduce the development cost and time. Using technologies like cloud computing, DevOps, and such can help you minimize the price in the long run. 8. Upgrading your legacy software One of the challenges faced during enterprise development is upgrading legacy software. Some companies like to maintain their legacy enterprise software. However, most outdated software has issues integrating with other systems and does not comply with company or government standards. It’s much harder to maintain and often crashes. As such, it is challenging to implement new features and functionality. The legacy software needs to be analyzed first before deciding on the upgrade path. The decision should consider factors, such as the size of the team or the complexity of the application. In addition, it’s essential to have a well-thought architecture and standard application programming languages that allow scalability and upgrades after the development. 9. Maintenance Maintainability is as crucial as making the Enterprise Application. However, maintainability should not always be an issue. Your enterprise software should be open to new environments and new requirements. Using modular architecture in your enterprise application helps make maintenance tasks more manageable. The modular architecture makes it easier to manage and make changes in the software. 10. Third-Party System Integration Another prevalent enterprise application development challenge many companies face is integrating various programs. Companies develop enterprise applications to centralize all business

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countries to outsource software development

Top 10 Countries to Outsource Software Development Services

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1. The Philippines The Philippines has been one of the most significant popular countries to outsource software development. It offers several benefits such as lowered cost, excellent I.T. and software education, and a very competitive market. According to the Philippine Board of Investments, in 2016, there were about 200,000 IT and software experts in the country. And it has developed one of the most distinguished careers in the country. Benefits of IT Outsourcing in the Philippines: Lower cost – According to Upwork, software developers in the Philippines can cost an average of $15 to $35 an hour Neutral English Language – English is the countries second official language. Most professionals in the land use English daily. Cultural Influence – The Philippines shares similar cultures to most countries such as Spain, the U.S., and other Southeast Asian Countries. Strong Government Regulations – The BPO industry is one of the top economic pillars in the country. As a result, the government recognizes its potential and facilitates its growth. Tech courses are even included in public schools and training centers. 2. India When outsourcing software development, India probably has come to your mind. It is one of the top chosen countries to outsource software development by many companies. It offers 24/7 services to various countries with the latest technology. In addition, it is projected to have the highest number of software developers by 2023 and 2024. Benefits of IT Outsourcing in India: Extremely cheap – In comparison to other countries, you can hire a developer for about $19 to $40 an hour. Extensive expertise – The country’s government also continuously improves their I.T. experts through education and training. Access to a large pool of talent – Top talents in software development are available in India. They have engineers that are knowledgeable and experienced in machine learning, JavaScript, .Net, UI/UX Development, and more. Latest Technology – The country’s I.T. sector is ahead of the market and invests in the newest technology to serve better. 3. Ukraine Ukraine is one of the top-performing countries to outsource software development globally. The country has multiple I.T. outsourcing regions that have dominated the outsourcing industry globally. It has gained a reputation throughout the years for a variety of reasons such as Benefits of Outsourcing in Ukraine: Good cultural fit – Most Ukrainians share several customs with European countries. In addition, 80% of the I.T. community also communicates with English very well. Great location and time zone – Ukraine’s time zone overlaps or is partly close with major European countries. Ukrainian governments are investing in the future of I.T. education in the country. 4. Poland Poland is one of the top-ranked countries to outsource software development globally. The country has ranked 37th on the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report. And the I.T. outsourcing market has approximately reached 2,311.7 million U.S. Dollars by 2021. Poland’s I.T. experts are highly proficient in Quality assurance and most programming languages such as PHP, .Net, and Java. Benefits of Outsourcing in Poland: Dynamically Growing IT Market – The country’s government supports the I.T. businesses. The industry has been rising exponentially in recent years. It is projected for the sector to reach 3.5% in 2021. U.S. and E.U. standard in Data Security – The country abides with the same data protection legislation as Western European countries and seriously takes data security. Part of European Union – If your company is located in one of the E.U. member states, outsourcing in Poland minimizes the paperwork needed and costs 5. Romania Alongside other eastern European countries, Romania has become one of the finest countries to outsource software development in 2022. The country’s I.T. industry is actively growing by 14.3% this year and is expected to double in 2025. The education system is also improving and will produce thousands of new software developers every year. Benefits of Outsourcing in Romania: Low cost – According to Upwork, the cost rate to outsource a software developer in Romania is up to $25 to $49 per hour. Growing I.T. industry – The country’s I.T. industry is growing. Major IT companies are now investing in the country, such as Microsoft, IBM, Apple, and more. Compatible Time Zones – Romania is geographically located close to European Countries. Their time zone is excellent for both U.S. and western Europe. 6. China Together with India, China is one of the best countries to outsource software development globally. It is home to the fastest-growing I.T. companies, and the country produces as many as 4.7 million tech graduates yearly. The government is continuously innovating new trends and technology in the digital scene and has contributed to creating top apps used by the world, such as TikTok. PubG, and Wechat. Benefits of Outsourcing in China: Very cheap labor cost – Offshore software development in China is relatively low and is estimated to range from $27 000 to $52,000 yearly Large talent pool – China is home to more than 7 million software developers, data scientists, and A.I. creators. The country can supply any tech specialists you need in your company. 7. Taiwan Considered one of the four Asian Tigers, Taiwan is one of the most potent and equipped countries to outsource software development. Its capital is ranked as one of the top 50 super cities for team outsourcing solutions and digital innovations worldwide. Benefits of Outsourcing in Taiwan: High Tech Work Force – The country has a literacy rate of 98%, with at least 45% of the population holding a university degree. It also produces at least 10,000 IT and computer science graduates yearly. Government Supports – Taiwanese government fully supports business outsourcing through funding companies, good immigration, and business-friendly fintech regulations. The government has also developed an Open Data Initiative that supports transparent digital governance and is the epicenter for A.I. and IoT development. 8. Belarus Together with Ukraine and Romania, Belarus is considered one of the top software exporting countries in the world. Belarus has significantly increased its support in technology and I.T. services.

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The Importance of Having an IT Project Manager in Every Company

The Importance of Having an IT Project Manager in Every Company

Blog, Information Technology /

The role of an IT project manager is very important, especially in today’s companies and businesses. Nothing else can compare to the project management skills that of an IT project manager. Especially when it comes to handling major IT projects, this line of work cannot be compromised by letting anyone handle these projects.  A successful IT project manager banks on the fact that he knows the business side of things and coordinates these with the needed technicalities of the project. Basically, the IT expertise of the manager is just one part of the job. He can still be qualified even if he’s not the most superior when it comes to his IT skills. Although a deep understanding of such is a requirement, it shouldn’t be the defining skills of a project manager. Instead, it’s the ability to marry the business and technical side. This is where the overview of the general role of an IT project manager revolves. Aside from this, here’s how a project manager can be of significant importance to a business or company. Makes strategic planning for the business Planning is one thing, but doing it strategically will define your business’ growth. A good IT project manager knows very well how he can provide the right vision and direction to the team. These are all needed when doing a project since it will define the team’s efficiency when it comes to reaching milestones for the project.  With strategic planning, the manager will also be the one to allow the right number of persons working on a certain part of the project and the needed resources. It is the goal of the IT project manager to make sure that everything – from the workers, time, and monetary resources – are allocated properly to ensure the overall workflow and efficiency of work done on the project. Control the scope of the project Most of the time, especially with bigger IT projects, most employees get sidetracked with what they have to do. This is also applicable when a certain company handles more than one project in a given time. An IT project manager controls the scope of a specific project and makes sure that the work being done is aligned to the demands of the project.  The scope of the project will also be discussed regularly during meetings to make sure that everyone is working on the same page, geared towards a unifying goal. Addresses the risks Every IT project has its own set of risks. This applies to every IT project, no matter how well-planned and thought-of the project is. It’s also the reason why an IT project manager should have a background on what the industry is all about. Usually, these risks come from the technicalities. Hence, it can only be addressed by a leader who knows how to go about these technicalities.  Upon project planning, the work of an IT project manager will also help when it comes to determining the potential risks. In this way, even if the project is still in the planning stage, there are solutions set in place should the team encounter such problems. Addressing the potential risks early on the project will help in its overall efficiency. Bottomline These are three things that an IT project manager can do for a company’s IT project. Whether the project is big or small, there has to be someone in charge of overseeing the technical and business side of the project. Having both someones who is technically capable of the project, is a good leader, and knows how to manage the resources effectively will be a good starting point when working with an IT project. Flexisource IT provides project management, particularly related to the IT-industry. We see to it that our best team of project managers offer you the best solutions when it comes to handling your company’s projects. Let us handle it, so you don’t have to! Don’t just outsource it, Flexisource IT!

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