Here’s an interesting article from a staff writer ITWeb, Logistics Should Embrace CRM:
Customer relationship management (CRM) and logistics are not the most likely of couples, yet according to Keith Anderson, COO of Axis, they should be.
“When it comes to delivering products, distributors are increasingly being expected to act as the logistics partners of their resellers,” he says. “While this new role has brought new challenges, including those of maximising visibility and increasing security, they have additionally opened up new possibilities when it comes to creating customer delight.”
CRM promises to be “the next big thing” in logistics, he states. “It is set to change how we do business.”
By integrating CRM into a logistics application, a customer is able to view all of their delivery details online, checking where their stock is in the system.
“This adds huge value throughout the process and creates a distinct competitive advantage. CRM thus enables complete visibility from start to finish. By using the metrics your CRM application is able to generate, management can react quickly to any problem, as well as consistently measure the company against key performance indicators and drive improvements within the organisation.”Relationships add incredible value and often prove to be worth far more than cutting prices and increasing product availability, he says. “As such, it’s imperative to build on these relationships all the time. CRM allows a company to do this based on the functionality it enables. Everyone involved in the process is able to be truly customer-facing and focused because of the crucial customer information at their fingertips.”
Anderson says the logistics space is one where companies can add value and drive competitive advantage। “By integrating logistics with CRM, distributors will not only be able to increase the visibility and transparency of systems and processes, they will also give their customers a means of knowing where their stock is, and an appreciation of the process involved. In this way, distributors can not only drive efficient delivery, but also create customers for life.”
